Aortic valve stenosis, otherwise known as aortic stenosis or calcium aortic stenosis, is a heart disease produced by the narrowing of the aortic valve. In healthy individuals, blood flows through this valve after your lungs oxygenate the blood. This disease, however, causes the valve to narrow, restricting the blood flow. This can lead to a variety of health problems.
Calcium Buildup
Valves are composed of leaflets. Calcium normally accumulates in these leaflets. According to "Integrative Medicine," as you age, you will normally develop calcium deposits in your valves. However, certain individuals have anatomical features that predispose them to the malignancy of the calcium accumulation. A bicuspid aortic valve is one of those anatomical predispositions. Calcium accumulation on the leaflets causes the leaflets to stiffen and eventually narrow. Symptoms normally start to manifest after the age of 70.
Other Causes
Calcium aortic stenosis is either a congenital disease or an acquired one. The main cause is rheumatic fever, which develops after strep throat or scarlet fever. It normally takes the disease five to 10 years to develop after the onset of rheumatic fever. Calcium aortic stenosis is a rare disease and happens more often in men.
Anatomy of the Heart
Your heart has four chambers: two atria in the upper portion and two ventricles in the lower portion. Deoxygenated blood flows through the right atrium and then through the right ventricle to get into your lungs. Oxygenated blood flows back into your heart through the left atrium. The blood then flows through the left ventricle into your body's largest artery, the aorta. The aorta then sends the blood all over your body. Your heart has four valves -- one for each of your heart's chambers. One of those valves is the aortic valve, which connects the left ventricle to the aorta.
Consequences of Aortic Stenosis
Aortic stenosis prevents blood from flowing completely to your left ventricle into the aorta. This causes pressure to increase in your left ventricle. The pressure leads to the thickening of the ventricle wall, which worsens the impaired blood flow. Your blood then flows back into your lungs, causing shortness of breath. In extreme cases, the stenosis can compromise the circulation in the brain, leading to feelings of lightheadedness and fainting. Other symptoms include chest pain, fatigue during physical activity, heart palpitations and heart murmurs. Additionally, if there is enough damage to cause heart failure, swollen ankles and feet may manifest.
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