Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)
Cardiologist Shares 7 Warning Symptoms Of Congenital Heart Disease In Men
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a term encompassing a spectrum of heart defects present at birth. While symptoms can vary widely depending on the specific defect and its severity, early detection and intervention are crucial for managing the condition effectively. In men, certain warning signs may indicate the presence of CHD, prompting timely evaluation and treatment.
Warning Symptoms of Congenital Heart Disease in MenWe spoke to our expert Dr Subhendu Mohanty, Senior Cardiologist - Sharda Hospital to shed some light on the same. Here are key symptoms to watch out for:
1. Bluish DiscolorationDue to lowered blood oxygen levels, individuals with CHD may exhibit a bluish tint to the lips, face, or nail beds, particularly during physical activity or exertion. This cyanosis, often noticeable in areas where blood flow is closer to the skin's surface, serves as an important indicator of inadequate oxygenation in the bloodstream.
2. BreathlessnessDifficulty breathing, especially during exertion or when lying flat, can be a sign of compromised cardiac function. CHD may impair the heart's ability to pump blood effectively, leading to dyspnea or shortness of breath. Individuals may experience a sense of heaviness or tightness in the chest, particularly during physical activity.
Unexplained fatigue or exhaustion, disproportionate to physical activity levels, may signal underlying heart problems. CHD can strain the heart muscle, resulting in reduced cardiac output and inadequate oxygen delivery to tissues throughout the body. Persistent fatigue warrants further evaluation to rule out cardiac involvement.
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4. Peripheral EdemaSwelling, or edema, may occur in the legs, abdomen, or other parts of the body due to fluid accumulation resulting from poor cardiac function. CHD can impede the heart's ability to efficiently pump blood, leading to fluid retention and swelling in dependent areas. Persistent or worsening edema merits prompt medical attention.
In infants and children, failure to thrive, delayed growth, or developmental delays may indicate congenital heart defects. Early recognition of these signs is critical for timely intervention and optimal outcomes. Paediatricians carefully monitor growth and development milestones to identify potential cardiac issues in young patients.
6. Chest DiscomfortChest pain, pressure, or tightness, particularly during physical exertion or emotional stress, may signify reduced blood flow to the heart muscle. Individuals with CHD may experience angina-like symptoms due to compromised coronary circulation. Any chest discomfort should be promptly evaluated by a healthcare professional.
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7. Neurological SymptomsInadequate blood supply to the brain can manifest as lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting episodes, especially during physical activity or postural changes. Syncope or near-fainting spells may occur as a result of reduced cerebral perfusion, prompting further cardiac assessment.
A Final WordRecognising warning symptoms of congenital heart disease in men is crucial for early detection and intervention. While symptoms can vary widely depending on the specific defect and individual factors, vigilance and prompt medical evaluation are essential. If you or a loved one experience any concerning symptoms suggestive of CHD, seek medical attention promptly for comprehensive evaluation and management. Early intervention can improve outcomes and enhance quality of life for individuals living with congenital heart disease.
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Recognizing 7 Warning Symptoms Of Congenital Heart Disease In Men: What Happens When You Ignore The Signs?
VERIFIED Signs of Congenital Heart Disease Signs of Congenital Heart Disease: Dangerous side effects of ignoring the warning symptoms of heart diseases in men. Late presentation of congenital heart disease (CHD) is very common in low and middle-income countries due to multiple reasons. "Late" means delayed presentation beyond the appropriate age of intervention or surgical repair as per guidelines. Up to 85% of CHD presents late in low and middle-income countries compared to 8-29% in developed countries. Even 10-15% CHD are first diagnosed in adulthood.
In this article, Dr Kuntal Roy Chowdhuri, Department of Cardiology, CMRI Kolkata, tells us more about how ignoring warning symptoms of CHD can have serious health complications, and what needs to be done to stay safe.
Factors Behind Late Presentation of CHDLate presentation of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is multifactorial. Financial constraints and lack of awareness are common reasons for late presentations. Other factors such as late diagnosis, ignorance, late referral and fear about cardiac ailments are also contributory.
Consequences of Late Presentation of CHDLate presentation of different CHD has various untoward consequences and it complicates decision-making, surgical repair or intervention and postoperative recovery. It may even cause irreversible damage in the long term and even death. CHD with left to right shunts (i.E Ventricular Septal Defects, Patent Ductus Arteriosus, Aortopulmonary window) which are also known as 'holes' in the heart are very common. If these holes are not diagnosed and repaired at the proper time, it may cause a severe rise in lung pressure (Pulmonary Hypertension).
Pulmonary hypertension poses a unique challenge during operability assessment, surgical planning, postoperative recovery and long-term outcomes. It is heartbreaking to witness patients having simple CHD develop inoperable pulmonary hypertension and experience premature death even today in India.
On the flip side, children with cyanotic heart disease may suffer from inescapable hazards of polycythemia and hypoxia which include headache, stroke, brain abscess, venous thrombosis and cyanotic cardiomyopathy and nephropathy. Timely correction of cyanotic CHD can offer a better quality of life with proper development of organs. Children with single ventricle physiology are the most delicate subset who demand early intervention to protect their single ventricle candidacy. The late presentation is also attributed to severe malnutrition, repeated chest infection and heart failure which appends clinical and financial morbidities.
