Bicuspid Aortic Valve: Diagnosis And Treatment

The aortic valve usually has three flaps (flaps). But some people are born with a bicuspid aortic valve. This causes some problems because the valve should carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the aorta.

As some studies have shown, this condition is known as a congenital heart defect and, despite what you might think, is quite common.

Although it does not cause symptoms during childhood, most problems begin to appear in adulthood. For this reason, an early and appropriate diagnosis will allow you to receive the most effective treatment.

Bicuspid aortic valve

The diagnosis of the bicuspid aortic valve is made by reviewing the family history. If you have a family history of this disease, then it is very possible that you have inherited the problem. After that, the doctor does a physical exam.

During the check-up, he may use a stethoscope to be able to hear irregular heartbeats and also to look for signs of a heart murmur. After that, to check if the aortic valve is bicuspid, he will do an echocardiogram that will help him assess how the heart is working.

Treatment for bicuspid aortic valve

Regular lifelong checks

Despite this treatment, a person diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve will need regular check-ups throughout his life. It does not matter if it has been operated on or has undergone valve replacement. You should go to the cardiologist every year to make sure everything is fine and that there are no new problems.

In addition, it is important that all close relatives of the person with the bicuspid aortic valve undergo an echocardiogram to ensure that everything is in order. The reason is that this birth defect can be hereditary. Because of this, relatives need to make sure their valves are working properly.

We hope that this article has helped you to find out more about this problem, which you cannot see with the naked eye, but which manifests itself with different symptoms. It is very important to go to the doctor if someone in your family has this valve defect, because the disease can affect your health and life.