Congenital heart disease is one or more abnormalities in the structure of your heart that you are born with.
These types of birth defects can alter the way blood flows to your heart.
Defects range from simple, which may not cause problems, to complex, which can lead to life-threatening complications.
Advances in diagnosis and treatment mean that most babies who previously died of congenital heart disease can now survive to adulthood.
However, signs and symptoms of the condition can occur in adults, even those who were treated as children.
If you have congenital heart disease, you may need care for the rest of your life.
Check with your cardiologist to determine how often you should be checked.
If your child has congenital heart disease, it means that he has a defect in the structure of his heart from birth.
Symptoms of congenital heart disease
For some people, the signs or symptoms may appear later in life. And they can come back years after you had treatment for your heart problem.
Some common symptoms of congenital heart disease that you may have as an adult are:
- Abnormal rhythms in the heart (known as arrhythmias)
- A bluish discoloration of the skin, lips, and nails (cyanosis)
- Difficulty breathing
- get tired quickly
- Swelling of body tissue or organs (edema)
In children, some heart defects that can be noticed during the first months of life are:
- Pale gray or blue skin color (cyanosis)
- Fast breathing
- Swelling in the legs, abdomen, and the area around the eyes
When to go to the cardiologist ?
If you have symptoms that worry you, such as chest pain or shortness of breath, seek emergency medical attention.
If you show signs or symptoms of congenital heart disease, or were treated for one as a child, make an appointment to see your cardiologist.
Major congenital heart defects are usually diagnosed before or shortly after the child is born.
Call your heart surgeon if you notice that your baby has any of the signs or symptoms listed above.
Causes of congenital heart disease
There is really no clarity on the causes of congenital heart disease, which develops from the womb.
Heredity may play an important factor.
For some adults, problems with heart defects show up later in life, even if they had a problem that was treated as children.
There are also complications from childhood surgeries to correct congenital heart disease that can manifest later in life, such as scar tissue in your heart that contributes to an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia).
Risk factors for congenital heart disease
- If your mother had rubella when she was pregnant with you.
- If your mother had diabetes .
- Drug use in pregnancy.
- If someone in your family had heart disease.
- If the mother smoked during pregnancy.
Complications of congenital heart disease
Complications of congenital heart disease in adults can develop years after initial treatment and include:
Abnormal heart rhythms:
Arrhythmias occur when the electrical impulses that coordinate your heartbeat don’t work properly, too slow, or irregularly, causing your heart to beat too fast. In some people, severe arrhythmias can cause imminent cardiac death if left untreated.
Heart infection (endocarditis):
Your heart has four chambers and four valves, which are lined by a thin membrane called the endocardium. Endocarditis is the infection of this internal tissue, which usually occurs when bacteria or other germs enter your bloodstream and reach your heart. If left untreated, endocarditis can damage and destroy your heart valves and trigger a heart attack.
Heart attack:
They occur when the blood supply to a part of the brain is interrupted or severely reduced, depriving the brain tissue of oxygen. A congenital heart defect can allow a blood clot to pass through your heart and travel to the brain.
Heart failure:
Heart failure is a disease in which your heart can’t pump sufficient blood to meet your body’s requirements.
Pulmonary hypertension :
This actually occurs due to the high blood pressure and that affects the arteries in your lungs . Some birth defects cause more blood to flow into the lungs, causing pressure to increase and the heart to work faster. This eventually causes your heart muscle to weaken or fail.
