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all 4 valves leak!

My cardiologist said all 4 of my valves mildly leak. He wasn't concerned and said to come back in a year. But he couldn't answer why my chest feels heavy when lying down and why I get out of breath easy. Aren't those symptoms of worse leakage? does anybody know why only mild leakage would cause these symptoms?
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Avatar universal
I also have mild to moderate leakage from all four valves, and as far as I can tell, for decades now, I have had no symptoms.  My cardiologist is not worried, because for three of the valves, a bit of leakage is pretty normal in the general population.

However, one of those four valves, the Aortic Valve, is not supposed to leak.  It's the big one that allows blood rich with oxygen to supply the entire body.  If that valve doesn't shut all the way, some blood will flow back into the heart, causing it to work harder.

A little leak, like mine, generally causes no symptoms, and since your valve leaks have been checked out and found to be minor, your chest heaviness and shortness of breath are most probably due to other causes.  (Nervousness and worry can even do it.)    

People with minor leaks can go along perfectly for decades, or even an entire life.  But the general rule is that the condition of the Aortic Valve should be monitored every year or two just to keep an eye on it to make sure the heart stays healthy.

I would suggest that you check back with your doctor to ask again if your Aortic Valve is indeed leaking a bit.  If it is, it would be a good idea to ask if the condition should be monitored.  The tests for this are painless, in my experience consisting of an echocardiogram and a stress test, which I get every two years.  If you didn't have a stress test  with your echo, you could justify having that to see how your heart performs while you exercise.

You can google aortic regurgitation for more information--but don't let it freak you out.  It's just something to be aware of.
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11548417 tn?1506080564
Many people have leaky heart valves. As long as the leakage is not moderate or severe, it is not such a problem.
I can not imagine that your symptoms are related to the leakage of your valves.
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976897 tn?1379167602
Hi, your valves are absolutely fine. Whatever the problem, it has nothing to do with heart valves.
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1807132 tn?1318743597
I don't know much about leaky valves.  You may want to check the heart disease forum and see if you get more bites on your question there.  This said, are you overweight?  Do you work out at all?  At your age your heart may have become unconditioned so working out may help you feel better.  If you are overweight it could be partly do to apnea issues when laying down. If you are still questioning your symptoms then maybe see if you can get a second opinion. Best of luck sorting it out and hope you feel better soon.    
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