Mitral Valve Regurgitation
Symptoms
Mild or moderate mitral regurgitation may not cause any symptoms but may be detected by the presence of a murmur. Severe mitral regurgitation can lead to several symptoms, including the following:
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, especially with exertion
- Fatigue, exhaustion, and weakness
- Fainting (syncope)
- Difficulty gaining weight, especially in infants and small children
Your doctor may suspect you have mitral valve regurgitation after hearing a heart murmur during an examination and may want to do further testing. It’s likely you will also be referred to a cardiologist. Echocardiography is the most common way to diagnose mitral valve regurgitation. This noninvasive test can also be used to monitor your valve and the degree of any dysfunction.
Progression and possible complications
Patients with mitral valve regurgitation rarely have symptoms until the valve is leaking severely, and even then, many don't show symptoms. Often, patients with mild leakage remain stable for many years and need no treatment. However, because mitral valve regurgitation can lead to more serious disorders, your doctor may recommend early treatment for your mitral valve regurgitation before symptoms develop.
Two conditions commonly related to mitral valve regurgitation are atrial fibrillation (Afib) and heart failure, both of which can be serious. Early treatment of your mitral valve regurgitation may be recommended, not because you’re having symptoms, but to avoid these serious complications. Also, there’s been studies that indicate that early mitral valve repair (before symptoms appear or damage has occurred) is associated with better health over the long term.