Tricuspid stenosis is a heart condition where the tricuspid valve — the valve between the two right chambers of your heart — doesn’t open as wide as it should. This makes it harder for blood to flow from the right atrium (the upper chamber) into the right ventricle (the lower chamber). When this happens, the right atrium has to work extra hard to push blood through the narrowed valve.

Signs & Symptoms

Tricuspid stenosis often doesn’t show any symptoms until the condition becomes more advanced. When symptoms develop, they might include:

• Extreme fatigue
• Trouble catching your breath, especially when you’re active
• Swelling in your belly, legs, or feet
• A strange fluttering sensation in your neck (caused by blood backing up in your veins)

Diagnosis

If a Deborah physician suspects you might have tricuspid stenosis, they’ll start by asking about your medical history and whether you’ve had rheumatic fever or any other conditions that could damage your heart valves. They’ll also do a physical exam to check for signs of the condition.

To confirm the diagnosis, doctors usually use an echocardiogram. This test shows how well your tricuspid valve is working and whether it’s too narrow. In rare cases, if more information is needed, they might recommend a procedure called cardiac catheterization to get a closer look at how blood is flowing through your heart.