Hole in the heart, seems to be a dramatic term. Does that mean there is an actual hole in anyone’s heart like someone did drilling inside them or what? Not actually is this an actual hole, it is a congenital heart defect. Medically termed as Atrial septum defect or Ventricular septum defect. Earlier less medically aware people used to believe that our heart is a sole organ. But it comprises two sides left heart and right heart. Each one of these sides of heart consists of two chambers viz. upper (atrium) and lower (ventricle). In the usual scenarios, blood flow is from the upper chamber to the lower one. But, people having a septal defect are known to have a structurally deformed heart.
The defect is present since birth in maximum of the cases, hence called congenital also. The kids born with septal defects have some abnormal openings in their septum walls which causes unusual flow of blood. Septum is the heart wall responsible to keep left and right heart separated. And when this wall itself has some deformity then how can normal blood pumping be expected. A person living with hole in the heart witnesses oxygen rich blood going reversely into lungs instead of the body and vice-e-versa as well.
What are the Side Effects of Having a Hole in Your Heart?
This rare ailment is bound to cause some mishappening inside the human body. Depending on the size and location of ASD and VSD, it is claimed that whether the person in concern will be able to live a long healthy life or not. Over the time medical technology has seen much progression, as a result of which many infants having congenital septum defects lived normally active and long life. However, the risk factor of this rare defect is still high and it can prove life taking as well.
Living with a hole in your heart is a crucial case due to its hardly noticeable symptoms. According to the congenital heart defects database, usually people have reported the problem after they passed high schools or entered into adulthood. Lucky are the ones who are born with a small atrial septal defect, which gets self-closed by adulthood in 75% of cases. But the rest of people have their lives at stake. They are unaware either of the symptoms or side effects, ASDs can cause. Even the small sized atrial holes can lead to permanent clotting in any organ or the body or directly turn into a heart stroke.
Out of all the people who have congenital septal defects, one in thousand is jotted down with large holes. These cases are considered as extreme ones, as the left heart continually pumps its oxygen rich blood to right side. This in turn makes the right heart overwork and eventually exhaust its strength. The outcomes of such scenario are usually right heart failure and pulmonary hyperextension. When the right heart gets overloaded than usual, it starts to experience abnormal expansion in chambers. Bloating of right heart creates excessive pressure on the blood vessels of the lungs, which causes shortness of breath and higher blood pressure rate.
Not just this, the side effects of hole in the heart are also informed to cause heart murmurs. Normal heart murmurs are results of weather cold, but when it is accompanied by swollen organs or bluishness of skin it may be a symptom of upcoming heart failure.
The worst case scenarios of congenital septum defects are two; with pregnant women and with atrial and ventricle hole together. To-be mothers when found having hole in the heart either atrial or ventricular, are at the risk of submerging this ailment in the complete blood line that will follow after her. Moreover, the during pregnancy the major side effect is blood clotting which is caused when impure blood reaches embryonic cells. When there is an opening in both atrium and ventricular chambers, without surgery it is almost incurable. Combined defects are lethal and must be detected and cured in time for the healthy life of individual involved.
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