What are the side effects of having a hole in your heart?

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asked Jun 24, 2022 in Diseases Conditions by dollytows (660 points)
What are the side effects of having a hole in your heart?

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answered Jun 25, 2022 by Tanjas (5,500 points)
The side effects of having a hole in your heart include.

Shortness of breath, especially when exercising.
Fatigue.
Swelling of legs, feet or belly (abdomen)
Irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias)
Sensation of a rapid, pounding heartbeat (palpitations) or skipped beats
Whooshing sound that can be heard through a stethoscope (heart murmur)

A heart hole is a hole in the heart also known as ASD or Atrial Septal Defect which causes a hole in the wall (septum) that divides the upper chambers (atria) of the heart.

In rare cases you may develop a hole in your heart later in life.

However most often a hole in the heart occurs while the heart is developing in the mothers womb.

The actual cause of ASD heart defect is not fully known or understood, however ASD heart defects occur during the heart development while the baby is still in the mothers womb.

Things that are thought to cause ASD heart defects include genetics, certain medical conditions, use of certain medications, and environmental or lifestyle factors, such as smoking or alcohol misuse.

When atrial septal defects are left untreated it can lead to heart attack, stroke, death, shortness of breath, and an enlarged heart.

ASD closure surgery is surgery to close and repair the hole between the 2 chambers of the heart.

An ASD is a hole in the heart between the two upper chambers.

The procedure uses a device to plug the hole, a patch to cover it or sutures to sew it shut.

It may involve open-heart surgery or a minimally invasive procedure using a catheter to place the closure device.

A septal defect can cause a patient or person to feel tired and fatigued due to the heart being overworked which leads to fatigue and tiredness.

A large atrial septal defect can cause extra blood to overfill the lungs and overwork the right side of the heart.

If not treated, the right side of the heart eventually grows larger and becomes weak.

Some people find out about the defect when a chest X-ray for another problem shows that the right side of the heart is bigger than normal.

By age 50, an ASD can cause symptoms like shortness of breath, fainting, irregular heart rhythms or fatigue after mild activity or exercise.

An atrial septal defect can sometimes cause a stroke if left untreated.

Atrial septal defects are dangerous because blood clots formed in the leg could pass through the hole between the upper chambers of the heart and get pumped to the brain, causing a stroke.

The ASD surgery takes around 2 hours from start to finish to repair the ASD.

You may have to limit physical activity for a few weeks especially if you have surgical ASD closure.

For transcatheter closure, you should be able to resume your normal activity within one week.

You'll likely need to take medications to prevent blood clots for six months after the procedure.

ASD or Atrial Septal Defect in the sizes of 8 mm to 10 mm are considered large ASD.

The different types of atrial septal defects are.

Secundum. This is the most common type of ASD .
Primum. This type of ASD affects the lower part of the atrial septum and might occur with other congenital heart defects.
Sinus venosus.
Coronary sinus.

ASDs can allow emboli from the veins to enter the systemic circulation (paradoxical embolization), causing arterial occlusion (eg, stroke).

Auscultation typically reveals a grade 2 to 3/6 midsystolic murmur and a widely split, fixed S2; these findings may be absent in infants.

ASD or Atrial Septal Defect of the heart is not very common and it's a rare condition that only affects around 1 percent of all infants born.

ASD can cause a heart attack if the ASD is severe enough and is left untreated.

ASD can also cause heart failure as well.

The most common atrial septal defect is Secundum atrial septal defect.

Secundum atrial septal defect (ASDII) is a common congenital heart defect that causes shunting of blood between the systemic and pulmonary circulations.

People with an isolated ASDII often remain asymptomatic during childhood and adolescence.

You can die from atrial septal defect if the atrial septal defect is more severe and it's left untreated.

The problems that a septal defect can lead to if left untreated are an enlarged heart and also it can cause extra blood to overfill the lungs and overwork the right side of the heart.

An atrial septal defect can be pretty dangerous if it's a more severe form of atrial septal defect although less severe cases of atrial septal defect may not cause any issues.

large atrial septal defects of the heart can cause extra blood to overfill the lungs and overwork the right side of the heart.

If not treated, the right side of the heart eventually grows larger and becomes weak.

The blood pressure in the arteries in the lungs can also increase, leading to pulmonary hypertension.

ASD can be life threatening if you have a severe form of ASD although some less severe ASD conditions may not cause any issues.

For example a small atrial septal defect might never cause any concern.

Small atrial septal defects often close during infancy.

Larger atrial septal defects can cause serious complications, including: Right-sided heart failure.

An atrial septal defect can be cured through either open heart surgery or through surgery using small incisions (minimally invasive surgery) and with a robot (robot-assisted heart surgery).

A common ASD will most often close on it's own as the child grows.

However some types of ASD's may not close on their own without ASD closure surgery.

In some children, an ASD may close on its own without treatment.

With a small atrial septal defect, the chance of the ASD closing on its own may be as high as 80 percent in the first 18 months of life.

An ASD still present by 3 years of age will never close on its own.

The normal size of ASD is between 8 mm to 10 mm while infants may have a 5 mm size ASD which is usually normal and closes on it's own.

ASDs < 3 mm in diameter invariably close by 18 months of age and are generally regarded as patent foramen ovale.

Spontaneous closure has been reported to occur in anywhere between 14–66% of ASDs.

Factors such as smaller size of defect and earlier age at diagnosis led to early spontaneous closure.

As long as your doctor clears you for flying you can fly with atrial septal defect.

Check with your doctor first and have them clear you for flight before you go on an airplane when you have atrial septal defect.

Flying is allowed after two weeks in a stable person if they had a heart attack that had major complication such as heart failure.

If a person has undergone an angioplasty where a stent (wire mesh) is placed in heart arteries, then a waiting period of one week is recommended before flight travel.

The cause of atrial septal defect is thought to be from certain medications, and environmental or lifestyle factors, such as smoking or alcohol misuse, may play a role.

As a baby's heart develops during pregnancy, there are normally several openings in the wall dividing the upper chambers of the heart (atria).

These usually close during pregnancy or shortly after birth.

If one of these openings does not close, a hole is left, and it is called an atrial septal defect.

An ASD in the heart is an atrial septal defect of the heart which is a birth defect of the heart in which there is a hole in the wall (septum) that divides the upper chambers (atria) of the heart.

The hole in the heart with ASD can vary in size and may close on its own or may require surgery.

A small atrial septal defect might never cause any concern.

Small atrial septal defects often close during infancy.

Larger atrial septal defects can cause serious complications, including: Right-sided heart failure.

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