#Congenital Heart Disease

[literalcyborg]

Happy disability pride month! I climbed a fucking mountain a few days ago!!!

(To be fair, it was technically more like a really big hill with stairs going up to the top, but the locals call it a mountain and it was hundreds of stairs, so I’m letting myself be proud.)

I did it after a lot of reluctance from my mom too. She was worried I’d overwork myself and have a heat attack or something, and while she’s usually great about listening to me when it come to my body and my limits, she just wasn’t letting it go no matter how many times I assured her I’d be fine.

I know how to accommodate myself. I went with my brother so I’d have someone there if I needed help, my phone was fully charged, I brought plenty of water and Tylenol, and I took breaks when I felt that I needed to, and I was fine!

This is all to say that it makes sense for an abled person to be worried about their disabled loved ones doing strenuous activities, but disabled people know their own limits. I’ve been living in my fucked up body for almost two decades, I know how to handle it by now.

Listen to disabled people. Our boundaries and limits are ours to define.

And again, congratulations to me for climbing a fucking mountain :D

[phantalgia]

Sheesh, I cant sit up at my computer. My heart was acting up like crazy. Right now I’m nauseaous, lightheaded, dizzy, tight throat, shaky, heartbeat irregular, short of breathe, pre-syncope. Shit making me feel worse. Not sure if i feel any better laying down. Maybe in a certain position laying down i do. I don’t know. Staying in bed. Not going on computer. Fuck this. Still hate that i don’t have a full answer.

[pengumi12]

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness

[jamie-is-out-of-ideas]

shout out to all my fellow folks with congenital heart disease/condition who has to go to those anual appointments at the cardiologist (i had an enlarged right atrium and a funky looking tricuspid valve)

[kayamark]

Extraordinary you (2019)

Ep 4

[prose-among-the-trees]

Physical disability rant because I haven’t done one yet.

Warning for stomach issues and food processing. It’s gross shit. I know. Trust me, I live with it.

I think one of the worst parts about the disability I have is that it’s all encompassing, but not obviously so. Cancer spreads and affects a ton of stuff when it gets bad enough. Joint issues are pretty all encompassing, and autoimmune diseases definitely so. But my heart issue? Still an invisible illness.

The left side of my heart doesn’t pump blood to the rest of my body. My right side was made to do that work since my left just wouldn’t. The operation rerouted my circulation. I can’t do cardio- or at least now I’ve lived like I can’t so when doctors tell me I should be exercising it’s too much for me. I’ve fucked myself over in that regard.

The rerouted circulation puts a ton of pressure on my liver and is already causing some issues. A normal amount from what I’ve been told, but I’ll never be able to drink much, if at all. Too much of a risk. I’m already missing out on a lot of things for people my age. I shouldn’t say I’m missing out on a substance like alcohol, but I haven’t felt like an adult or a child when I was either, and it’s another reason. I can’t be like others.

I’ve got a theory that I don’t get enough oxygen to my stomach. That my low count already (low for normal people but not dangerous for me) has most of it activating my brain and stuff, and so eating food is a nightmare. I eat and my stomach aches badly and I have to use the bathroom right away to fix it. Every meal. Every snack. I love food, always have, even and especially when I wasn’t getting enough. I don’t need this added.

I don’t look disabled when you look at me. If you can’t see any of my scars I look like a lazy recluse that doesn’t know how to have fun. It’s all encompassing but it doesn’t seem like it would or should be. When I tell people issues I have, they look at how small and skinny I am and they see no visible scars when I’m clothed and think I want attention for my poor heart. My heart can’t beat without a pacemaker. I’d sell my soul to get rid of this condition.

It’s ruined big bits of my life, and they might stay ruined, or worse, degenerate like my heart.

