Congenital heart disease (CHD)
is one or more abnormalities in the structure of the heart that one is born
with. It is one of the most common birth defects with defects ranging from
simple to complex, which can cause life-threatening complications. Babies who once
died of congenital heart disease survive well into adulthood these days in the
face of advances in diagnosis and treatment. But, signs and symptoms of the
condition can occur in adults later in life as well, even those who had
undergone treatment as a child. You might require care throughout your life if
you’ve CHD. Before talking about the symptoms, causes and risk factors, here’s
some information on the life-saving CPR procedure.
Become equipped to handle
out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases by getting CPR trained. The procedure
comprises chest compressions and rescue breaths. Early resuscitation along with
early defibrillation increases survival chances of a cardiac arrest victim.
Choose a certified training site for training such as the AHA certified CPR
Tampa in Palm Harbor. Courses are offered for both healthcare and
non-healthcare providers. Learn more about a “PALS class Tampa”:
PALS Training Classes- This
American Heart Association certification is designed specifically for
healthcare and medical professionals that work with critically ill or injured
infants and children. This certification is required for those working in
environments such as pediatric intensive care units, pediatric surgery units,
acute care units at children’s hospitals, etc.
CHD Symptoms:
Some CHDs cause no signs and
symptoms while signs or symptoms occur later in life for some people. Common
symptoms one might have as an adult include arrhythmias, shortness of breath,
swelling of body tissues or organs, cyanosis (a bluish tint to the skin, lips
and fingernails).
Seek immediate medical
attention if you’ve worrisome symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath.
Causes:
Researchers aren’t exactly
sure what causes most CHD which develops in the womb. Heredity might play a
role. CHD can
affect any of the heart's structures, including valves, chambers, the wall of
tissue that separates the chambers (septum) and arteries.
Even if treated in childhood,
problems with their ticker defects arise later in life for some adults and
repairing these improves heart function, but might not make your ticker
completely normal. A problem can occur or worsen with age even if an individual
has received successful treatment in childhood. It can also be a possibility
that problems in the ticker, which weren’t serious enough to repair as a child,
have worsened that necessitates treatment now. Complications of childhood
surgeries to correct congenital heart disease can occur later, such as scar
tissue in your ticker that contributes to an abnormal heart rhythm
(arrhythmia). These are some reasons behind CHD resurfacing in adulthood.
Risk Factors:
Diabetes, medications,
heredity, smoking, German measles (a mother having had rubella while pregnant
could have affected the baby’s heart development) are some of the risk factors.
Complications:
Complications that might
develop years after the initial treatment include heart infection, abnormal
heart rhythms, stroke, heart failure, cardiac valve problems and pulmonary
hypertension.
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