What is Pulmonic stenosis?
Pulmonic or pulmonary stenosis is a heart condition which affects the pulmonary valve. This valve can be found between the right ventricle of the heart and the pulmonary artery.
Pulmonic stenosis occurs when the pulmonary valve is either too narrow, too small or sometimes too stiff. This then affects the movement of blood from the ventricle (lower right chamber of the heart) to the pulmonary arteries and in turn to the lungs. The narrower the valve is, the more serious the symptoms of the condition are.
The condition may be mild to severe and possibly life-threatening in some cases. It may be corrected with surgery in more severe cases.
Understanding heart-related symptoms and features
Symptoms may affect multiple parts of the body. Understanding which part of the body a symptom affects can help us to better understand the potential underlying causes of a symptom, including a rare disease or genetic syndrome.
The heart is a part of the cardiovascular system of the body, also known as the circulatory system. It includes not only the heart but also the veins, arteries, capillaries, and blood which make the system work. The cardiovascular system distributes essential nutrients as well as oxygen, carbon dioxide, hormones, and blood cells around the body in order to ensure its growth and survival.
Symptoms affecting the heart may be congenital, present at birth, or they may develop later in life. Often they will require surgery to correct them.
Symptoms relating to the heart may affect the structure of this crucial organ, and/or its function. They may also affect any of the other parts of the cardiovascular system, including the veins and arteries.
What should I do next?
In some instances, pulmonic stenosis may be one of the features of a rare disease or genetic syndrome. To find out if someone with pulmonic stenosis, may be due to a genetic syndrome, it is important to have a consultation and evaluation with a clinical genetic specialist. Specialists may also suggest specific genetic testing or other types of tests to help reach a diagnosis. FDNA’s AI technology can help speed up the diagnostic process by analyzing facial features and other health information.