Mitral stenosis means the mitral valve stiffens and doesn’t open all the way. When it can't fully open, blood must move through a smaller opening. In severe cases, it can affect other organs and the rest of the body. Fluid and pressure can build up in the lungs. This can lead to coughing and breathing problems. Problems with the mitral valve can also cause a fast or irregular heartbeat (palpitations). Over time, mitral stenosis may slowly get worse.
Possible causes
Mitral stenosis is most often caused by rheumatic fever. This illness can lead to an inflammation that damages the heart valves. Other causes include mitral valve prolapse and heart defects from birth (congenital). Although pregnancy doesn’t cause mitral stenosis, symptoms may start during pregnancy if undiagnosed mitral stenosis is present. This is because the amount of blood the heart has to move has increased.
Treating mitral valve stenosis
If you don't have symptoms, you usually don't need treatment. If symptoms occur, your health care provider may prescribe medicines to help ease them. If the stenosis is severe, a procedure called balloon valvuloplasty can stretch the opening of the valve for short-term relief.
Heart surgery with valve replacement using either a tissue or mechanical valve is often the best long-term choice to manage this problem.
Find a cardiac specialist
Because every beat matters, our cardiac doctors are dedicated to providing care like no other can.
Related Articles
Right-Sided Heart Failure
Swelling in the feet and ankles is one of the first signs of right-sided heart failure. Learn how this condition is treated.
Ventricular Arrhythmia
Sometimes problems with the heart's electrical signals lead to a fast heart rhythm. Too many signals may make the heart beat very fast (tachycardia). Or signals may be sent so rapidly and irregularly that the heart muscle sometimes quivers and doesn't beat at all (fibrillation).
Angina Pectoris
Angina pectoris is chest pain or a feeling of chest discomfort that occurs when a part of your heart doesn't get enough blood and oxygen. Learn more about angina, including causes, risks, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
Aortic Valve Regurgitation
Aortic valve regurgitation is when a person's aortic valve leaks. The aortic valve is 1 of the heart's 4 valves. These valves help the blood flow through the heart and out to the body. Normally, the aortic valve stops blood from flowing back into the left ventricle. With aortic valve regurgitation, some blood leaks back through the valve as the heart relaxes.
