Symptoms of Aortic Stenosis
Most children with aortic stenosis do not have any symptoms. They may have no noticeable problems unless the stenosis gets worse.
If they do have symptoms, they may have these:
- Feeling short of breath when active
- Having pain, pressure or tightness in their chest
- Fainting or feeling weak or dizzy when active
- Having palpitations
Babies born with severe aortic stenosis may have to work hard to breathe, have poor appetite or trouble feeding, and failure to thrive.
They may also show signs of shock because their heart cannot pump enough blood to the rest of their body.
Aortic Stenosis Diagnosis
To diagnose aortic stenosis, your doctor will examine your child, use a stethoscope to listen to their heart, and check their blood pressure. Sometimes doctors find aortic stenosis after hearing a heart murmur in a child who appears well.
The doctor will ask for details about any symptoms your child has, their health history and your family health history.
If your child has aortic stenosis an echocardiogram will be done to evaluate the stenosis and to see how their heart works.
Your child may need other tests that provide more information about their heart. These include a chest X-rays or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the heart, cardiac catheterization and electrocardiogram.