By\u00a0Dr. Akhilesh Singh.<\/b>
\nCongenital heart defects are problems with the heart’s structure that are present at birth. These defects can involve:
\n\u2022 The interior walls of the heart
\n\u2022 The valves inside the heart
\n\u2022 The arteries and veins that carry blood to the heart or the body
\nMany of these defects are simple conditions. They need no treatment or are easily fixed. Some babies are born with complex congenital heart defects. These defects require special medical care soon after birth.
\nThe diagnosis and treatment of complex heart defects has greatly improved over the past few decades. As a result, almost all children who have complex heart defects survive to adulthood and can live active, productive lives.
\nMost people who have complex heart defects continue to need special heart care throughout their lives. They may need to pay special attention to how their condition affects issues such as health insurance, employment, birth control and pregnancy, and other health issues.
\nThere are many types of congenital heart defects. Some are simple, such as a hole in the septum. The hole allows blood from the left and right sides of the heart to mix. Another example of a simple defect is a narrowed valve that blocks blood flow to the lungs or other parts of the body.
\nOther heart defects are more complex. They include combinations of simple defects, problems with the location of blood vessels leading to and from the heart, and more serious problems with how the heart develops.
\nExamples of Simple Congenital Heart Defects
\nHoles in the Heart (Septal Defects)<\/b>
\nAtrial septal defect (ASD).<\/b>
\nAn ASD is a hole in the part of the septum that separates the atria\u2014the upper chambers of the heart. The hole allows oxygen-rich blood from the left atrium to flow into the right atrium, instead of flowing into the left ventricle as it should. Many children who have ASDs have few, if any, symptoms.
\nASDs can be small, medium, or large. Small ASDs allow only a little blood to leak from one atrium to the other. They don’t affect how the heart works and don’t need any special treatment. Many small ASDs close on their own as the heart grows during childhood.
\nMedium and large ASDs allow more blood to leak from one atrium to the other. They\u2019re less likely to close on their own.
\nAbout half of all ASDs close on their own over time. Medium and large ASDs that need treatment can be repaired using a catheter procedure or open-heart surgery.
\nVentricular septal defect (VSD).<\/b>
\nA VSD is a hole in the part of the septum that separates the ventricles\u2014the lower chambers of the heart. The hole allows oxygen-rich blood to flow from the left ventricle into the right ventricle, instead of flowing into the aorta and out to the body as it should.
\nVSDs can be small, medium, or large. Small VSDs don’t cause problems and may close on their own. Medium VSDs are less likely to close on their own and may require treatment.
\nLarge VSDs allow a lot of blood to flow from the left ventricle to the right ventricle. As a result, the left side of the heart must work harder than normal. Extra blood flow increases blood pressure in the right side of the heart and the lungs.
\nThe heart\u2019s extra workload can cause heart failure and poor growth. If the hole isn’t closed, high blood pressure can scar thearteries in the lungs.
\nDoctors use open-heart surgery to repair VSDs.
\nPatent Ductus Arteriosus<\/b>
\nPatent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a fairly common heart defect that can occur soon after birth. In PDA, abnormal blood flow occurs between the aorta and the pulmonary artery.
\nPDA is treated with medicines, catheter-based procedures, and surgery. Small PDAs often close without treatment.
\nNarrowed Valves<\/b>
\nSimple congenital heart defects also can involve the heart’s valves. These valves control the flow of blood from the atria to the ventricles and from the ventricles into the two large arteries connected to the heart (the aorta and the pulmonary artery).
\nValves can have the following types of defects:
\n\u2022 Stenosis. This defect occurs if the flaps of a valve thicken, stiffen, or fuse together. As a result, the valve cannot fully open. Thus, the heart has to work harder to pump blood through the valve.
\n\u2022 Atresia. This defect occurs if a valve doesn’t form correctly and lacks a hole for blood to pass through. Atresia of a valve generally results in more complex congenital heart disease.
\n\u2022 Regurgitation. This defect occurs if a valve doesn’t close tightly. As a result, blood leaks back through the valve.
\nWhat Are the Signs and Symptoms of Congenital Heart Defects?<\/b>
\nMany congenital heart defects cause few or no signs and symptoms. A doctor may not even detect signs of a heart defect during a physical exam.
\nSome heart defects do cause signs and symptoms. They depend on the number, type, and severity of the defects. Severe defects can cause signs and symptoms, usually in newborns. These signs and symptoms may include:
\n\u2022 Rapid breathing
\n\u2022 Cyanosis
\n\u2022 Fatigue
\n\u2022 Poor blood circulation
\nCongenital heart defects don’t cause chest pain or other painful symptoms.
\nNormal growth and development depend on a normal workload for the heart and normal flow of oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body. Babies who have congenital heart defects may have cyanosis and tire easily while feeding. As a result, they may not gain weight or grow as they should.
\nOlder children who have congenital heart defects may get tired easily or short of breath during physical activity.
\nMany types of congenital heart defects cause the heart to work harder than it should. With severe defects, this can lead to heart failure. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Symptoms of heart failure include:
\n\u2022 Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
\n\u2022 Fatigue with physical activity
\n\u2022 A buildup of blood and fluid in the lungs
\n\u2022 Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and veins in the neck
\nSingh is a\u00a0Healthcare Facilitator based in\u00a0New Delhi, India<\/b>
\n.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By\u00a0Dr. Akhilesh Singh. Congenital heart defects are problems with the heart’s structure that are present at birth. These defects can involve: \u2022 The interior walls of the heart \u2022 The valves inside the heart \u2022 The arteries and veins that carry blood to the heart or the body Many of these defects are simple conditions. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4121,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5773],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4114\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}