With Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day coming up on February 22, a complimentary stethoscope clinic, with Dr. Janine Eckstein will take place at the Humboldt District Health Complex on Thursday from 8:30-2:30.
The clinic is free and is open to the public. No appointments are required.
Over 1,000,000 Canadians are affected by heart valve disease, but the symptoms and signs can go unnoticed and can be mistaken as a part of the aging process. Some forms of heart valve disease are not serious, while others could lead to major complications including death.
Eckstein says heart valve disease is a common, but treatable condition.
“The valve of the hearts open and close to make the blood go forward, but they don’t always do that, sometimes they get narrow, and they could leak, and that causes the heart to work harder.”
Some of the symptoms of heart valve disease include shortness of breath, fatigue or weakness, light-headedness, dizziness or near fainting, chest discomfort, pressure or tightness or palpitations.
At times, individuals who have heart valve disease do not always have these symptoms, even in a severe case.
Eckstein noted doctors and nurse practitioners can detect heart valve disease with a stethoscope.
“Heart valve disease shows up with a heart murmur, so we can hear those through a stethoscope and if we hear it, we send for extra testing to see what’s going on.”
Heart valve disease can be present at birth or develop from damage later in life from calcification, other cardiovascular diseases and conditions, diabetes, high blood pressure, certain infections and inflammation, or radiation to the chest.
The good news is that heart valve disease can be treated with a valve repair or replacement.
While the clinic is open to everyone, Eckstein says that heart valve disease becomes more common with age.
“We usually say anyone over the age of 65 and hasn’t had their heart listened to is encouraged to come.”
Eckstein also pointed out that one out of every ten individuals over the age of 75 are found to be affected by heart valve disease in some fashion.
February 13 is also Wear Red Canada Day, which is a day to raise awareness about Women’s heart health and Eckstein said she would be willingly to speak about that with anyone stops by the stethoscope clinic.