Congenital Heart Disease in Adults
For some unfortunate people, they are born with abnormal heart structure. This birth defect can cause serious heart problems. It can also cause a catastrophic consequence for their life. When you have a congenital heart problem, the flow of blood in your heart will get altered and because of that, you are bound to face some serious heart problems. Therefore, it is important to know whether your heart problem is congenital or not. You have to be absolutely sure about it. You should take medical assistance as soon as you face any problem related to your heart.
However, how will you find out that your heart problem is congenital? For that, you have to be aware of certain risk factors and symptoms that will indicate your situation vividly. Therefore, in this article, let us have a brief discussion on the symptoms and risk factors of congenital heart disease in adults.
Learn more if you want to know more about Congenital Heart Disease
Symptoms of Congenital Heart Disease in Adults
When it comes to understanding the symptoms of congenital heart disease, you have to understand that it may not cause any signs or symptoms. In some cases, the signs and symptoms may appear later in life. However, for some, the signs and symptoms may return even after you had treatment for a problem in your heart.
Here are some of the common symptoms that you may find if you suffer from congenital heart disease:
- Heartbeat will have abnormal rhythms
- The skin, fingernail or even the lips will have a bluish touch
- Shortness and trouble in breathing
- Becoming tired and not so tiring activities
- Facing the problems of swelling organs and tissues in the body also known as Oedema
Risk Factors of Congenital Heart Disease in Adults
There are certain genetic, as well as environmental factors, that could elevate the risk of this heart disease. Let us have a look at those factors now:
- Rubella or German Measles: If the mother faced the problem of rubella during pregnancy, then the child might get affected by this heart problem.
- Medication: There are certain medications which pregnant women have to take during pregnancy. These medications can also cause a congenital heart problem in the child.
- Smoking: If a pregnant woman smokes during the period of pregnancy, it tremendously increases the chances of birth defects in the child which may result in a congenital heart problem.
- Heredity: There are certain genetic syndromes that run in families which might play a huge role in causing a congenital heart problem in future generations.
- Diabetes: If the mother of a child had diabetes (type 1 and 2) and if that affects the development of the heart of the child, then it can be a cause for a congenital heart problem.
If you are facing any of the aforementioned symptoms, you should not wait and take medical attention immediately. If you delay taking any action then that could be dangerous for your life. Moreover, if you had the treatment of congenital heart problems in the past then you should continue taking medical attention for it periodically.