A group of heart disorders present since birth can be categorized as congenital heart diseases (CHDs). They are also known as congenital heart defects and can involve:
Heart structure or walls: the typical heart wall structure may be faulty or poorly developed, causing the blood to back up into the heart or pool in irregular places. This puts extra pressure on the heart to function normally.
Heart valves: they could be poorly developed, rigid, absent, or closed. This can cause poor blood flow or leakage in the heart.
Heart vessels: the arteries and veins are faulty or poorly developed. This can cause health complications like blood leakage, high blood pressure, etc.
There are several types of congenital heart diseases, and their severity depends upon the presence or absence of symptoms and the level of health deterioration with advancing age. Congenital heart defects affect millions of people worldwide, with people needing medical care throughout their lives and many of them being able to live their lives with very few or almost no side effects.
Differentiation of congenital heart diseases
- Cyanotic: This causes decreased oxygen blood levels. Symptoms in babies may include bluish skin appearance and breathlessness.
- Acyanotic: The blood oxygen levels remain normal, but the children may develop pulmonary hypertension in later life.
Symptoms of congenital heart diseases can be:
Newborns may show
Bluish skin
Breathing problems
Difficulty with feeding
Chest pain
Developmental delays
Low birth weight
In many cases, the symptoms do not appear much later in life
Breathing issues
Heart arrhythmias
Dizziness or fainting of unknown cause
Swelling
Cause of congenital heart diseases
There is no known specific cause to know why the heart fails to develop normally, but some known reasons can be
Genetic reason
Certain medications the mother takes during pregnancy can increase the chances of congenital heart defects.
Alcohol or drug use during pregnancy
Viral infection during 1st trimester of pregnancy
High uncontrolled diabetes
Complications of CHD in Adulthood
Heart arrhythmia
Bacterial endocarditis
Pulmonary hypertension
