What Did My Doctor Say?

The main valve that lets blood out of your heart has become stiff and narrow, making your heart work much harder to push blood through. Over time this strains the heart muscle.

An umbrella term for any heartbeat that is too fast, too slow, or irregular. Your heart has an electrical system that keeps it beating in rhythm — an arrhythmia means that system has a glitch.

Plaque (a mix of cholesterol, fat, and other substances) slowly builds up inside your artery walls, making them stiff and narrow. It's the root cause of most heart attacks and strokes.

Your heart is beating slower than normal (under 60 beats per minute at rest). For some people this is fine, but if your heart beats too slowly it may not pump enough blood to your body.

See Arrhythmia — any problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat caused by a glitch in the heart's electrical system.

Your heart is enlarged — bigger than it should be. This is usually a sign that the heart has been working too hard for too long, often due to high blood pressure or valve disease.

A disease of the heart muscle itself — the muscle becomes weakened, stiffened, or abnormally thick, making it harder for your heart to pump blood effectively.

Your blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels are abnormal — either too high, too low, or the wrong balance. This raises your risk of plaque buildup in your arteries.

An ultrasound of your heart. Sound waves create a moving picture so your doctor can see how your heart is pumping, how the valves are working, and whether the walls are moving normally.

A percentage that tells your doctor how much blood your heart squeezes out with each beat. A normal EF is 55–70%. A lower number means your heart isn't pumping as efficiently as it should.

An extra or unusual sound your doctor hears through a stethoscope when blood flows through your heart. Many murmurs are harmless ("innocent"), but some signal a valve problem that needs monitoring or treatment.

High blood pressure — the force of blood pushing against your artery walls is consistently too high. It's often called the "silent killer" because it usually has no symptoms but quietly damages your heart, kidneys, and blood vessels over time.

Low blood pressure — your blood pressure drops too low, meaning not enough blood is reaching your brain and organs. You may feel dizzy, lightheaded, or faint, especially when standing up quickly.

The electrical signal that tells the left side of your heart to contract is delayed or blocked. Your doctor likely spotted this on an EKG. It can be harmless or a sign of underlying heart disease.

One of the valves in your heart (the mitral valve) has floppy leaflets that bulge backward when your heart beats. Most people with MVP have no problems, but in some cases it can cause a leak.

Your mitral valve doesn't close completely, so blood leaks backward into the upper chamber of your heart when it beats. Over time this makes the heart work harder and can lead to heart failure.

A small device implanted under your skin (usually near the collarbone) that sends electrical signals to keep your heart beating at a steady rate. It's used when your heart beats too slowly or has pauses.

The sensation of feeling your own heartbeat — it may feel like your heart is racing, pounding, fluttering, or skipping a beat. Often harmless, but sometimes a sign of an arrhythmia.

Plaque has narrowed the arteries that carry blood to your legs and feet. The most common symptom is leg pain or cramping when you walk that goes away with rest.

A heart valve isn't closing all the way, so blood leaks backward through it. Your doctor may call it a "leaky valve." Over time this makes your heart work harder.

The arteries that supply blood to your kidneys have narrowed. This can cause hard-to-control high blood pressure and, over time, kidney damage.

A heart valve has become stiff and narrow, so it can't open fully. Blood has to squeeze through a smaller opening, making your heart work harder. The most common is aortic stenosis.

A tiny metal mesh tube placed inside a narrowed artery to hold it open and restore blood flow. Your doctor may have placed one in your heart arteries (coronary stent) or leg arteries.

Fainting — a brief, sudden loss of consciousness caused by not enough blood reaching the brain. It can be harmless (like fainting from standing up too fast) or a sign of a serious heart rhythm problem.

Your heart is beating faster than normal — over 100 beats per minute at rest. It can feel like your heart is racing or pounding. Some types are harmless; others need treatment.

One or more of your heart's four valves isn't working properly — either it's too narrow (stenosis) or it leaks (regurgitation). This makes your heart work harder and can lead to heart failure over time.

The veins in your legs aren't pumping blood back up to your heart efficiently. Blood pools in your legs, causing swelling, aching, and sometimes varicose veins or skin changes.

Extra heartbeats that originate in the lower chambers of your heart instead of the normal pacemaker. You may feel them as a "skipped beat," a thud, or a brief flutter. They're very common and usually harmless.