[bihansthot]

I’ve always been pretty candid about my mental health and my overall health in general. I’m not having a good mental health day today, I keep worrying about my upcoming biopsy and the potential of the lesion on my liver being cancerous. I have been through a lot in my life, a lot, congenital heart failure is not easy, a heart transplant is not easy, kidney failure is not easy. It’s been taxing both medically and psychologically. I had a very difficult childhood with all the medical trauma and the added stress of dealing with an incredibly manipulative and abusive mother along with constant bullying at school. In the last six months I have dealt with the most difficultly I’ve had since the first two years of my transplant, with weekly hospital visits and constant blood work while trying to get my cmv infection under control and it’s been physically and mental exhausting and I really can’t deal with more medical hardship on top of everything I’m already dealing with. I’m so defeated. I could really use a pick me up but I don’t even know where to start. I’m sorry I’ve been so creatively bankrupt lately, I’m just so exhausted lately that it’s very hard for me to come up with any headcanons or imagines or art or anything. I’m just so sorry.

[struggles-and-prose]

🩺 My "Not So" Beautiful Heart 🫀

I might have mentioned it before, but I suffer from congenital heart defects. And yes, defects as in plural lol. As I study a lot of medicine, I've also studied Cardiology to better understand my heart. It's quite interesting if you ask me.

This... ˅˅˅

... is a normal heart. Yes, I drew this lol.

And this... ˅˅˅

...is my heart.

Now, some of these issues have been fixed, obviously. But which ones? I'm not sure lol. On my medical file, it says ASD and PDA, but the other 2, I'm not sure. Look, I may be a huge nerd, but I don't understand everything lol. But hey, I'm 31, so that must mean that most of it is fixed XD.

So, let's look at them one at a time shall we.

🤎 Patent Arterial Duct (PDA):

PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus or Patent Arterial Duct) is a heart defect that can develop not long after birth. It affects the way blood flows through a baby’s lungs.

It occurs when the opening between the aorta (artery that carries blood to the body) and the pulmonary artery (artery that carries blood to the lungs) doesn't close as it should.

This causes too much blood to flow into the baby's lungs. While a baby develops in the womb, an opening between the aorta and pulmonary artery (ductus arteriosus) allows blood to go straight to the body. Blood doesn't need to go to the lungs first, because the mother supplies the baby with oxygenated blood through the placenta. The ductus arteriosus should close on its own a few days after birth. When it doesn't, a small connection may not be problematic, but a larger one can cause a range of symptoms and require closure.

Symptoms of PDA depend on the size of the opening:

Fast or hard breathing

Frequent respiratory infections

Heart murmur (Fun to hear through a stethoscope lol)

Poor weight gain

Trouble feeding or tiredness while feeding

There's 2 treatments for PDA, usually done with catheterization or surgery, depending on the severity:

1) Cardiac catheterization:

They make a small incision near a large blood vessel in the leg (usually in the groin) and insert a catheter into it, which threads up to the PDA. They then slide a coil through the catheter and into the PDA to close it.

2) Patent ductus arteriosus surgery (This is what I had):

Open heart surgery is usually more risky than cardiac catheterization and requires a longer recovery time. During this procedure, they make an incision in the chest to then close the connection with stitches or small metal clips.

Left untreated, PDA may cause complications such as:

Heart failure

Endocarditis

Pulmonary edema

Pulmonary hypertension

The outlook after PDA treatment for children who have no other heart conditions (which is so not my case XD) is excellent. Most, go on to lead full, healthy lives with no restrictions on activities. They may require yearly checkups with a cardiologist to make sure everything is fine. Children who had PDA treatment may, in very rare cases, require a second surgery if the hole opens up again.

🖤Atrial septal defect (ASD) Secundum:

ASD (Atrial Septal Defect) is a hole in the heart between the 2 upper chambers (atria). This increases the amount of blood that flows through the lungs.

There's 4 types of ASD:

Secundum (This is what I had): Most common type of ASD, it occurs in the middle of the wall between the upper heart chambers (atrial septum).

Primum: Affects the lower part of the atrial septum and might occur with other congenital heart defects.

Sinus venosus: Rare type of ASD, usually occurs in the upper part of the wall separating the heart chambers.

Coronary sinus: Rare type where part of the wall between the coronary sinus and the left upper heart chamber (left atrium) is missing.

