What does aortic regurgitation mean?

Aortic regurgitation refers to the flow of blood from the aorta back into the left ventricle. Normally, blood flows from the right atrium to the right ventricle, through the pulmonary circulation, to the left atrium, and then to the left ventricle. After passing through the aortic valve into the aorta, it circulates through the blood vessels of the entire body. Aortic regurgitation often occurs due to aortic valve insufficiency. If untreated, it can lead to left heart failure as the disease progresses.

Atrial fibrillation is a common symptom of aortic valve regurgitation. Patients often experience rapid heartbeat, arrhythmia, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, and may even faint when the heartbeat is too fast.

After aortic valve regurgitation occurs, patients may also experience symptoms of heart failure, such as shortness of breath, dyspnea, fatigue, and swelling in the legs and feet when lying down or after exertion.

Syncope is also a common clinical manifestation of this disease. Patients may experience dizziness or vertigo when standing up or squatting, and patients with more severe conditions may faint.

Edema is also a common symptom of this disease. Patients with advanced aortic valve regurgitation may experience enlargement and congestion of the liver, pain in the liver area, edema in the lower limbs, pleural effusion, and ascites.

If this disease is not controlled in time, it can lead to infectious endocarditis, which often accelerates the occurrence of heart failure. This can manifest as a series of non-specific symptoms, such as fever, splenomegaly, and anemia.