If someone is not born with heart valve disease... can a teenager or a 12 year old develop heart valve disease?
It's rare, but it can. It would be a genetic thing with late-ish onset, though.
If a teenager is not born with vavular disease, he/she can develop valve defect in one of the following ways: 1) Rhuematic Heart Disease, the commonest cause: Rheumatic heart disease is a complication of rheumatic fever and usually occurs after attacks of rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever causes rheumatic heart disease. Rheumatic fever results from an untreated strep throat. Rheumatic fever can damage the heart valves. Some of the most common symptoms of rheumatic heart disease are: breathlessness, fatigue, palpitations, chest pain, and fainting attacks. Treatment of rheumatic heart disease may include medication and surgery. Medication will aim to avoid overexertion. Surgery may be needed to replace the damaged valve(s). 2) Infecions, viral/bacterial, of heart can cause valve problems as complication. Other causes: # Systemic lupus erythmatosis (SLE). SLE and other immune diseases can affect the aortic and mitral valves. # Carcinoid syndrome. Tumors in the digestive tract that spread to the liver or lymph nodes can affect the tricuspid and pulmonary valves. # Metabolic disorders. Relatively uncommon diseases, such as Fabry disease and hyperlipidemia, can affect the heart valves. # Diet medicines. The use of fenfluramine and phentermine (fen-phen) has sometimes been linked to heart valve problems. These problems typically stabilize or improve after the medicine is stopped. # Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy to the chest area can cause heart valve disease. This therapy is used to treat cancer. Heart valve disease due to radiation therapy may not cause symptoms for as many as 20 years after the therapy ends.
If a teen has heart valve disease, is most likely something they where born with, but it can go undiagnosed till the are teens. I was born with aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, bicuspid aortic valve(all are valve disease) and i also have an enlarged aorta. Im 16 years old. I was born with the bicuspid aortic valve and aortic stenosis, and that caused me to develop aortic regurgitation when i was 10, and an enlarged aorta at 14. In some cases a teen can develop it with out being born with it, its uncommon but it can happen.
OMG, I can't imagine losing my dad or anyone else I loved at such a young age. But to answer your question, I think it's a lil of both. Or at least it certainly must seem that way right now. My dad is dying from cancer. He's 67 even still, I'm having a hard time with it. What your brother is going thru, is normal, I'm sure knowing that doesn't make it any easier for you. But maybe you could talk to someone like a therapist who could maybe give you some help in dealing with your brother as well as your grief over your dad. After my 2nd sister died, people would often ask how long we thought my mom would grieve. Our response was always, not everyone grieves the same, and death of a loved one is not something we get over. But after awhile, the pain isn't as constant as before each day gets a lil easier. Maybe when school starts you could talk to a school counselor or they could recommend a local one for you. In the meantime, talk to your friends or any family members. They know what you're going thru, they love you they will want to help in whatever way they can. Wish I could hug ya, cuz I know where you've been. Whether your loved one dies from a long suffering disease that you've known of or in a sudden accident, it's a horrible thing to have to go thru.
Yes, anyone can have heart valve disease. It is unlikely though. Usually if a 12 year old has an abnormal heart valve, then it is secondary to a congenital heart defect (something they were born with.) Infection of the heart valve (endocarditis) can occur in any age group and lead to an abnormality in the function of the valve involved. Rheumatic heart disease is also possible, but not common in the developed world since the regular use of antibiotics. Good luck.
