What is aortic stenosis?

9 April 2021

It is a condition that alters the aortic valve, reducing or obstructing blood flow, so the heart must make a greater effort to pump blood to the body. This overexertion can cause heart failure over time.

Signs and symptoms Aortic stenosis

Some people may not have symptoms for many years, but the most common are:

  • Whooshing noise (heart murmur).
  • Chest pain or pressure when exercising.
  • Dizziness, fainting, or fatigue when doing various activities.
  • Difficulty breathing, especially after physical exercise.
  • Palpitations.

Main causes:

  • Being of old age.
  • Congenital heart disease, such as bicuspid aortic valve.
  • Having diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, kidney disease.
  • History of infections (rheumatic fever) that can affect the heart.

If you experience any of these symptoms or have any of the risk factors, see your ABC doctor, as this disease progresses quickly.

Prevention:

If you change your habits it is possible to prevent this disease:  

  • Control your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
  • Follow a low calories, low-fat, and low sodium diet.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Exercise daily.
  • Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
  • Quit smoking.
  • Reduce stress.

Diagnosis and treatment Aortic stenosis

There are various diagnostic studies, such as cardiac ultrasound, to know the heart function; electrocardiogram, to monitor the heart’s electrical function; and chest x-ray, to check for an enlarged aorta or a buildup of fluid in the lungs. Your doctor may also recommend a cardiac catheterization to assess the function of your heart and coronary arteries.

Treatment will depend on the severity of the condition. It may be treated with medication or require surgery to repair or replace the aortic valve.

At the Cardiovascular Center we offer you a wide range of prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up services to take care of you through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary care model. Come to us, we want to hear your heart.

Related centers and departments Aortic stenosis

Fuentes: 

  • sociedad española de cardiología
  • fundación mexicana del corazón
  • fundaciondelcorazon.com
  • texasheart.org
  • medigraphic.org
  • Miramontes-Espino MV, Medina-Torres ÓS, Hernández-Perales HJ, et al. Utilidad de la dinámica de eyección como parámetros ecocardiográficos diagnósticos de la severidad de la estenosis aórtica. CIU Cardiac Image Updated . 2019;1(1):15-21.
  • Henry VGE, Ducuara TCH, Duany DT, et al. Estenosis aórtica basada en la evidencia. Rev Cubana Cardiol Cir Cardiovasc. 2018;24(1):.
  • Sánchez-Lezama F, Harrison-Gómez C, Domínguez CLG, et al. Severidad de estenosis aórtica y su correlación con la morfología del ventrículo izquierdo, volumen de la aurícula izquierda y la relación E/e. Rev Mex Cardiol. 2017;28(4):163-171.

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    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.