Congenital Heart Disease

Researchers have yet to discover what exactly causes congenital heart disease, although there seems to be a correlation showing increased risk of your heart not developing properly if your mother had rubella or influenza (flu) during the first three months of pregnancy, had Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes, took ibuprofen when 30 weeks or more pregnant, or took certain medications for acne, bipolar disorder or seizures. In many cases, congenital heart disease develops in conjunction with other genetic diseases or disorders, such as Down syndrome and Turner syndrome.

To diagnose whether you have congenital heart disease, your doctor will begin by asking if you experience any symptoms and what they may be, as well as your medical history. Your doctor will then conduct a physical exam and listen to your heart with a stethoscope. After this, they will order a variety of tests to determine which form of congenital heart disease you are suffering from.

These tests can include a chest X-ray, echocardiogram, electrocardiogram (EKG), exercise stress test, heart MRI, heart CT scan, pulse oximetry, and transesophageal echogram (TEE). Your doctor may also conduct cardiac catheterization, which can be used as a form of treatment as well.

Treatment for congenital heart disease will depend on the type and severity of the condition, although some forms of heart defects will not require any treatment. If treatment is required, it will typically include medications that make your heart work better, such as ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, anticoagulants, beta-blockers, and diuretics.

Your doctor may also place an implantable heart device to control your heart rate, such as a pacemaker, or to fix an irregular heartbeat, such as an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Another form of treatment is cardiac catheterization (also used to diagnose congenital heart disease), in which a catheter is guided to your heart and can be used to widen your arteries or repair septal defects.

In more severe cases, you may require heart valve surgery to repair or replace one or more of your heart valves. Surgery options can include either open heart surgery or minimally invasive heart surgery. In cases where the congenital heart defect is life threatening, a complete heart transplant may be the only solution.

Not everyone with congenital heart disease experiences symptoms, and the symptoms can vary based on age, type of heart defect, number of heart defects, and severity of the disease. However, common symptoms of congenital heart disease can include dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, heart murmurs, heart palpitations, irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias), swelling of the ankles, feet, or hands, and bluish fingernails, lips, and skin.