Aortic Insufficiency

Aortic insufficiency (AI) or aortic regurgitation is a term used to describe heart valve disease. With this kind of disease, the aortic valve is not able to close tightly and this makes blood flow backwards from the aorta (largest blood vessel) into the left ventricle (chamber of the heart). This disease can be as a result of abnormalities in the aortic root or the aortic valve.

Causes

Aortic insufficiency can be as a result any state that keeps aortic valve from getting closed completely. Every time the heart beats, small amounts of blood flow back. It causes the lower chamber of the heart to widen and blood leaves the heart in large amounts every time there is a contraction or squeeze. Because of this, it leads to a forceful and strong pulse (also known as bounding pulse). With time, the heart ends up unable to pump blood to other parts of the body.

Rheumatic fever was the major cause of aortic insufficiency in the past but this is no longer the case. This is because there are antibiotics available that make treatment of rheumatic fever easy. There are other aortic insufficiency causes and these include:

• Syphilis
• Marfan syndrome
• Aortic dissection
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• High blood pressure
• Endocarditis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Reiter syndrome which is also commonly referred as reactive arthritis
• Congenital valve problems for instance bicuspid valve

This disease is common among men aged 30 to 60 years though it also affects women.

Symptoms

For years, patients can go on with life without seeing any symptoms. This is because often, symptoms occur suddenly and slowly. The symptoms though are same as those of heart failure and they might include orthopnea, dyspnea on exertion as well as paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. In some cases, the patient can also experience angina pectoris and palpitations. In very acute cases, there will be circulatory shock and cyanosis.

Other symptoms that might also be noted include:

• Fainting
• Palpations
• Fatigue
• Bounding pulse
• Shortness of breath while lying down or activity
• Swelling of the abdomen, feet and legs
• Uneven, pounding, rapid, fluttering or racing pulse

Tests and exams have to be carried out in order to determine whether a patient has aortic insufficiency and some of the signs noted might include:

• Heart murmur whenever a health provider uses a stethoscope to listen to their chest
• Forceful beat of the heart
• Head bobs in time with heartbeat
• Fluid signs in the lungs
• Hard pulses in legs and arms

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