Aortic Regurgitation Causes

[sunni_sideup]

I was recently diagnosed about a month ago with mild aortic regurgitation.  I am a competitive athlete and have had swelling for a number of years but only as of March did I experience anything serious when for the first time, I had true shortness of breath after a game.

Symptoms feel like they've intensified lately but then again, I pay closer attention to them and knowing what is causing them freaks me out still.  Also, I live in Tucson, AZ and it's been 104+ for several weeks now so the heat makes everything more intense when working out.  I'm trying to dial back the work outs but it's haaaaaard as I'm at the peak of my game, fitness and strategically speaking and because I captain one of the oldest teams in the sport.

At any rate, I have played roller derby for the last four years and my mother seems to think that this could have been caused by a blow to the chest.  I can't recall any serious hit landing on my chest but at the level I play at, it's certainly possible as I know I land plenty of shoulder-to-chest hits.  In my research, valve problems caused by blunt force are more from things like getting kicked by a horse or hit by a car.  Derby girls are powerful but we're talking about deltoid, not hoof or fist landing the blow.

Could collateral damage have been caused though and be making the condition worse?  Again, I've had what I now know to have been symptoms for at least 7 years - they started when I was in a weight-lifting phase, around age 27 or 28.  I'm 35 now and had confirmed dx about a month ago.