SYMPTOMS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS

Some people often develop heart problems during their birth. Congenital heart disease is one of these issues. It can be a single disease or multiple developed during defective birth. The reason these are called congenital is that they can alter the way blood flows through one’s heart. Complex defects can even lead to life-threatening results. This article will cover symptoms and diagnoses of congenital heart diseases in detail.

Types Congenital Heart Defects

As highlighted earlier, several kinds of congenital diseases can arise during birth. Some of these include:

  • Atrial septal defect (ASD)
  • Atrioventricular canal defect
  • Congenital mitral valve anomalies
  • Double-outlet right ventricle
  • Congenital mitral valve anomalies
  • Double-outlet right ventricle
  • Congenital mitral valve anomalies
  • Double-outlet right ventricle
  • Congenital mitral valve anomalies
  • Double-outlet right ventricle

And many others.

Causes Congenital Heart Defects

Although research is going about how these diseases occur, some researchers argue that these are inherited and passed down from the parents. But as stated earlier, these diseases affect the structure of the heart, affecting the flow of blood in the overall heart’s structure.

The heart is divided into chambers. The two sides are responsible for pumping the blood. The right side pumps blood into the lungs through pulmonary blood vessels. The pulmonary veins then transfer the oxygen-rich blood from the lungs into the left side where it’s transferred to the entire body.

A person suffering from congenital diseases can affect either one or all structures of the heart responsible for blood flow in the body.

Symptoms Congenital Heart Defects

Although the signs of these congenital diseases are sometimes hard to spot, there are some cases where these symptoms are visible enough to indicate a problem. Some of these common symptoms include:

  • Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
  • A bluish tint to the skin, lips, and fingernails (cyanosis)
  • Shortness of breath, resulting in a tired body after a small amount of exertion
  • Swelling of body tissue or organs (edema)

Risk Factors

Some of the risk factors that may trigger congenital heart diseases include:

  • Genes: having a history of genetic heart diseases is one of the primary reasons for people suffering from congenital heart problems
  • Medications: certain medications can cause a reaction especially during pregnancy, causing the child to develop heart problems at birth.
  • Alcohol: drinking during pregnancy also cause congenital heart diseases
  • Smoking: a smoking mother can also increase the risks of her child developing congenital heart diseases
  • Diabetes: a woman suffering from type 1 or type 2 diabetes can also risk the growth of congenital heart diseases in the child.

Complications

Even though one should consult a pediatric cardiology doctor for treatment, some complications can result in life-threatening situations. Some of these include:

  • Arrhythmias
  • Endocarditis
  • Stroke
  • Pulmonary hypertension
  • Heart failure

One should refer to a cardiologist near them to make sure that any complications are avoided and checked out within time.

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