K.N.O.W. Home Health - AORTIC STENOSIS

AORTIC STENOSIS

What Is Aortic Stenosis?

Aortic stenosis is a heart problem. One of the valves in your heart, called the aortic valve, becomes tight or narrow. This valve is supposed to open and let blood flow from your heart to the rest of your body. But when it gets too tight, the blood has a harder time getting out of the heart. That makes your heart work harder.

What Causes Aortic Stenosis?

Aortic stenosis can happen for a few reasons:

You were born with a heart valve that didn’t form the right way
The valve wears out as you get older
Calcium (a natural mineral in the body) builds up on the valve
A sickness in the past, like rheumatic fever, damaged the valve

What Are the Symptoms?

You may not notice symptoms at first. But as the valve gets tighter, you may:

Feel chest pain or pressure
Feel dizzy or faint
Feel very tired or weak
Have trouble breathing, especially when lying down or walking
Notice swelling in your ankles or feet
Feel like your heart is beating too fast or skipping

How to Feel Better and Reduce Symptoms

Aortic stenosis can’t be fixed with medicine alone, but symptoms can be helped by:

Taking your medicine the way your doctor told you
Eating healthy – low in salt and fat
Avoiding heavy lifting or hard exercise
Getting enough rest
Watching your weight daily – sudden weight gain may mean you are holding fluid
Keeping your doctor visits to check how your heart is doing

Some people may need heart surgery to repair or replace the valve.

When to Call the Doctor or Home Health Nurse

Call your nurse or doctor if you:

Feel more tired than usual
Are dizzy more often
Are short of breath more than before
Gain weight quickly (2-3 pounds in a day or 5 in a week)
Have swelling in your feet or legs
Feel like your heartbeat is too fast or too slow

When to Go to the Emergency Room (ER)

Call 911 or go to the ER if you:

Have chest pain that doesn’t go away
Faint or feel like you will faint
Have trouble breathing even when resting
Feel confused or very sleepy all of a sudden
Have a racing or skipping heartbeat

PATIENT HOME WORK/ASSESSMENT

Please choose True or False for each one:

True or False: Aortic stenosis is a problem with one of the heart’s valves.
True or False: The aortic valve lets blood flow out of the heart to the rest of the body.
True or False: Aortic stenosis makes it easier for blood to flow through the heart.
True or False: You may not have any symptoms in the early stages of aortic stenosis.
True or False: Chest pain and feeling dizzy are common symptoms of aortic stenosis.
True or False: Only children get aortic stenosis.
True or False: Aortic stenosis can happen from aging or calcium buildup.
True or False: You should do heavy lifting to keep your heart strong.
True or False: Medicine can help control the symptoms of aortic stenosis.
True or False: Surgery may be needed to fix the valve.
True or False: It’s okay to eat a lot of salty foods if you have aortic stenosis.
True or False: Gaining weight quickly can mean fluid is building up in your body.
True or False: You should call your nurse if your feet or legs swell more than usual.
True or False: Chest pain that doesn’t go away is an emergency.
True or False: Shortness of breath that gets worse should be told to the doctor.
True or False: Aortic stenosis can be caught from another person.
True or False: Going to your doctor visits helps you manage your heart condition.
True or False: If you feel fine, you can stop taking your heart medicine.
True or False: Fainting can be a serious sign and should not be ignored.
True or False: A tight valve makes it harder for your heart to pump blood to your body.

ASSESSMENT of WELL-BEING INDIVIDUALIZED PATIENT HOMEWORK

Have you noticed any changes in your ability to do daily activities, such as walking or climbing stairs, without becoming short of breath or feeling chest pain?

Do you ever feel dizzy, lightheaded, or like you might faint, especially when standing up or being active?

Have you had any swelling in your ankles, feet, or legs that seems new or has gotten worse recently?

When was your last echocardiogram or cardiology follow-up visit, and were you told if your valve narrowing has changed?