Heart Valve Disease: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
Updated: 2 days ago
Medically reviewed by Dr. Baraa Alnahhal, MD · Last reviewed: September 2026
At a Glance
TL;DR: Heart valve disease happens when one or more of the heart's four valves doesn't open or close the way it should, changing how blood flows through the heart and into the body. The seven main symptoms are shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, swollen ankles and feet, fainting, and an irregular heartbeat — and some people go years without noticing anything at all. Diagnosis is confirmed with a physical exam (often detecting a whooshing heart murmur) plus imaging tests such as an echocardiogram. The disease is staged A through D, from “at risk” to “severe with symptoms,” and treatment ranges from regular checkups and lifestyle changes to medicines and surgery to repair or replace the valve.
Quick Answer:
What is it? A condition in which one or more of the heart's four valves doesn't work as it should, changing blood flow through the heart.
What are the symptoms? Shortness of breath (at rest, when active, or lying down), fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, swollen ankles and feet, fainting, and irregular heartbeat.
What causes it? Some people are born with it; in adults, causes include infections, age-related changes, and other heart conditions.
What are the 4 types? Stenosis (narrowed opening), regurgitation (leaky backward flow), prolapse (floppy, bulging flaps), and atresia (valve never formed).
How is it diagnosed? Physical exam with a stethoscope, then blood and imaging tests — echocardiogram, ECG, chest X-ray, cardiac MRI, stress test, and sometimes cardiac catheterization.
What are the stages? Stage A (at risk), Stage B (progressive), Stage C (severe without symptoms), Stage D (severe with symptoms).
How is it treated? Regular checkups, lifestyle and diet changes, medicines (including blood thinners), and surgery to repair or replace the valve.
Note: This article reflects current clinical information as of its sources' last review (May 2026).
What Is Heart Valve Disease?
In heart valve disease, one or more of the valves in the heart doesn't work as it should. There are four heart valves, and they keep blood flowing through the heart in the correct direction.
Sometimes a valve isn't formed or it doesn't close all the way. Or a valve opening may get narrow. Either way, heart valve disease can change how blood flows through the heart to the rest of the body.
A typical heart has two upper and two lower chambers. The upper chambers, the right and left atria (the receiving rooms of the heart), receive incoming blood. The lower chambers, the more muscular right and left ventricles (the pumping rooms), pump blood out of the heart. The heart valves act as gates at the chamber openings.
Each valve has flaps called leaflets or cusps. The flaps open and close once during each heartbeat. If a valve flap doesn't open or close as it should, less blood moves out of the heart to the rest of the body.
Treatment depends on the heart valve affected and the type and severity of the disease. Sometimes surgery is needed to fix or replace the heart valve.
What Are the 4 Types of Heart Valve Disease?
There are different types of heart valve disease, each describing how the valve fails.
Type | What Happens | What It Means for Blood Flow |
Stenosis | The valve flaps become thick or stiff, and sometimes join together | The valve opening narrows, so less blood can flow through |
Regurgitation | The valve flaps do not close tightly | Blood leaks backward through the valve |
Prolapse | The valve flaps become stretched out and floppy, bulging backward like a parachute | This can lead to regurgitation (backward leak) |
Atresia | The valve is never formed; a solid sheet of tissue blocks blood flow between chambers | Blood flow between heart chambers is blocked; usually affects the pulmonary valve |
What Are the Symptoms of Heart Valve Disease?
Some people with heart valve disease might not have symptoms for many years. When symptoms do occur, they might include:
Shortness of breath at rest or when active or lying down
Fatigue
Chest pain
Dizziness
Swelling of the ankles and feet
Fainting
Irregular heartbeat
Figure 2: The seven warning signs of heart valve disease, five key risk factors, five possible complications, and when to seek care right away.
When to See a Doctor
If you have symptoms of possible heart valve disease, make an appointment for a health checkup. You may be sent to a doctor trained in heart diseases, called a cardiologist.
