A Hole in the Heart are in different Categories

Worried about my little friend with the hole in the heart, I haven't stopped thinking about the possible triggers of such an occurrence, I mean, why does a child have to go through so much pain and discomfort, I couldn't stop worrying.

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Ventricular septal defect or arterial septal defect is the general medical name for a hole in the heart. A ventricular septal defect is a type of congenital heart defect that happens when there is a hole in the septum, that is, between the two upper chambers of the heart.

A VSD from an incomplete wall would give room for oxygen-rich blood from one side of the heart to mix with the oxygen-poor blood coming from the other side. The heart would only function at its best when the wall prevents the blood from mixing.

The sad part is, that this condition is not a rare one at all it happens to be the most common kind of congenital heart disease present at birth, and it happens alongside other types of heart problems.

There are four main types of VSD, and each of them differs in location as well as structure.

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• Membraneous is the most common type of VSD, it affects the upper section of the wall between the ventricles.

• Muscular type affects the lower part of the wall, this type usually has a representation of more than one hole.

• Inlet type of VSD is the type of hole that is below the tricuspid valve in the right ventricle and the mitral valve in the left ventricle.

• The outlet type of VSD creates a hole just before the pulmonary valve in the right ventricle, and just before the aortic valve in the left ventricle.

Atrial septal abnormalities, on the other hand, refers to a hole between the atria which is the upper chambers of the heart. When there is a small defect in the atrial wall, it won't cause any problems, it would most likely get closed on its own during early childhood or infancy.

There are four types of atrial septal abnormalities too just like we have with VSD;

• Primum, which develops close to the septal wall.

• Multifenestrated, consists of several holes in the septal wall

• Secondum, which develops close to the middle of the septal wall.

• Sinus venosis, appears close to the superior and inferior vena cava.PFO is the other type of heart congenital condition which is not mentioned most of the time because it doesn't cause any significant symptoms nor does it come with any type of problem.

A hole in the heart of a newborn may have the appearance of heart failure. Making the child show these symptoms;

• Sweating or tiredness while feeding.

• Slow weight gain.

• Breath shortage.

• Consistent respiratory infections.

When symptoms begin to show in older children or adulthood, they have symptoms that include;

• The swelling of the feet, legs, or abdomen.

• Breath shortage especially during physical activity.

• Fatigue.

• Stroke.

• Abnormal heart sound.

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The exact cause of hole formation isn't known but experts believe that some of these factors may play a major role in the formation.
A family history of chromosomal abnormalities may lead to a hole in the heart of a child.

Exposure to some form of chemicals or drugs during pregnancy can lead to a hole in the heart of a child. Also, a pregnant woman with medical conditions like diabetes, rubella, lupus, and some others, stands a chance of having a child with a hole in the heart.

It is possible to treat a hole in the heart but it is dependent on, the age of the affected person, the location of the hole, the type of hole, and the symptoms experienced.

Some holes close on their own over time, a good example is an atrial septal abnormality that is under 5 milliliters. They close on their own within the first year of a child's life.

Larger holes require surgery, in infants, a surgeon may place a patch until the child gets older and surgical operations can be carried out on the child. But if the child has serious symptoms, then a more invasive surgery may need to happen.

In some situations, medications can be taken before surgery, or if there is a chance of the hole closing on its own, the medications prescribed are similar to those used to treat heart failure.

My little friend needs urgent surgery according to the doctors, and I am just hoping can raise the required funds for the surgery.

For Further Studies

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17615-ventricular-septal-defects-vsd

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/atrial-septal-defect/symptoms-causes/syc-20369715

https://www.yashodahealthcare.com/blogs/hole-in-the-heart-causes-signs-symptoms-and-treatment/

https://asianheartinstitute.org/blog/hole-in-heart-symptoms-causes-and-treatment/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ventricular-septal-defect/symptoms-causes/syc-20353495

https://www.healthline.com/health/heart/atrial-septal-defects#treatment

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Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people.