question for female bicuspids, primarily

[Susan BAV]

This is my first post. (I sure hope I am doing it right!) From some of the experiences I've read on this site, it seems to me that bicuspid problems seem to manifest themselves a bit differently between men and women. But perhaps the differences are related to different activities and life-styles. Anyway, do (or did) you fellow-bicuspid-persons find yourselves to be more exhausted (shortness of breath, "heavy" chest, etc.) from hot and/or humid days? How about following heavy lifting and/or other exertions? Thank you for your responses.

 

[Ross]

Hello Susan and welcome.

Others will be along to address your questions, but I think it's very safe to say that any heart valve or related problem will yield the very symptoms you speak of. Common? You betcha. I don't think there are any of us that can say we don't or didn't experience those.

Read around the forums, join in on the fun, and again welcome.

 

[MelissaM]

Hi Susan - welcome!

Yes, the heat can take a toll on us heart patients. Just today I begged off going down to the outdoor mall to listen to bands in the heat. It just wipes me out, much like sitting in a sauna too long. Same with lifting heavy objects - just too much load on the heart.

You are in good company!

melissa

 

[hensylee]

Extremes of weather, be it hot or cold, is hard on the heart.

Welcome to VR. A good place to live. Or visit.

 

[Mara]

Hi Susan

Hot and humid days did make me exhausted. the heavy air was hard to breathe Now, 2 years post-op, I seem to do okay in the humidity. My husband and I just got back from a week in Disney world and Sanibel Florida and I did okay with the heat and humidity.

I can't say about lifiting weights because my cardio told me not to lift weights (as in exercising or body building) because of the stress it puts on the aorta. I could life small weighs as you would do to tone muscle, but not heavy weight for building muscle.
I was restricted from most competitve sports, like basketball, soccer, swim team, cycle racing, anything where I could not stop and catch my breathe, throughout school.

But now! Wow! what a difference the surgery has made. I played on a women's soccer team for the first time ever this spring and am set to go back for the fall season!

-Mara

 

[nadi]

Welcome!!

Welcome!!

Hi and Welcome,

You have come to the best place to get info.

I had the very symptoms you are asking about before my mitral valve replacement 3 months ago (today) but after surgery they seemed a lot better.

Again, welcome,

 

[wlaldridge]

Welcome the best place on this earth for people with heart valve problems.

Not wanting to seem too pedantic about it, but by way of partial explanation-

hot and humid air has fewer molecules of oxygen per unit of volume than colder or drier air. The heat spreads the molecules out in a gas and the water vapor takes up space that could be 20% oxygen. Hence, if we exchange air through our lungs and blood we are getting less oxygen than necessary to start with and if the cardio pulmonary system is already degraded lowering the oxygen to it only makes things worse.

Work of any kind, of course, raises the need and demand for oxygen and with less oxygen available, symptoms of the shortage manifest themselves.

Good luck to you and please keep coming back and if you don't get the answers you want keep asking, someone will find out and/or know and help out.

 

[Susan BAV]

To everyone including wlaldridge: Thanks for the nice welcome and the informative and helpful information! I stumbled across this site fairly recently and I'm amazed at how helpful it is! I may or may not need surgery, sooner or later (as per my last cardiologist), but will see a new cardiologist later this month. My peak valve gradient was 55mm on an echo a few months ago, which meant nothing to me until I did a little research on it. I then decided that, with my symptoms, I needed to take a firmer hold on my cardio-health and direction! Thanks, again, for your very pleasant welcome!

 

[Nancy]

Hi Susan-

Like everyone else, Welcome to this terrific site. You've got loads of friends here who "get it" as far as heart valve problems go and way beyond.

This group of folks is so informed. Plus someone is always researching all kinds of things related to heart valves. So you'll be in the know soon.

Take some time to read as many posts as you can possibly stomach. You'll learn tons.

My husband has had 3 valve surgeries. If and when you need surgery, we'll all be there to support you pre-surgery and afterwards.

Take care,

 

[Georgia]

Welcome, Susan

Welcome, Susan

You've found the right place. Looks like you've been messing with this stuff a long time.

The longer I'm post-surgical the more I'm astonished at just how long I'd been poorly. I remember having trouble carrying my dog around more than two years ago - and chalked it up to old age, poor conditioning (doh!), etc.

The final descent into poor health went pretty quickly. About a month, I reckon. I suspect it seems to hit females harder because most of us are more marginal in terms of upper-body strength to begin with (I speak for myself, girls - but let's face it - most of us with this problem are at least in our 40's, and we're not exactly the hard-body generation ). So although the guys are having problems, too, they can get along for a longer time unless they're those who are really in tune with their physical condition.

