Heart valve disease occurs when one or more of the heart valves don't work properly because of calcification or leaking. Many times the heart produces a murmur as the blood is forced through the damaged valve.
Symptoms typically occur when the valve is severely diseased, and include shortness of breath with minimal activity, fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, and fainting. If left untreated, heart valve disease can reduce a person's quality of life and become life-threatening.
We see patients with structural heart disease at St. Luke’s Clinic – Idaho Cardiology Associates in Boise.