Aortic valve stenosis

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Definition Symptoms Causes Risk factors When to seek medical advice

Tests and diagnosis Complications Treatments and drugs Prevention

Complications

Aortic valve stenosis puts a strain on the heart that can cause shortness of breath, chest pain and fainting. Left unchecked, aortic valve stenosis can lead to heart failure, a serious condition in which your heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to meet your body's needs. Severe aortic valve stenosis can ultimately be life-threatening. The condition can lead to irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and cardiac arrest.

Aortic valve stenosis puts you at risk of endocarditis. Endocarditis is an infection of your heart's inner lining — the endocardium. This membrane lines the four chambers and four valves of your heart. Typically, the infection involves one of the heart valves, especially if it's already damaged. If the aortic valve is narrowed, it's more prone to infection than a healthy valve is.

You can develop endocarditis when bacteria from another part of your body spread through your bloodstream and collect in your heart. Doctors used to recommend some people with aortic valve stenosis take antibiotics before certain dental or medical procedures to prevent endocarditis, but not anymore. In 2007, the American Heart Association issued new guidelines saying, in part, antibiotics were no longer necessary in most cases for someone with this condition. Your doctor should tell you if antibiotics are necessary for you before such procedures.

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Symptoms

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

• Endocarditis
• Heart failure
• Heart arrhythmias