Signs and Symptoms

How you feel will depend on a few things, including the amount of blood that is leaking backward in the heart.

If your valve is leaking only a little (mild tricuspid regurgitation), you may feel fine.

As the valve starts leaking more (moderate to severe regurgitation), your heart has to work harder, and less oxygen-rich blood gets to the body. For this reason, you may feel very tired, have swelling in your ankles or feet, or feel short of breath, even after very little activity.

Common symptoms, especially at later stages of the disease, include:

• Fatigue: Feeling unusually tired and worn out.
• Trouble breathing: Feeling short of breath, especially with activity or when exerting yourself – even after going for just a short walk, shopping, visiting with family.
• Swelling: You may notice swelling or excess fluid in your belly (called ascites), legs or feet (called edema).
• Heart palpitations: Your heart may feel like it’s flip-flopping or skipping beats.
• Feeling weak: You may feel weak or dizzy.
• Pulsing in your neck: A pulsing or throbbing feeling in the veins in your neck.

Because it often occurs at older ages, people with a leaky tricuspid valve may pass their symptoms off as part of getting older and slowing down. It’s important to talk with your care team about how you feel, the ways in which symptoms affect your life, and what you can and can’t do.

Other conditions, such as heart failure and atrial fibrillation, can also make the leaking and symptoms worse. Staying in a normal heart rhythm may reduce the amount of leaking and improve symptoms.