Where is the bicuspid valve found

Some people will also need to take lifelong medicine to prevent blood clots. If your symptoms are gradually getting worse, see your healthcare provider soon. See a healthcare provider right away if you have symptoms like severe chest pain or shortness of breath.

The Johns Hopkins Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center provides lifelong heart care for patients diagnosed with congenital heart diseases. Health Home Conditions and Diseases. What causes bicuspid aortic valve? Some of these are: High cholesterol levels High blood pressure Smoking Chronic kidney disease What are the symptoms of bicuspid aortic valve?

They may include: Shortness of breath with exertion Chest pain Lightheadedness or fainting These symptoms may look like other health problems.

How is bicuspid aortic valve diagnosed? How is bicuspid aortic valve treated? What are the complications of bicuspid aortic valve? How to manage bicuspid aortic valve Your healthcare provider may give you other instructions for managing your bicuspid aortic valve and any other existing heart disease. These might include: Eating a heart-healthy diet Maintaining a healthy weight Exercising regularly ask if you have any restrictions Taking medicine for high cholesterol or high blood pressure if needed Avoiding smoking Practicing good dental hygiene If you have had a valve replacement, you may also need to take antibiotics before certain medical and dental procedures.

When should I call my healthcare provider? Key points about bicuspid aortic valve Bicuspid aortic valve is a type of abnormality of the aortic valve. It makes the heart work harder than it should. Some people with bicuspid aortic valve will have symptoms in early childhood.

Others won't have symptoms until adulthood, if ever. The valve can gradually become harder to open or leakier over time. Your healthcare provider may choose to monitor your aortic valve. Eventually, you may need treatment to repair or replace the bicuspid aortic valve. Next steps Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your healthcare provider: Know the reason for your visit and what you want to happen.

Before your visit, write down questions you want answered. Bring someone with you to help you ask questions and remember what your provider tells you. At the visit, write down the name of a new diagnosis, and any new medicines, treatments, or tests. Also write down any new instructions your provider gives you. Know why a new medicine or treatment is prescribed, and how it will help you.

Also know what the side effects are. Ask if your condition can be treated in other ways. During an exam, the health care provider may find signs of a BAV including: Enlarged heart Heart murmur Weak pulse in the wrists and ankles Tests that may be ordered include: MRI , which provides a detailed image of the heart Echocardiogram , which is an ultrasound that views the heart structures and blood flow inside the heart If the provider suspects complications or additional heart defects, other tests may include: Chest x-ray Electrocardiogram ECG , which measures the electrical activity of the heart Cardiac catheterization , a procedure in which a thin tube catheter is placed into the heart to see blood flow and take accurate measurements of blood pressure and oxygen levels MRA , an MRI that uses a dye to view the blood vessels of the heart.

Sometimes the aorta may also need to be repaired if it has become too wide or is too narrow. Medicine may be needed to relieve symptoms or prevent complications. Medicines may include: Drugs that lower the workload on the heart beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors Drugs that make the heart muscle pump harder inotropic agents Water pills diuretics.

Outlook Prognosis. How well the baby does depends on the presence and severity of complications of BAV. The presence of other physical problems at birth also can affect how well a baby does. Possible Complications. Complications of BAV include: Heart failure Leakage of blood through the valve back into the heart Narrowing of the valve's opening Infection of the heart muscle or aortic valve.

When to Contact a Medical Professional. Call your child's provider if your baby: Has no appetite Has unusually pale or bluish skin Seems to tire easily. Alternative Names. Bicommissural aortic valve; Valvular disease - bicuspid aortic valve; BAV.

Patient Instructions. Heart valve surgery - discharge. For Patients and Visitors. Patient Information. Conditions Treated A-Z. Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease. Bicuspid Aortic Valve Symptoms A bicuspid aortic valve is often not symptomatic. Those symptoms may include: Chest pain: Discomfort and tightness are often associated with aortic stenosis. Fatigue: Increased activity may leave you feeling tired and weak. Shortness of breath: Sudden trouble breathing during physical exertion is the main symptom of aortic regurgitation.

Fainting or lightheadedness : You may feel dizzy or even lose consciousness during physical activity. Heart murmur: As symptoms worsen, your doctor may hear this abnormal heart sound. BAVD is often associated with other conditions and complications, including: Aortic abnormalities: BAVD increases the risk of thoracic aortic aneurysm , aortic dissection and aortic coarctation.

A bicuspid valve has only two cusps. Rarely, some people are born with an aortic valve that has one cusp unicuspid or four cusps quadricuspid. Most people with a bicuspid aortic valve don't have signs or symptoms of valve disease until they're adults.

However, severe symptoms may occur in infants. Symptoms of a bicuspid aortic valve include chest pain, shortness of breath and difficulty exercising. A bicuspid aortic valve may be discovered when you're having medical tests for another health condition.

Your doctor may hear a heart murmur when listening to your heart with a stethoscope. An echocardiogram is done to confirm a diagnosis of a bicuspid aortic valve. An echocardiogram uses sound waves to create video images of your heart in motion.

It can show your doctor the aortic valve, the aorta, the heart chambers and the blood flow through your heart. If you have a bicuspid aortic valve, a computed tomography CT scan is usually done to check for an enlarged aorta. If you have a bicuspid aortic valve, you will likely be referred to a doctor who specializes in congenital heart disease congenital cardiologist.

Children and adults with a bicuspid aortic valve need regular doctor's checkups and echocardiograms to check for leaking regurgitation or stiffening stenosis of the valve or an enlarged aorta.

Treatment depends on the extent of heart valve disease. There are no medications to treat a bicuspid heart valve. However, your doctor may prescribe drugs to treat related heart problems such as high blood pressure. You may need surgery for aortic valve stenosis, aortic valve regurgitation or an enlarged aorta.