|  
  |  
Heart Valve Replacement And Heart Valve Repair Blog For Patients With Aortic Stenosis, Mitral Regurgitation, Mitral Valve Prolapse, etc.

Patient Question Of The Day:
"Do You Know What Heart
Valve Disease Sounds Like
Using A Stethoscope?"

>> Click to read more.

 

Adam Pick - Heart Valves Author & Blogger
Adam Pick
Double Heart Valve Surgery Patient
and Author of The Patient's Guide
To Heart Valve Surgery


> Read My Story Here


Mitral Valve Leakage - What Are The Symptoms?

Terry is concerned that her mitral valve prolapse is causing symptoms. Terry writes, “Hi Adam - I was diagnosed with mild regurgitation from a prolapsed mitral valve five years ago. I’m not feeling so great lately. Can you tell me what are mitral valve leakage symptoms? Thanks, Terry”.

Mitral Valve Leakage Symptoms - Mitral Valve Prolpase

Mitral valve leakage symptoms typically consist of the following:

  • Shortness of breath, especially with exertion or when you lie down
  • Fatigue, especially during times of increased activity
  • Cough, especially at night or when lying down
  • Heart palpitations — sensations of a rapid, fluttering heartbeat
  • Swollen feet or ankles
  • Heart murmur
  • Excessive urination
  • Chest pain (angina) or tightness
  • Feeling faint or fainting with exertion
  • Dizziness

However, leaking mitral valve symptoms do not always appear, or manifest, simultaneously for a patient. Many patients can be asymptomatic even though they suffer from mild, moderate, or even severe, mitral valve disease.

Keep on tickin!

Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.

>> Additional Blogs About Heart Valve Surgery:


6 Responses to “Mitral Valve Leakage - What Are The Symptoms?”

  1. Winona Blake Says:

    Hi Terry,
    I had mild mitral valve regergitation 8 years ago, and now am getting ready to have my valve repaired 5 days from now. I had hardly any symptoms when I went to see a cardiologist in May. The SOB and lightheadedness, etc started in late June, now I have severe regurgitation.
    It would not hurt at all to have it checked, as from my research I have learned that the prolapse can remain stable for years, and then rether suddenly degenerate. Learning this early can make the difference between having a repair versus needing a replacement, from what I learned.
    I will write after my surgery. I have learned so much from Adam’s book and this website.
    Adam, I agree heartily (pun intended) with your words; “As patients, we enter the operating room with two critical thoughts. The first thought is, ‘Please let me live!’ The second thought is ‘Please fix my heart so that I can live
    longer!’ “.
    I find myself wondering how my body will feel without the prolapse thumping and bumping, etc. I want the increased energy I hear about.
    Winona

  2. Sherri Hendry Says:

    Hi Terry,

    I too have MVP w/ Regurgitation (and a heart murmur). Last year this time I was at the mild stage. By June of this year, I had progressed to severe leakage. Pretty much I am asymptomatic. Back in December of 07, I was starting to have problems climbing stairs, or doing anything physical (like dancing, lifitng items, etc) I would feel winded, extremely tired. I then started walking on the treadmill for 1/2 hour a day and those symptoms dissapated. Now all I have is every once in a while a heavy feeling in my chest or while laying down my heart beats hard against my chest, but not rapid. I am going for my next Echo next week. Back in June I was told I will need surgery to repair the valve because of it’s leakage progression. I am currenlty at the when stage for surgery.

    You should get it checked. I go every couple of months for echos to check the progression of my leakage. And other than those few occassional symptoms, I would never have guessed I have a heart problem.

    Good Luck.

    Sherri

  3. Nupur Says:

    Hi,

    I have also just been told I have grade 3+ mitral regurgitation. I have no symptoms and had
    no idea that I have such a severe heart problem. I never had a heart murmur until someone
    mentioned it in 2005. Now they are saying it is severe and I will need surgery at some point
    not too far away. Just had a TEE to confirm it. So it seems like you can have pretty bad
    leakage without much symptoms. What it means ( I think) is that your heart is so far
    functioning and is not enlarged. My left ventricle has completely normal function and
    size so far, but I am told this can change quickly. So I have started “shopping’ for a
    surgeon, especially because my prolapse is bi-leaflet and only very few surgeons will
    repair it, as opposed to replace.

    Good luck,

    Nupur

  4. chris roxburgh Says:

    Bula Terry ! I had severe regurgitation of the aortic valve , enlargement of the aorta ( 7cm ) and enlargement of the left side of the heart. I did’nt think I had any symptoms until after the operation when I met a friend who had a similar operation to me. We found out we both sweated especially at night , around the neck and shoulder area , even with the fan or aircondition on , take care and all the best, chris

  5. Cathy Richardson Says:

    I was just diaganosed with Mitral valve small leak. I have the fluttering in my heart when i am really stressed or just sitting. I also have had heart pain and in my back at my shoulder. Is this all related to the leakage?

  6. Patricia Shabel Says:

    I have severe mitral valve regurgitation and have been told I need surgery. I have been having symptoms for years, especially dizziness and lightheadedness, but I didn’t know they were symptoms of a bad heart valve. I thought it was low blood sugar. I knew I had a regurgitating valve, which I found out when I was 24 years old and trying to become a police officer (I was denied due to the valve issue). I was told that I would need a valve job sometime in the future, and the stress of being a police officer would probably aggravate it. It could be 5 years or 30 years. The doctor didn’t know.

    Over the last 2 years, I have had some fatigue, which I figured had to do with getting older and was still having dizziness and lightheadedness. In the last 6 months, I started having all of the symptoms with shortness of breath and ended up at the emergency room. I have also had palpitations for a long time off and on, but it is only recently that friends have told me that they don’t feel their heart beating UNLESS they have run a mile or done some physical exertion. I thought everyone felt their heart at various times!! I had no idea!

    I can’t wait to have surgery to correct this and move on as I am CONSTANTLY EXHAUSTED and can’t do much right now. I can’t remember things very well and am having a really hard time with details and feel spacey a lot, too.

    I’m grateful for this website and the book and everyone’s feedback as I am trying to learn more and make a decision as to which doctor to go to. Thank you all!

Leave a Reply

*
To prove you're a person (not a spam script), type the answer to the math equation shown in the picture. Click on the picture to hear an audio file of the equation.
Click to hear an audio file of the anti-spam equation


NAVIGATION LINKS: Home | The Book | Adam's Blog | Valve Surgery Learning Center | Patient Success Stories | Book Testimonials | Questions? | Contact Me | Resources | Sitemap
All rights reserved. Use of this website, Heart-Valve-Surgery.com assumes acceptance of the terms herein. All logos, pictures and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner. This website has been developed and presented by Adam Pick, author of "The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery." Patient's stories herein, and the language used regarding heart valve replacement and heart valve repair, is intended to inform and educate. HOWEVER, it does not imply that you or anyone else will receive the same outcome. As with any medical procedure, results will vary among individuals, and there could be pain or substantial risks involved. These concerns should be discussed with your health care provider prior to any treatment so that you have proper informed consent and understand that there are no guarantees to healing. Adam Pick does not offer medical advice on this website. This information about valve replacement and repair is offered for educational purposes only. Do not act or rely upon our information without seeking independent professional medical advice. The transmission of this information does not create any relationship between you and Adam Pick. Adam Pick does not guarantees the accuracy, completeness, usefulness, or adequacy of any information available at or from this transmission.
Heart Valve Replacement and Heart Valve Repair