How you will feel and how aortic valve stenosis will affect your life will vary greatly depending on whether you have symptoms and the treatment decisions you make.

If you have no symptoms

You may be surprised when you first learn that you have aortic valve stenosis, because you may not have symptoms. In fact, you may even have quite severe stenosis and still not feel any symptoms or show physical signs. But even if you feel fine, there are still many things you will have to keep in mind.

It is important that you watch closely for any signs of chest pain, lightheadedness, fainting, or shortness of breath. See your doctor promptly if you develop these symptoms or others that concern you. You are more likely to have symptoms while exercising or doing other strenuous activity than at other times. Discuss with your doctor what kinds of exercise are safe for you. There is no way to predict when symptoms will develop.

You can keep your heart healthy and lower your risk of coronary artery disease with a heart-healthy diet and lifestyle such as not smoking, staying at a healthy weight, being active, and managing diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

You also will need to have an echocardiogram every 6 months to 1 year for severe stenosis and every 1 to 5 years for mild to moderate stenosis.

If you have severe stenosis, avoid strenuous physical activity. In rare cases, sudden death can occur if enough blood cannot get to your heart muscle during strenuous physical activity.

If you have symptoms

After symptoms of stenosis appear, you'll need to decide whether to have valve replacement. Because it is the only effective long-term treatment, valve replacement surgery is recommended unless you are in such poor health the surgery would be too risky or you have other reasons not to have it. For more information about valve replacement surgery, see:

Should I have surgery to replace my aortic valve?