Congenital heart disease is the most prevalent type of birth defect, and it is characterized by structural issues with the heart that are present at birth.
- The heart walls
- The heart valves
- The blood vessels
- The arteries
- Veins near the heart
They can cause the heart’s normal blood flow to be slowed down, diverted in the wrong direction or to the wrong location, or completely blocked.
Congenital heart defects affect 1 million adults and 1 million children in the United States today. Treatments and follow-up care for defects have significantly improved over the past few decades, so nearly all children with heart defects survive into adulthood. Some require ongoing care for their heart defect throughout their lives, but many go on to have active and productive lives.
Types of Congenital Heart Disease
Congenital heart disease comes in a wide variety of forms, but it can be broadly divided into three groups:
- Heart valve defects-The heart’s blood flow-regulating valves may become damaged or leak in this situation.
- The natural walls that separate the left and right sides of the heart, as well as the upper and lower chambers, may not form properly in people with heart wall defects, which can force the heart to work harder and lead to high blood pressure because the defect causes blood to pool in the heart or in unnatural places.
- Blood vessel defects can cause the arteries and veins that carry blood to the heart and then back to the body to malfunction, which can reduce or obstruct blood flow and cause a number of health issues.
Classification of Disease
1. Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease
Baby oxygen levels are reduced, they become breathless, and their skin takes on a bluish tint as a result of the low oxygen levels in the blood.
2. Acyanotic Congenital Heart Disease
Babies with adequate blood oxygen levels do not show these symptoms, but they may still experience complications later in life, such as high blood pressure.
In both types, the heart isn’t pumping blood as efficiently as it should.
Symptoms of Congenital Heart Disease
If there is an abnormal heartbeat, for example, they may go further in their investigation by performing certain tests, such as an echocardiogram, a chest X-ray, or an MRI scan. A congenital heart disease is frequently detected during a pregnancy ultrasound.
Heart defects in newborns can cause the following symptoms:
- Bluish skin, lips, toes, and fingers
- Breathlessness or trouble breathing
- Feeding difficulties
- Low birth weight
- Chest pain
- Delayed growth
The signs and symptoms of a congenital heart disease may develop years after birth in other cases, and once they do, they may include:
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Dizziness
- Trouble breathing
- Fainting
- Swelling
- Fatigue
Causes of Congenital Heart Disease
Congenital heart disease is characterized by structural abnormalities of the heart and interference with the normal blood flow through the heart, which may impair breathing.
- The heart condition could be inherited.
- A child is more likely to have a heart defect if certain prescription medications are taken during pregnancy.
- Pregnant women who use alcohol or illicit substances run the risk of their unborn child being born with a heart defect.
- The likelihood of giving birth to a child with a heart defect increases for mothers who contracted a virus during the first trimester of pregnancy.
- gastational diabetes.
Treatments and CareSome defects, however, have to be treated immediately as they are found depending on the heart disease. Some treatments could involve treatment with catheters, open-heart surgery, heart transplant, and in other cases medication could do the trick. It is possible that congenital heart disease has no long-term effects on the health of our child, in fact, in some cases it can very well go untreated, and symptoms of the same may only manifest during adulthood.
A Registered Holistic Nutritionist can help you understand what foods can help keep the heart healthy, and a homeopath can also help keep the heart strong. Diet also plays a very important role for kids who have congenital heart disease.
Congenital Heart Disease in Adults
Depending on the defect, diagnosis and treatment may start soon after birth, during childhood, or in adulthood; some defects don’t manifest symptoms until the child reaches adulthood; in these situations, diagnosis and treatment may be delayed.
- shortness of breath
- chest pain
- a lowered capacity for exercise
- being easily fatigued
Prevention of Congenital Heart Disease
Precautions that expecting mothers can take to lessen the possibility of having a child with a congenital heart defect include:
- It’s crucial to work with a doctor to manage mother’s diabetes while she is pregnant and to ensure that mother’s blood sugar levels are under control before becoming pregnant.
- Avoid exposure to the disease if mother has not received a German measles or rubella vaccination.
- To rule out congenital heart defects, have a genetic test done if there is any family history of the condition.
- If you’re pregnant, stay away from alcohol and illicit drugs.
Homoeopathic Treatment of Congenital Heart Disease
There are many different types of congenital heart defects, ranging from straightforward conditions with no symptoms to complicated issues that have serious, life-threatening symptoms. Homeopathy is another branch of medicine that takes a comprehensive approach to treating congenital heart disease patients, treating them as a whole rather than just as the diseased parts of the body. It relies on the totality of the disease’s symptoms, which helps to improve the patient’s overall health.
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