disequlibrium, balance problems, vertigo type symtpoms

[dcruz72]

Hi new to this forum and curious, I have a leaky bicuspid valve, have been having disequilibrium, vertigo sensations, balance issue for 3 years, has anyone had these symptoms and been able to correlate them to there heart issues. My doctors that I have been seeing do not feel the valve leak and slightly enlarged 60mm lv could cause these problems .....:

 

[ALCapshaw2]

The most common cause of vertigo and balance problems originate in the Inner Ear.

Have you been evaluated by an Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor (Otolaryngology)?
If not, it would be wise to schedule an appointment with an ENT for an assessment.

There are a number of medications that can help with those issues,
including over-the-counter Nasal Rinses (Neil Med is my favorite),
Nasal Sprays (for allergies) - Nasonex, Flonase, Astelin,
special diuretic to drain off excess fluid in the inner ear (Lozol / generic: Indapamide),
tapered low dose steroid dose pack (Med-dose-pack),
Anti-Vert (generic: Meclizine), etc.

(Been there, done that)

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Greg a]

dcruz72 , a heart felt WELCOME to our OHS family glad you are getting the information from Al and there is swealth of knowledge here for the future .....

a list of acronyms and short forms http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?27412-Acronyms

what to ask pre surgery http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...68-Pre-surgery-consultation-list-of-questions

what to take with you to the hospital http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?13283-what-to-take-to-the-hospital-a-checklist

Preparing the house for post surgical patients http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...Getting-Comfortable-Around-the-House&p=218802

These are from various forum stickies and there is plenty more to read as well


And Lynw recently added this PDF on what to expect post op
http://www.sts.org/documents/pdf/whattoexpect.pdf

 

[Mentu]

Welcome to the VR community. Without more information, I don't think anyone can offer more than suggestions. Do you know the area of your valve in square centimeters and the measures of the pressure gradient across the valve? Those are likely to give some indication as to whether you might be experiencing symptoms of the valve stenosis. As Al mentioned, inner ear problems are much more likely to be causing your balance problems, especially, if you notice that moving your head in a particular direction initiates the vertigo. For example, BPV (benign positional vertigo) is a problem I've experienced which caused dizziness when I moved my head to the upper right and frequently occured when I got out of bed. It is usually treated easily with out drugs or surgery. Ask your family Doctor to check you out.

Larry

 

[JeffM]

Welcome to the VR community. Without more information, I don't think anyone can offer more than suggestions. Do you know the area of your valve in square centimeters and the measures of the pressure gradient across the valve? Those are likely to give some indication as to whether you might be experiencing symptoms of the valve stenosis. As Al mentioned, inner ear problems are much more likely to be causing your balance problems, especially, if you notice that moving your head in a particular direction initiates the vertigo. For example, BPV (benign positional vertigo) is a problem I've experienced which caused dizziness when I moved my head to the upper right and frequently occured when I got out of bed. It is usually treated easily with out drugs or surgery. Ask your family Doctor to check you out.

Larry

Larry,

I don't think he's got a stenotic valve, it sounds like his flow is insufficient due to regurgitation of blood back into the left ventricle not due to a reduced valve area. Typically (as I speak out of my rear end) I think the heart tends to compensate for this condition with an increased stroke volume. Obviously, at some point, the aorta is stressed by the volume and the left ventricle as well as the left atrium become damaged from the added stress. I believe the symptoms can be different from those of a stenotic valve. I'm guessing the keys to what's happening are probably a combination of left ventricle size along with the other measurements that reflect his heart's efficiency. Ejection fraction would be one of those measurements. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will correct or add to what I'm saying. I'm a firm believer that it can't hurt to get a second opinion because Cardiologists are human beings.

 

[leecrowley]

dcruz72,

It's been a while since I posted, but saw your post and it brought back some memories. For a couple of years before my Ross Procedure, I had vertigo type symptoms every 3 or 4 weeks. Luckily, I could tell they were about to happen. So if I was driving, I could pull over. They would last for 10-15 minutes, and occur once or twice per month. My primary doctor and my Cardiologist could never explain it. I had all kinds of blood tests. They were never explained, but they went away after I had my heart surgery. It had to be some kind of unexplained, but related symptom.

Sorry I can't give you an explanation, but you aren't the only one to experience this.

Lee

 

[Marguerite53]

Welcome to our wonderful community!

I agree that an ear/nose/throat doctor might be able to shed some light on things for you. That said, Dcruz72/Lee's comments should be heard, also. There are many of us who had very strange symptoms prior to our surgery. Some went away, some lessened, some new ones arrived!! It is what it is. If it is not an alarm bell for any doctor, then try to relax about it and become a detective. I remember getting very dizzy in the car while driving alone prior to surgery. Well..... I like to sing when I'm driving in my car alone! Sometimes really loud, with the radio. I discovered that while I was belting out the rock'n'roll I may not have been breathing properly and because my heart was failing, and this interrupted the already labored blood flow, I got dizzy! Sometimes certain foods (like really salty ones) can cause similar problems. Sometimes food additives (like MSG which used to be rampant in Chinese food). Anyway, I know that this is a disequilibrium question but I think you get what I mean about trying to analyze your habits and see if you might come up with a contributing culprit.

Best wishes and thanks for joining us!

Marguerite

 

[traveler]

Welcome!

Issues with dizziness, balance, and chest pain is what got me to the doctor and led to the diagnosis of severe aortic reguritation. Just a thought.

Good luck sorting it out

Traveler

 

[ALCapshaw2]

SNIP

Sometimes certain foods (like really salty ones) can cause similar problems.
Marguerite

Salt can cause Fluid Retention which often shows up as swollen feet or ankles or lower legs.
Press your shin bone and look for a Divit. If it is BIB and/or slow to retard, that is a sign of excess fluid retention.

Excess fluid retention puts an additional strain on the heart to pump blood around your body,
especially if your heart function is compromised.

'AL Capshaw'