Symptoms of ASD can begin in adulthood (They caught mine at birth though):

Dyspnea (especially when exercising)

Fatigue

Swelling of legs, feet or abdomen

Arrhythmias

Palpitations

Heart murmur

Treatment for ASD depends on the condition and how much extra blood the ASD allows. Most ASDs can be closed using a cardiac catheterization procedure.

Left untreated, ASD may cause complications such as:

Right-sided heart failure

Arrhythmias

Stroke

Early death

Pulmonary hypertension

Eisenmenger syndrome

🤍Pulmonary Stenosis:

Pulmonary stenosis is a narrowing of the pulmonary valve. The greater the narrowing, the harder the right ventricle (lower right heart chamber) works to pump blood to the lungs. The increased pressure causes the right ventricle to become thick.

Symptoms of Pulmonary stenosis depend on how much blood flow is blocked:

Heart murmur

Fatigue

Dyspnea (especially when esercising)

Chest pain

Fainting

Cyanosis

If you have mild pulmonary stenosis without symptoms, you may only need yearly checkups.

If it moderate or severe however, you may need a heart procedure or heart surgery. The type of procedure or surgery done depends on your overall health and the appearance of your pulmonary valve:

1) Balloon Valvuloplasty (This is what I had):

They inserts a catheter (flexible tube) with a balloon on the tip into an artery, usually in the groin. X-rays help guide the catheter to the narrowed valve in the heart. The balloon inflates, making the valve opening larger. The balloon is deflated. The catheter and balloon are removed. This procedure may improve blood flow through the heart and reduce pulmonary stenosis symptoms. But the valve could narrow again. Some need valve repair or replacement in the future.

2) Pulmonary valve replacement:

A open-heart surgery or a catheter procedure may be done to replace the pulmonary valve. If there are other heart problems, the surgeon may repair those during the same surgery.

Left untreated, pulmonary stenosis may cause complications such as:

Infective Endocarditis

Arrhythmias

Right Ventricular Hypertrophy

Heart failure

Fatigue

Dyspnea

Swelling of the legs, feet and abdomen

Pregnancy complications (hard during labor)

💜RV Hypoplasia:

RV (Right Ventricule) Hypoplasia is a rare conginital heart defect characterized by underdevelopment of the right ventricle. This causes inadequate blood flow to the lungs.

Symptoms of RV Hypoplasia include:

Cyanosis

Dyspnea

Hypoxemia

Right-to-left shunt

ASD

Clubbing

PFO (Patent foramen ovale)

RAE (Right atrial enlargement)

Right ventricular failure

Heart murmur

Tricuspid regurgitation

Abnormal atrioventricular conduction

Bidirectional shunt

Cardiomegaly

Congestive heart failure

Muscular ventricular septal defect

Pedal edema

Right bundle branch block

I can't seem to find the treatments for RV Hypoplasia and I've been searching for about 2 hours now lol. This is by far, the most complicated one that I've failed multiple times to understand lol. When I write “RV Hypoplasia” on Google, it shows me other diseases that are somewhat similar, but without knowing exactly what it is, I can't tell for sure if they changed its name after all these years. I'm assuming they did, but which one, I don't know. The one that is most similar so far is Isolated Right Ventricular Hypoplasia. The symptoms I listed are of Isolated Right Ventricular Hypoplasia.

Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed this somehow. Cardiology is one of my favorite fields of study in medicine and regardless of these disease, I've managed to live a semi normal life.

[nicowinterellis]

Adults with Congenital Heart Disease Discord Group

I created a Discord for adults with congenital heart disease (like myself). If you are age 18 and older, have CHD and are interested in joining, here’s the link:

https://discord.gg/Et2fHMy

And yes, the server is LGBTQIA+ friendly.

