CONDITIONS I CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE
Congenital heart disease is an abnormality affecting the heart which is present at birth. This congenital abnormality can affect the heart's valves, walls and blood vessels. As a result, this severely impairs the heart's function. Therefore, a limited flow of blood circumvents the body's channels. Furthermore, we can categorise congenital heart disease into three categories:
- Defects affecting the heart valves can lead to the valves leaking or closing up too soon. As a result, the heart cannot pump blood effectively.
- Defects in the heart’s walls cause the poor development of the chambers of the heart. Therefore, blood accumulates in areas where blood should not pool.
- Defects affecting the heart’s blood vessels interfere with the transportation of blood to the heart and out of the body.
What are the signs?
Congenital heart disease in a newborn causes blue lips, skin and toes. Other symptoms in newborns are:
- Difficulty breathing
- Trouble feeding
- Angina
- Poor development
Adults experience the following symptoms:
- Difficulty breathing
- Swelling
- Lethargy
What causes the condition?
Congenital heart disease is due to early development affecting the formation of the heart’s structure. A congenital abnormality interrupts the natural flow of blood through the heart’s chambers.
The heart may fail to develop adequately due to the following:
- A family history of heart defects
- Taking prescription medication during pregnancy
- Alcohol or narcotic intake during pregnancy
- Viral infection during pregnancy (the first trimester)
- Hypertension
How do you diagnose congenital heart disease?
Diagnostic tests include an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and stress test, x-ray of the chest, cardiac catheterisation and MRI of the heart. Some more detailed than the rest, all these tests provide detailed imaging of the inside of the heart's structure.
What does treatment involve?
While some babies with heart abnormalities heal in time, some patients require surgery or medical treatment based on the severity of the symptoms.
Treatment for congenital heart disease involves the use of implantable devices (pacemakers & cardioverter defibrillators) and surgery such as catheter repair, whereby doctors thread surgical tools via the catheter to repair the defect. In some cases, Dr Hassen will recommend open-heart surgery if catheter repair is not possible.
CONDITIONS
CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE