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Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease, or a congenital heart defect, refers to an abnormality that is present in an individual at birth. It can affect the heart’s walls, valves, and blood vessels.

There are different types of congenital heart defects, ranging from simple conditions that don’t cause symptoms to complex ones that cause severe, life-threatening symptoms.

Common conditions of the heart that can co-occur with these include blockage of blood flow from the right ventricle to the aorta or variations in the course of the coronary arteries.

Treatments and follow-up care for congenital heart disease have improved a lot over the past few decades so that nearly all children with heart defects survive into adulthood. Some need continuous care throughout their lives.

However, many live active and productive lives despite their condition.

Congenital heart disease can be either cyanotic or acyanotic, these are the conditions that exhibit in these types of defects.

Cyanotic Defects

Defects that lower the amount of oxygen in the body are called cyanotic. In cyanotic congenital heart disease, oxygen-rich blood and oxygen-poor blood mix together. This causes less oxygen-rich blood to reach the tissues of the body which, in turn, results in the development of a bluish tint - cyanosis - to the skin, lips, and nail beds.

Acyanotic Defects

Defects that don't affect the amount of oxygen in the body are called acyanotic. In acyanotic congenital heart disease, the bluish tint of the skin isn't common in babies, although it may occur.

A child who has a congenital heart defect is one who was born with a problem in the structure of his or her heart. Some of these defects are simple and require no treatment. Others may call for multiple surgeries over the course of years before they are corrected. The more serious defects become evident during the first few months of the child’s life or even soon after birth, in some cases.

Signs and symptoms of congenital heart defects in children could include pale grey or blue skin color (cyanosis), swelling in the legs, abdomen or areas around the eyes, rapid breathing, and shortness of breath during feedings leading to poor weight gain.

Some congenital heart defects which are less cause for concern may not get diagnosed until late childhood as the child may not have any evident signs of a problem. If signs and symptoms present themselves in older children, they may include:

• Shortness of breath during physical activity
• Easily tired during physical activity
• Fainting during physical activity
• Swelling in the hands, ankles or feet

Based on the nature of the defect, diagnosis may happen soon after birth, during childhood, or in adulthood. Some defects may not become apparent until adulthood. In such cases, the symptoms of a newly discovered congenital heart defect may include shortness of breath, chest pain, a reduced ability to exercise and becoming easily fatigued.

There could also be cases where defects treated in childhood can occur again in adulthood. This can happen because the repair may be ineffective or the defect has outgrown over time. Another problem that may arise is scar tissue, such as in heart arrhythmias.

The treatment for congenital heart disease in adults varies depending on its severity. Some patients may only need constant monitoring, while others may require surgeries and medications.

The quality of life (QOL) of individuals living with Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) has been a subject of much interest to researchers. While earlier studies showed that those with this disease suffered a low QOL, recent studies, most encouragingly, show the opposite.

Women with ACHD also need not worry as, today, there exist many birth control options for those suffering from ACHD. Or, if pregnant, a successful delivery can be guaranteed through careful planning and management. However, it is important to remember that there are higher risks for the mother and foetus in case of ACHD and, in some cases, abstaining from getting pregnant is advised.

Diagnosis may take place prior to, soon after, or much after birth.

An abnormal heartbeat - a heart murmur or an unusual sound, for instance - is often how congenital heart defects are diagnosed as this leads to further tests, such as:

Q.  What does a congenital heart disease mean?

1. Congenital heart disease, also known as a congenital heart defect, is an abnormality within the heart’s structure and a person is usually born with it. This is a common birth defect that changes the way blood flows through the heart. Many types of CHD take place in newborn infants. Some of them include ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, Tetralogy of Fallot, coarctation of the aorta, and pulmonary (valvular) stenosis. Most of the pediatric doctors practice cardiology to diagnose and treat CHD.

Q.  Is there a cure for CHD?

1. Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) has no cure. Patients have had surgeries to repair their hearts, but they are not completely cured. There may be long term side effects after heart surgery, one of the major ones being abnormal heartbeats. Its recommended that you visit a cardiologist as they can detect your heart problems before you notice any symptoms.

Q.  Is congenital heart disease genetic?

1. The defect can be genetic. When the heart, or blood vessels near the heart, do not develop fully before birth that’s when the heart defect takes place. Some congenital heart defects take place as a result of drug or alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Q.  Can you prevent congenital heart disease?

1. The prevention measures should be taken before birth. So, during pregnancy, the mother should avoid drinking alcohol or taking any medication without consulting their doctor. You will have to take 400 micrograms of folic acid supplements during the first trimester of the pregnancy. By taking your supplements you are reducing the risk of birthing a child with congenital heart disease, along with other birth defect types.

Q.  What foods to avoid if you have congenital heart disease?

1. Here are some of the major adjustments you can make to your daily diet if you have congenital heart disease:

• Eat loads of fruits and vegetables, also keep your sodium intake low
• Opt for lean meats, fish, organic foods, poultry, dairy, and complex carbohydrates.
• Avoid using salt, and if you want to add flavor then you can go for sodium-free herbs
• If you find it hard to cut out sodium completely, then you can reduce it to a significant amount. Get creative and cook in onion, garlic, and citric juices as they will add a load of flavor to your dishes
• Be vary of condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard. Always check the ingredient list before purchasing these products
• Avoid eating junk food

Q.  What are the early signs of congestive heart failure?

1. Here are the early signs of congestive heart failure-

• Shortness of breath when you lie down or exert yourself
• Weakness and lethargy
• Swollen ankles, legs, and feet
• Irregular heartbeat
• The inability to exercise
• Persistent cough and wheezing, with blood-tinged phlegm
• Frequent urinating at night
• Rapid weight due to fluid retention
• Nausea and no appetite
• Difficulty focusing
• Chest pain

You have to see a doctor immediately if you are experiencing the following:

• Chest pain
• Severe weakness
• Irregular heartbeat with fainting and chest pain
• Coughing up pink and foamy mucus

Q.  When should you suspect that your child could have heart disease?

1. When the child displays rapid and distressed breathing, blue discoloration of the nails, lips or tongue, feeding difficulty including not sucking well and breathlessness, recurring cough with fever and/or chest infection. When the child is showing inadequate weight gain, and her physical milestones are not in keeping with her age.

Q.  What is the health impact of congenital heart defects?

1. CHDs are the most common cause of death among infants with birth defects. Approximately 25% of children born with a CHD will need heart surgery or other interventions to survive. Having said that, today, over 85% of babies born with a CHD now live to at least age 18. People with CHDs face a life-long risk of health problems such as issues with growth and eating, developmental delays, difficulty with exercise, heart rhythm problems, heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest or stroke.

Q.  As an adult having a congenital heart defect, do I need to do regular follow-ups with my doctor?

1. Adults who have had heart surgery as a child must visit a doctor regularly for life. If you experience your heart racing, extra heartbeats, trouble keeping up with usual exercise routines or feel easily exhausted, you would do well to consult a specialist.

Q.  What is congenital heart disease?

1. It is heart disease which is present since birth. It may be diagnosed later in life.

Q.  Can congenital heart disease be cured?

1. Yes, many congenital heart diseases can be cured. Diseases like Atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) can be cured by surgical or device closure. Even cyanotic heart diseases like tetralogy of fallot can be treated surgically.

Q.  How serious is congenital heart disease?

1. Congenital disease has a wide spectrum and the outcome varies. Some of them are very severe, and the baby may die inside the mother’s womb. Some require immediate intervention immediately after birth. If prompt action is not taken, they succumb. Some like Atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) have very good outcome if timely intervened either by surgical closure or device closure.

Q.  Can we have normal life with congenital heart disease?

1. Yes, patients with diseases like ASD, VSD, PDA can have normal life after their closure. Some patients with diseases like patent foramen ovale (PFO), very small ASD, mitral valve prolapse can have normal life, the disease may not be diagnosed till late age and may not require any treatment. But some diseases cannot be cured completely and require regular medical surveillance. Compliance with medicine, life style modification as advised and regular follow up is very important.

Q.  What are the signs and symptoms of congenital heart disease?

1. Signs and symptoms of congenital heart disease vary. Patients may have recurrent chest infections (pneumonia), fatigue, growth retardation, breathing difficulty, palpitations. Child with cyanotic congenital heart disease is blue. Physical features of specific syndromes like Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, etc may be a clue to underlying congenital heart disease

Q.  What are the causes and risk factors for congenital heart disease?

1. Congenital heart disease may be due to maternal diabetes, maternal rubella infection, chronic maternal alcohol use, ingestion of certain drugs by mother during pregnancy (like thalidomide, isotretinoin, valproate, etc).Congenital heart disease may have a genetic basis. Some of them are associated with specific syndromes like Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, etc.

Q.  Do congenital heart defects run in families?

1. Some of the congenital heart diseases may be familial. Family studies indicate a 2-fold to 10-fold increase in the incidence of CHD in siblings of affected patients or in the offspring of an affected parent.

Q.   Is there a diet to ward off the risk of congenital heart diseases?

1. Living with congenital heart disease is not an easy task that you can google and finish. In case you have a family history of congenital heart disease, then it's for your betterment to follow these dietary restrictions.
1. Eat vegetables and fruits
2. Drink non-fat or low-fat milk
3. Encourage eating home-made food
4. Deplete the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages
5. Eat whole-grain
6. Avoid eating refined-grain bread and cereals
7. Reduce the intake of salt or sodium

Q.  Can yoga help in precluding congenital heart disease causes?

1. The 21st century is an era with no age factors that determine heart diseases. People in their 20s are facing the agonies of different types of congenital heart diseases. Yes, there is an option for precluding congenital heart disease causes, and that is Yoga. Below we've outlined eight Yoga poses for a healthy heart.
1. Tree pose (Vrikshasana)
2. Mountain pose (Tadasana)
3. Chair pose (Utkatasana)
4. Extended hands and feet pose (Utthita Hastapadasana)
5. Triangle pose (Trikonasana)
6. Warrior pose (Veerabhadrasana)
7. Cat pose (Marjariasana)
8. Downward facing dog pose (Adho Mukho Svanasana)

Q.  Can cyanotic congenital heart disease patients meditate?

1. The medical treatment is not potent enough to abolish cyanotic congenital heart disease. Along with medications, patients should follow a strict diet plan, practice yoga, and meditate for complete disease remission. By meditating for 30 minutes, you can maintain heart health in the following ways.
1. Keep your blood pressure under check
2. Deplete your bad cholesterol levels
3. Improve blood circulation
4. Boost immunity
5. Increase lung capacity
On the contrary, meditation pacifies your brain and gives relief from stress. Remember, your mental health is also vital for preventing the risk of problems like TGA heart (d-TGA).