Patient was educated that signs and symptoms of mitral stenosis can vary from mild to severe depending on the degree of stenosis and the extent of obstruction to the blood flow. Signs and symptoms are as follows:
- Dizziness and lightheadedness
- Reduced output of oxygenated blood from the left ventricle will result in low blood pressure and result in hypotensive symptoms of dizziness and lightheadedness.
- Tachycardia
- This could be a compensatory response to the low blood pressure.
- Murmur
- Patients can present with stenotic murmur of the heart that is heard clearly on auscultation of the chest.
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Angina or chest pain could be secondary to the reduced blood supply to the cardiac muscle, along with all the other vital organs of the body.
- This is due to an overall reduction in the blood flow out of the heart.
- Increased workload of the heart
- Pumping blood through the stenotic or incompletely open valve needs extra effort by the heart muscle.
- Extra effort by the heart must be compensated enough by extra blood and oxygen supply.
- But, since blood and oxygen supply is already compromised in an individual with stenosis, any extra workload on the heart makes chest pain and an episode of myocardial infarction more likely, damaging the heart muscle.