However, chest pain, fainting, and severe shortness of breath can signal a serious problem. Seek care right away if symptoms are sudden or severe — do not wait for a scheduled checkup.
Symptom Pattern | What to Do |
Chest pain, fainting, or severe shortness of breath | Seek emergency medical care immediately |
A sudden, new irregular heartbeat | Seek urgent care |
Gradual fatigue, ankle swelling, or breathlessness when active | Make an appointment for a health checkup |
No symptoms but known valve disease | Keep regular checkups as advised by your provider |
What Causes Heart Valve Disease?
Some people are born with heart valve disease. This is called congenital heart valve disease — meaning the problem is present at birth. But adults can get heart valve disease too. Causes of heart valve disease in adults may include infections, age-related changes, and other heart conditions.
A few background facts help explain the causes. Four valves in the heart keep blood flowing in the right direction: the aortic valve, mitral valve, pulmonary valve, and tricuspid valve.
What Are the Risk Factors?
Several things can increase the risk of heart valve disease:
Risk Factor | Why It Matters |
Older age | Age-related changes can stiffen and damage valve flaps over time |
Infections (rheumatic fever, blood infections) | Infections can directly injure heart valves |
Heart attack or heart disease | Damaged heart tissue and muscle can affect how valves function |
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes | These strain the heart and raise the risk of valve problems |
Congenital heart defect | The valve may be malformed or missing from birth |
What Are the Possible Complications?
Complications of heart valve disease may include:
Blood clots
Heart failure
Irregular heartbeats
Stroke
Death
Untreated severe valve disease can worsen the heart's workload over time, which is why early diagnosis and regular monitoring matter — even when you feel fine.
How Is Heart Valve Disease Diagnosed?
To diagnose heart valve disease, a healthcare professional examines you and asks questions about your symptoms and health history. The provider listens to your heart with a tool called a stethoscope. A whooshing sound called a heart murmur may be heard. Blood and imaging tests may then be done to check your heart health.
The 6 Tests Used to Diagnose Heart Valve Disease
Test | What It Involves | What It Detects |
Echocardiogram | Sound waves make pictures of the beating heart; several types exist depending on your health and the reason for the test | How blood flows through the heart and heart valves |
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) | A quick test; sticky sensor patches go on the chest and sometimes the legs, wired to a computer that displays or prints results | How the heart is beating |
Chest X-ray | X-ray imaging of the chest | Whether the heart is larger than usual or whether there is fluid around the lungs (fluid could be due to some types of heart valve disease) |
Cardiac MRI | Magnetic fields and radio waves make detailed images of the heart | Helps determine the severity of heart valve disease |
Exercise stress test | You walk on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bike while the heart is checked; if you can't exercise, medicines that affect the heart like exercise does may be used | How the heart responds to physical activity, and whether valve symptoms happen during exercise |
Cardiac catheterization | A thin flexible tube (catheter) is placed in a blood vessel, usually in the groin or wrist, and guided to the heart; dye flows through the catheter into the heart arteries so they show up clearly on X-ray images and video | Used when other tests don't find valve changes, or to tell how severe the disease is |
The 4 Stages of Heart Valve Disease
After testing confirms a diagnosis, your healthcare team may tell you the stage of the disease. Staging helps determine the most appropriate treatment. The stage depends on symptoms, disease severity, the structure of the valve or valves, and blood flow through the heart and lungs.
Stage | Name | What It Means |
Stage A | At risk | Risk factors for heart valve disease are present |
Stage B | Progressive | Valve disease is mild or moderate; no symptoms |
Stage C | Asymptomatic severe | Valve disease is severe, but there are no symptoms |
Stage D | Symptomatic severe | Valve disease is severe and is causing symptoms |
Figure 3: The five-step pathway from physical exam through imaging tests, staging, treatment selection, and valve repair versus replacement — plus eight lifestyle and home-care steps.
How Is Heart Valve Disease Treated?
