Atrial septal defect Details and Information
Atrial septal defect (ASD) can be described as congenital heart defect exactly where the wall that isolates the higher heart chambers (atria) does not close completely. Congenital implies the defect is found at beginning.
In fetal blood circulation, there’s an opening between your two atria (the upper chambers of the heart) to permit blood to bypass the lungs. This opening usually closes around the time the baby is born.
If the ASD is chronic, blood continues to flow from the left to the right atria. This is called a shunt. If excessive blood moves to the right side of the heart, pressures in the lungs build up. The shunt are usually reversed so that blood flows from right to left. Small atrial septal defects normally cause only a few difficulties and may be identified much later in life. Many complications may appear if the shunt is big, however. In advanced and serious cases with large shunts the increased pressure on the right side of the heart would cause turnaround of blood flow (now from right to left). This usually results in important shortness of breath.
Through normal growth and development of the fetal heart, there is an opening in the wall (septum) isolating the left and right upper chambers of the heart. Usually, the opening closes prior to birth, but if it doesn’t, the child is given birth to with a hole in between the left and right atria. This unnatural opening is called an atrial septal defect and causes blood from the left atrium to flow (or “shunt”) through the hole into the right atrium.
Differing kinds of atrial septal defects occur, and they’re labeled in accordance with where in the separating wall they’re found. One of the most commonly found atrial septal defect, called secundum atrial septal defect, occur in the middle of the atrial septum and makes up about 70 percent of all atrial septal defects.
Excessive openings also form in the upper part of the atrial septum (called sinus venosus ASD) where the superior vena cava and right atrium join, and lower parts of the atrial septum (called primum ASD). A sinus venosus ASD usually involves the right upper pulmonary vein, while a primum ASD often occurs together with an abnormality in the mitral valve and/or tricuspid valve, and leads to some blood leakage (regurgitation) back via the valves.
Atrial septal defects can take place by itself or in in conjunction with other congenital heart problems, such as ventricular septal defect. They may be as small as a pinpoint or the size of the space where the entire septum needs to be positioned.
Factors
Abnormal openings in the atrial septum happen during fetal development. These irregularities can go not noticed if the opening is small and makes no abnormal signs and symptoms. If the defect is big, oxygen-rich blood from the left atrium flows into the right atrium and will get pumped back to the lung area again, causing more work for the heart and lungs. The right atrium may get bigger or expand to hold the extra blood.
In some cases, an atrial septal defect enables blood clots from the body to enter the brain and result in a stroke . Unattended atrial septal defect can result in pulmonary hypertension , chest infection, Eisenmenger’s syndrome, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, stroke, or right-sided heart failure.
Signs or symptoms
An individual born having an atrial septal defect can have no indicators in child years, and the problem may go undetected into the adult years. Stunted growth may be a symptom of atrial septal defect. Different symptoms that might develop over time contain:
shortness of breath
fainting
irregular heart beats or palpitations (abnormal heart beats that feel like fluttering in the chest)
inability to physical exercise without becoming over-tired
breathlessness with exercise or activity
Treatment
Twenty percent of atrial septal defects in kids fix themselves without treatments by the time a child is two years old. If the opening will not close on its own, it ought to be repaired to counteract the pulmonary arteries from becoming thickened and clogged due to increased blood flow. If this disorder (pulmonary vascular obstructive disease) remains with no treatment, it can easily raise the risk of death by Twenty five %.
Know everything you need to know about Atrial septal defect
Processing your request, Please wait....
