To diagnose aortic valve stenosis, your doctor will first ask you questions about your family and medical history. Afterward, they’ll likely order a series of tests to determine if you have aortic valve stenosis. These tests help diagnose your heart valve problem and rule out any other disease you may have. A problem with a heart valve will usually cause the heart to make a certain distinct noise. Your doctor can hear this noise, called a murmur, with a stethoscope. However, you can also have a heart murmur and not have valve disease or any other heart problem. Other tests can help confirm the diagnosis of valve disease. Heart murmurs are most often completely normal, but sometimes they can be a sign of heart disease. A transthoracic, or surface, echocardiogram (echo) is a simple, painless test that bounces harmless sound waves off your heart. These sound waves become images on a video screen and your doctor can then see a moving picture of your heart. This test shows how the valves work and can confirm whether a valve is narrowed or leaking. It can also show the size of the chambers and whether your heart muscle pumps normally. A special type of echo, called a transesophageal echo (TEE), may be done as well. This test can provide even more detailed information about your heart valves. But a TEE is somewhat more involved than a surface echo since it requires a probe to be passed into your esophagus. So, a surface echo is usually the first test done. Echo testing can also help your doctor monitor changes in your heart over time. There are two other non-invasive tests your doctor may order. A chest X-ray simply looks at your heart and lungs and you may also have an electrocardiogram, which is a test that shows the electrical signals and rhythm of your heartbeat. Your doctor may decide it’s necessary to perform a cardiac catheterization, which is an invasive test, to look inside your heart. This test helps measure the pressure in the chambers, checks for leaky valves, and looks for problems in your heart’s arteries. Know that whatever heart care you or a loved one need, we’re always here for you. To schedule a time to speak with one of our cardiovascular specialists, please visit AdventHealthCardiovascularInstitute.com or call
Call833-346-6994.