Treatment depends on the symptoms, the type of heart valve disease, the stage of the disease, and whether the heart valve condition is getting worse. Treatment may include regular health checkups, lifestyle and diet changes, medicines, and surgery to fix or replace the valve.
Medications
Some people with heart valve disease need medicines to treat their symptoms. Blood thinners may be given to prevent blood clots.
Surgery or Other Procedures
A diseased or damaged heart valve might eventually need to be repaired or replaced, even if you don't have symptoms. If you need surgery for another heart condition, a surgeon might do valve repair or replacement at the same time.
Methods to repair or replace heart valves include open-heart surgery, minimally invasive heart surgery, and robot-assisted heart valve surgery. The type of surgery depends on your age, overall health, the type of valve disease, and the stage of the disease.
Heart Valve Repair
Repair surgery saves your own heart valve. During heart valve repair, the surgeon might:
Patch holes in a valve
Separate valve flaps that are stuck together
Replace torn or ruptured cords that support the valve
Remove extra valve tissue so that the valve can close tightly
Make the outer size of the valve smaller so that the flaps can better contact each other
Two common repair procedures include:
Procedure | How It Works |
Annuloplasty | The surgeon tightens or reinforces the outer ring around the valve; may be done with other treatments to repair a heart valve |
Valvuloplasty | Fixes the valve flaps; often done to repair mitral valve prolapse. A flexible tube with a balloon on the tip is inserted into an artery in the arm or groin and guided to the affected valve. The balloon is inflated to widen the valve opening, then deflated and removed. Sometimes clips or plugs go through the tube to repair the valve |
Heart Valve Replacement
If a heart valve can't be repaired, surgery may be done to replace it. The most commonly replaced valves are the mitral and aortic valves.
Valve Type | What It Is | Key Consideration |
Mechanical valve | An artificial valve made of strong manufactured material | Requires blood thinners for life to prevent blood clots |
Biological valve | Made from cow, pig, or human heart tissue | Breaks down over time and eventually needs to be replaced |
Sometimes, the aortic valve is replaced with the person's own pulmonary valve, and the pulmonary valve is then replaced with a biological valve. This more complicated surgery is called the Ross procedure.
Valve replacement typically requires open-heart surgery. But less-invasive treatments may be available depending on which valve is affected. For example, if the aortic valve is narrowed, surgeons may do transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) — a minimally invasive procedure in which a thin, flexible tube is placed into the leg or chest and guided to the heart. A replacement valve goes through the tube, and a balloon on the catheter expands to press the valve into place. Some TAVR valves expand on their own. TAVR uses smaller incisions than open-heart surgery.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
If you have heart valve disease, your healthcare team may suggest lifestyle changes. Try these steps:
Step | What to Do |
Eat healthy | Choose fruits and vegetables, low-fat or fat-free dairy, poultry, fish, and whole grains; avoid saturated and trans fats and excess salt and sugar |
Get regular exercise | Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily; check with your team before starting a new routine |
Keep a healthy weight | Being overweight raises heart disease risk; set realistic weight goals with your team |
Don't smoke or use tobacco | Quit smoking or chewing tobacco — quitting is the best way to reduce risk |
Practice good sleep habits | Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep daily, with consistent bed and wake times, even on weekends |
Manage blood pressure | Get checked at least every two years from age 18; more often if you have risk factors or are over 40 |
Get a cholesterol test | First test in your 20s, then at least every 4–6 years; some people need earlier or more frequent checks |
Manage diabetes | Keeping blood sugar under control helps protect the heart |
Pregnancy
Careful and regular checkups are needed for those who have heart valve disease during pregnancy. If you have a severe heart valve condition, you might be told not to get pregnant to reduce the risk of complications.
Coping and Support
If you have heart valve disease, two approaches can help you manage the condition and thrive:
Get support. Connect with friends and family or join a support group. Talking about your concerns with others in similar situations can help.
Manage stress. Reduce emotional stress through more exercise, mindfulness, and support groups. If you have anxiety or depression, talk with your healthcare team about strategies to help.