[healthcaresolutions-cbe26]

Types of Congenital Heart Diseases

Congenital heart disease, often known as a defect, refers to one or more structural issues with the heart that are present at birth. Children with a cardiac defect were born with it. Heart problems are frequently referred to as "congenital." A congenital heart defect develops when the heart or blood arteries near the heart do not develop normally before birth.

https://www.sriramakrishnahospital.com/majordepartment/cardiovascular-and-thoracic-surgery/

[healthmonastery]

Heart Diseases: Basic Concepts And Awareness

It has been always a confusion between heart diseases and heart attack. “All heart attacks are heart disease but not all heart diseases are heart attack”. One in every four deaths in United States is the result of heart disease. Continue reading to know about heart diseases basic concepts and awareness. Photo by Designecologist on Pexels.com In general, people presume all heart problems as…

[phantalgia]

Don’t Feel Good But Did Accomplish Some Things!

I was in the middle of writing something I wanted to post. It had to do with the trauma of liberalism and far-right. Specifically my trauma of having been associated with it in the past. I couldnt finish it because I started having an episode. PVCs or PACs, palpitations, dizziness, feverish, headache, short of breathe, nausea, shaky (very slightly), some pre-syncope.

I’m on my phone laying down right now. Took my heart meds earlier than usual. And my xannax. I’m just waiting for this to blow over again.

Really I think this was building up over time. I couldn't take my pills because I had an ultrasound to do for my galbladder so I took half my dose last night and finished the second half when I came back.

I woke up funky as usual, but I was extremely extremely nauseous and had a headache for some reason. It went away by itself. It was also just before the ultrasound. But I was thinking there was no better time to get it done than now. So I did it! It was just that as soon as I stepped outside in the heat. I started to feel really dizzy and lightheaded. But I readjusted. Still sick. But adjusted. I had to walk a fair distance in the heat to the imagine place which I accomplished with no problems and for the most part everything was smooth sailing aside from the looming sick feeling.

I went to IHOP to celebrate that victory. I was really looking forward to that. And went home after that. I spent the rest of my day making that one blog post on Lambchop, and then went on my computer where I started writing about what I mentioned in the begining of THIS post. But. Then the symptoms kept getting worse and worse, my head was more achey, maybe I wasnt nauseous, but I felt feverish, i was sore, my writing was sloppy, losing trains of thought, going on tangents. Forgetting words. Then the palpitations, pvcs, or pacs came in and made me really sick and pre-syncope. So I had to stop.

I’m gonna have dinner here now. And just excited for this to pass. I’m just wondering if i should be talking to my doctor more using the app that connects me to the office and keep him updated on my life.

Another thing I’m wondering is if i should even post this under the tag disability. As i don’t know what this is. But i guess i will anyway.

[ricisidro]

Watch LIVE: Webinar #195

June 7, 2024 (Friday) 12nn

"Blue Baby Alert"

Critical Congenital Heart Disease Screening

#CongenitalHeartDisease #CHD #HeartDisease 

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/live/bBPOtue0Q6I?si=9b5kxcetPSeGnIxi

[medscribr]

Identifying Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Signs in Babies and Children

Congenital Heart Disease (CHD), heart defects since birth, affects approximately 1 in 100 newborns, making it one of the most common birth defects. Early detection is vital for effective treatment and management, yet the signs can be subtle and easily overlooked. As a parent or caregiver, recognising these signs at home can significantly impact a child’s health. These signs are not diagnostic of…

[supremehospitals]

Congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a disorder affecting the anatomy and function of the heart that manifests at birth. It affects over 1% of babies and is one of the most prevalent kinds of birth abnormalities. There are many different types of CHD, ranging from straightforward flaws that have little to no effect on health to complicated problems that need to be treated right away. Tetralogy of Fallot, ventricular septal defect (VSD), and atrial septal defect (ASD) are a few prevalent forms of congenital heart defects. These illnesses can cause abnormal blood flow through the heart, which can result in symptoms like weariness, shortness of breath, cyanosis (bluish skin), and poor weight gain. Depending on the nature and extent of the abnormality, CHD can be treated with anything from medication and lifestyle modifications to surgery. For those with congestive heart failure (CHD) to control their disease and preserve optimal heart function, routine medical attention and monitoring are crucial. For more medical insights related to this or treatment for congenital heart disease, please visit Heart Transplant Surgery in Thiruporur.