Diagnosis & Treatment of CHDIt is absolutely important to emphasize early diagnosis and timely treatment of CHD to avoid deleterious complications of late presentation. A multifaceted approach is crucial which includes awareness of the public and physicians at the community level, financial support for treatment and early diagnosis and referral. Early diagnosis can be achieved by Fetal Echocardiography, pulse oximetry screening and availability of echocardiography. Common symptoms of CHD include bluish discolouration of lips and fingertips, 'suck-rest-suck' cycle, repeated chest infection, failure to thrive, shortness of breath on exertion and palpitation. Parents shouldn't ignore these and should get their children evaluated properly. Treatment of CHD may include intervention with device closure, surgical treatment or medical management.
Effects of Timely Treatment of CHDIn the past few decades, tremendous advancement has taken place in the field of congenital and paediatric cardiac care. As a result, early and late outcomes of all simple and complex heart diseases have improved significantly. If treated timely, simple and complex heart diseases can be surgically corrected with about 2-5% and 10-15% mortality risk, respectively. In many simple and complex CHD may lead an almost normal life if treated timely. Activity restriction after CHD surgery is only required in selected high-risk patients and should not be generalised. Social life including pregnancy is possible in most corrected biventricular CHD patients but demands careful pre-conceptional evaluation. Nevertheless, CHD patients should adhere to follow-up visits as advised by their doctors.
ConclusionMisconceptions among the public and physicians regarding CHD symptoms, availability of treatment options and short and long-term outcomes need to be addressed aggressively. Timely treatment is the cornerstone of CHD treatment. Everyone should understand that a baby born with some critical CHD [Obstructed Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection] might need intervention or surgery even at a few hours of life.
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4-year-old Who Received New Heart After Waiting 1,025 Days Goes Home From Hospital
HOUSTON -- A 4-year-old girl was discharged from Texas Children's Hospital on Thursday after waiting on the organ transplant waiting list for 1,025 days, or nearly 3 years.
The staff at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston lined the halls on April 18 to give 4-year-old Arctura, who received a donor heart on March 29, a celebratory send-off parade.
"I like my new heart," Arctura said ahead of her discharge, adding that she was looking forward to seeing "the ducks and the turtles" at the local park.
Arctura, 4.
Credit: Savanna Schultz
Arctura's journey has been a long one. According to her parents and doctor, the 4-year-old was born with a congenital heart defect, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes is the most common type of birth defect.
In Arctura's case, her heart's tricuspid valve didn't form as it should, causing issues with blood flow through the heart. Her heart was also dilated, causing it to be enlarged and impacting her lungs.
Arctura's parents Madelyn and Joshua Nowak told "Good Morning America" that learning of their daughter's condition at their 20-week anatomy scan was completely "devastating."
"That moment when they said something might be wrong with her heart, I knew immediately that this wasn't a little thing," Madelyn Nowak recalled. "The world slowed down and dropped out from under me. My entire reality changed in a matter of a minute."
Arctura was born April 1, 2020, in Tennessee, but after a couple of days, she was flown to Texas Children's for further treatment, and she spent the first seven months of her life in the hospital. She received surgery to try to repair her heart and was able to be discharged in time for her first Christmas at home.
After a while, however, the Nowaks said they noticed Arctura's health declining: She started vomiting more, showed signs of tiredness and had trouble breathing, they said.
In 2021, Arctura was re-admitted to Texas Children's after she went into heart failure.
Dr. William J. Dreyer, a medical director at Texas Children's, whose clinical interests include heart failure, cardio myopathy and cardiac transplantation, has been seeing Arctura since she was listed for a pediatric heart transplant.
"In her case, attempting to repair her heart didn't go well and it resulted in her developing heart failure," Dreyer explained to "GMA." "And given the symptoms that she had and the condition of her heart, it was really necessary to move forward with a heart transplant plan."
According to Dreyer, looking for a new heart for Arctura was complicated by the fact that she had developed HLA sensitization, where high levels of a certain antibody can lead to organ rejection.
"Part of what we had to do was look for a donor to which she was not sensitive to before transplant, which would have affected our ability to maintain immunosuppression in her and keep her from rejecting the new heart that she received," Dreyer said.
After nearly 3 years, Arctura qualified to receive a donor heart.
On March 29, she underwent an orthotopic heart transplant, where her old heart was removed and replaced with a full donor heart in a transplant surgery at Texas Children's that took about eight to ten hours.
Since her transplant, Arctura has been making steady progress and taking multiple medications that her care team hope to reduce over time.
"I think her prognosis is good," Dreyer said. "She will need to recover, of course, from her surgery and adapt a bit to the medicines that she's taking, which will diminish over the course of time, but at three months after transplant, I would expect her to be fully operational, if you will."
With April being National Donate Life Month, the Nowaks and Dreyer hope to encourage others to consider organ donation.
"When you look at Arctura and you see how well she's doing, I hope that people will think about the possibility of organ donation, should the circumstance occur, because it can be a very meaningful thing not only for the patient that receives the organ, but even for the donor family," Dreyer said. "At a time of tragedy, it can really can make a tremendous difference."
Madelyn Nowak, who called Arctura "the strongest person" she has ever had the privilege of meeting, also said she hopes her daughter's story will also boost awareness about congenital heart defects.
"I had not heard of congenital heart defects or fully understood them until my 20-week ultrasound, and if you go to the 5,000 foot view, that's scary that it is so common and never talked about," the mom of two said. "How many people do you know that you don't realize are affected?"
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