But enough - and again, welcome.

 

[ccrawford]

Hi Susan - I'm not a bicuspid-in fact my aortic valve is now a mechanical valve, but --- before surgery, I was very sensitive to heat and humidity as my stamina started its gradual slide downward. Since the heart was not doing its job efficiently, I was also sensitive to the cold, and my hands and feet would really get cold during the winter months. In April, I had the aortic valve replaced. Since then, I've found that the drug Toprol (prescribed for high BP) can sometimes cause sensitivity to high temperatures. On the other hand, it got up to nearly 80 today and I cut and moved firewood all day without a serious problem, so I'd say it's unpredictable. As your doc prescribes drugs, you need to interact with him or her, and eventually find out what works for you. Remember, those drugs are helping keep you alive, and its important to give them some time to see what side effects occur. Welcome to the site, and I hope you learn a lot hear from all the great people we have. Chris

 

[bvdr]

Welcome Susan,

I don't have a bi-cuspid valve but Ross and the others were right in saying that those symptoms are basically present with all our valve problems.

I am very weather sensitive right now especially to heat and humidity. I started a medical leave yesterday until after I have surgery in a couple of weeks and recover.

I'm glad you seem to be taking the role of overseer of your own care. You become the expert of your own case and gather copies of your pertinant tests and history and study them. Cardiologists are notoriously slow to refer their patients for surgical consult. If you feel you are going downhill, check with your insurance and if necessary, refer yourself to an experienced valve surgeon and get your questions answered. Monitor your left ventricular function and really listen to your body.

Again, welcome. Spend time reading old posts and join right in. Learn right along with us and have some fun along the way.

 

[ericaj]

heart of hearts

heart of hearts

Hi I am 20 and have the bicuspid aortic valve with ai/as and fighting symptoms, trying to not let them slow me down any. Right now I am on Bisopolol 12.5mgs for tachycardia and today is my 1st day of wearing a 1 month event monitor. I do find humid,hot weather makes me feel worse too. Enough about me though.. welcome to this board and hope to hear from you again, Erica

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi susan!
welcome to this site. as you can already see, everyone here is informative, supportive, friendly and just plain wonderful.

i noticed in your profile that you had aortic coarctation that was repaired a few years back.
what symptoms were you exhibiting? was this something they picked up on early in life?

i am having one of our daughters checked for that very same thing this month. she is not showing any of the typical symptoms other than that the sequence of her heart/pulse locations is reversed.

any info regarding this would be so greatly appreciated.
thanks and be well, sylvia

 

[Susan BAV]

Thank you again, everybody, for such a warm and friendly welcome! And, Sylvia, regarding your question about the coarctation, I'll try to briefly list what history I know: My parents were made aware, by the doctors, of a heart murmur from my birth. I was not allowed to take P.E. in school and was told not to run. (Try to get a little kid to abstain from running!) I think I always felt pretty good as a kid, although I don't have a before/after comparison, especially regarding stamina. I had echos periodically and I had an angiogram when I was twelve and the doctors said to wait on surgery. When I had the next angiogram, I was nearly eighteen and the doctors said that I needed surgery right away. I don't know what the symptoms were or are and I don't really know that I had any symptoms. After the surgery I felt about like I did before (except for the obvious horrible pain with that "J" incision). But I recovered from the surgery and healed up quickly. There is a paternal family history of valve problems. My uncle has had numerous valve issues, etc. and my dad died with (not from) IHSS at age 66. I don't know if any of that helps; I hope things go well for your daughter.

 

[epstns]

Hi, Susan, and Welcome from The Waiting Room. Lots of us out here who have been diagnosed but are not yet at the point of needing surgery.

My doctors believe I have a "probable bicuspid valve" but can't see it clearly enough on the echo. Presently I have none of the "cardinal" symptoms that would hasten the trip to the OR (angina, fainting, shortness of breath) -- in fact I still run almost 4 miles most days and do light weight training. Like several others, I have been warned off working with or lifting heavy weights.

As Chris noted, I also have been sensitive to cold weather discomfort for many years, just never knew why. Also, I notice that when the weather is warmer, my heart rate runs up higher during my work-outs, and even during normal activities, giving some real-world proof of Bill's description of how higher temps affect valvers.

Glad you're here. I think this is the absolute best place, on or off the web, to get the real info -- and the support of many wonderful folks as well.