Getting Ready for Your Appointment
If you think you might have symptoms of heart valve disease, make an appointment for a health checkup.
What You Can Do
Ask if there's anything you need to do before your checkup — for example, you may be told not to eat or drink for a short period before a cholesterol test.
Write down your symptoms, including any that seem unrelated to heart valve disease.
Write down important personal information, including a family history of heart valve disease and any major stresses or recent life changes.
List all medicines, vitamins, and supplements you take, including dosages.
Take someone with you, if possible — someone who can help you remember the information you're given.
Write down questions to ask your healthcare team.
Questions to Ask Your Healthcare Professional
Your Questions | What Your Provider Will Likely Ask You |
What is the likely cause of my symptoms or condition? | When did your symptoms start? |
What are other possible causes? | Do you always have symptoms, or do they come and go? |
What tests do I need? | On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 = worst), how bad are your symptoms? |
What's the best treatment? | What, if anything, makes your symptoms better? |
I have other health conditions — how can I best manage them together? | What, if anything, makes your symptoms worse? |
How do I need to change my diet or activities? | — |
Should I see a specialist? | — |
If I need heart valve surgery, which surgeon do you recommend? | — |
Is there any information I can take with me? What websites do you recommend? | — |
Conclusion and Next Steps
Heart valve disease is one of those conditions that can hide in plain sight — some people live for years without a single symptom. That's exactly why it deserves attention before problems build: the heart has only four valves, and each one keeps blood moving in the right direction.
The practical path is simple. If you notice shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, swollen ankles, fainting, or an irregular heartbeat, book a checkup. A provider can listen for a heart murmur and, if needed, order imaging tests such as an echocardiogram. From there, staging (A through D) guides whether watchful waiting, lifestyle changes, medicines, or valve repair and replacement is right for you.
Call to action: If you experience chest pain, fainting, or severe shortness of breath, seek emergency medical care right away. Otherwise, start with a checkup — bring your symptom notes, medication list, and family history, and use the question list above to make the most of your visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the first signs of heart valve disease?
The first signs often include shortness of breath at rest, when active, or when lying down, along with fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, swelling of the ankles and feet, fainting, and an irregular heartbeat. Some people have no symptoms for many years.
What does a heart valve disease murmur sound like?
During an exam, a provider listens to your heart with a stethoscope. A whooshing sound called a heart murmur may be heard if a valve isn't opening or closing properly.
Is heart valve disease the same as a heart attack?
No. A heart attack is caused by a blocked artery cutting off blood to heart muscle. Heart valve disease means one of the heart's four valves doesn't work as it should, changing how blood flows. They are different conditions, though a heart attack is one risk factor for valve disease.
Can a damaged heart valve repair itself?
No — a damaged or diseased valve doesn't heal on its own. Depending on the stage, treatment may involve monitoring, medicines, or surgery to repair or replace the valve.
What is the difference between valve repair and valve replacement?
Repair surgery saves your own valve (for example, patching holes or tightening the valve ring with annuloplasty). Replacement removes the damaged valve and installs a mechanical valve (requiring lifelong blood thinners) or a biological valve made from cow, pig, or human tissue (which eventually needs replacing).
What is TAVR, and who is it for?
TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) is a minimally invasive procedure that replaces a narrowed aortic valve through a thin tube placed in the leg or chest, using smaller incisions than open-heart surgery. It's used for aortic valve stenosis.
Can you live a normal life with heart valve disease?
Many people manage the condition well with regular checkups, lifestyle changes, and treatment when needed. Staging helps providers match treatment to the disease, and even severe disease can often be treated effectively.
Does heart valve disease affect pregnancy?
Pregnancy requires careful, regular checkups for people with heart valve disease. If the condition is severe, a provider might advise against pregnancy to reduce the risk of complications.
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References
Heart valve disease: Symptoms & causes. mayoclinic.org
Heart valve disease: Diagnosis & treatment. mayoclinic.org
Disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your healthcare professional with any questions about a medical condition. In a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number.
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