Types of heart defects, methods of diagnosis and treatment

Heart disease is expressed in a change in the structure of the heart that has been present since birth or has appeared during life, preventing it from correctly performing its function. Because of it, the whole body usually suffers, as it receives less oxygen. Elementary general knowledge about this disease will help you calmly assess the situation and seek the help of specialists in time, saving your health, a lot of time and nerves.

General information

1. This organ is one of the most important in the system of supplying the body with nutrients, since it is the contractions of the heart muscle that ensure the movement of blood through the circles of blood circulation.
2. The heart consists of right and left sections, one of which is responsible for the movement of blood through the veins, and the other - through the arteries. In a normal situation, they do this work in isolation, and these two types of blood do not mix.

Violations in the structure of the heart that occurred before or after the birth of a person are called heart defects.

The consequences can be varied depending on the type and severity of the pathology. They are united by the fact that as a result, blood circulation is disturbed, which can cause absolutely all organs to suffer, not receiving oxygen and other nutrients.

Heart defects can occur in a person even before birth, and then, most often, urgent help is required, since the life of the child is endangered. Defects can also occur during life as a result of serious illnesses or an unhealthy lifestyle.

Classification of vices

To understand the variety of heart defects, it is necessary to distinguish among them groups according to various characteristics. This will help you navigate the various signs of the disease, as well as, if necessary, give the doctor more accurate answers to questions.

1. Congenital heart defects (CHD). Such pathologies are formed even in the womb, and remain with the child after birth. Signs often appear in the first days of life, many are deadly.
2. Acquired heart defects (PPD). Formed at any age for various reasons, for a long time they may not make themselves felt. Often symptoms appear only at critical stages.

• in the absence of serious circulatory disorders, the human condition is almost normal, there is no danger to life, except for the fact that the pathology can develop over time;
• if the pathology is moderately developed, the violations appear insignificantly and are not fatal in themselves, but over time they often develop into severe defects;
• severe pathology - violations are significant, they are extremely difficult and life-threatening.

• external causes - the environmental situation, the difficult condition of the mother during pregnancy, the consequences of taking medications;
• internal causes - wearing a hereditary nature, or hormonal disorders.

There is a classification of heart defects according to complexity:

• simple defects - when the pathology affects one part of the heart, or one valve;
• complex defects - include several violations, for example, - defects of partitions and valves at the same time;
• combined defects - more than two different disorders in the structure of the heart.

• valve defects (mitral, tricuspid);
• defects of the partitions (interatrial septum);
• heart defects (atria, ventricles).

• CHD by increased blood flow in the pulmonary circle;
• UPU that does not affect it;
• CHD with reduced blood flow in the pulmonary circle.

congenital heart defects

The most common CHD is a septal defect between the ventricles. They are holes in this septum through which venous and arterial blood is mixed in the right ventricle. The load on it grows, as a result of which it can hypertrophy, there may be an overload of the pulmonary circulation.

A small hole does not create serious problems and has practically no chance of developing into a serious pathology, while a large one is extremely dangerous - surgery is necessary. However, the prognosis for such an operation is favorable.

The following congenital defect is also quite common. In normal development, shortly after birth, the communication between the aorta and the pulmonary circulation closes in the child. However, sometimes this does not happen, then the child has difficulty breathing due to an increase in the load on the pulmonary circle. In this case, surgical intervention is also necessary.

One of the most complex congenital heart defects is the tetralogy of Fallot.

• hole in the septum between the ventricles;
• misplaced aorta;
• narrowed pulmonary artery;
• oversized right ventricle.

Patients with this CHD often have to go through several surgeries, some of which are performed not even with the aim of curing, but in order to prevent the death of the child before the actual corrective surgery can be performed.

Most CHD have a favorable prognosis after surgery.

Acquired vices

There are various reasons for the formation of abnormalities in the development of the heart, but the most common causes of PPS are diseases of a rheumatic nature.

1. More than half of all PPPs are mitral valve pathologies.
2. The fifth part of PPS is the pathology of the aortic valve.
3. Other defects are much less common.

Mitral insufficiency is expressed in the fact that during the operation of the valve between the left ventricle and the orifice, complete closure does not occur, resulting in a reverse blood flow. Depending on its strength and volume, the manifestations will be more or less significant, the need for the operation, as well as its urgency, will depend on the same factors.

• due to infectious diseases that affected the heart due to incomplete cure;
• due to diseases of the rheumatic group;
• due to muscle dysfunction due to various diseases, or traumatic effects.

A common PPS is mitral stenosis, a narrowing of the opening between the left sides of the heart, limiting their interaction. The most common cause of this disease is also a rheumatic group of diseases, and the second most common cause is infectious diseases of the heart. This pathology usually manifests itself as problems with the lungs - difficulty breathing, coughing, coughing up blood.

Among the defects of the aorta, the second most common, should be identified aortic insufficiency. The mechanisms of its occurrence and, in fact, the description of the pathology are similar to mitral valve insufficiency, with the difference that we are talking about a valve that blocks the aorta. The reasons for her are on average the same - rheumatism, infectious diseases, traumatic effects. It manifests itself mainly through headaches, knocking in the carotid arteries, loss of consciousness, since the brain suffers from this defect first of all.

As in the previous case, narrowing can occur with the aorta, which is also stenosis. As a result of this, the flow of blood into the arteries decreases, primarily the brain and, in fact, the heart suffer.

Tricuspid insufficiency is generally similar to mitral insufficiency - similar processes occur in the right heart. However, their results do not apply to the pulmonary, but to the systemic circulation. Congestion occurs in the veins, and the right side of the heart hypertrophies to compensate for the deficiency. In addition, the function of many other organs is disrupted - the liver, kidneys.

All these defects are extremely rare in isolation. Usually several insufficiencies or stenoses are combined.

The combination of defects is manifested by the symptoms of the existing deviations, as well as their mutual influence. When treating them, the doctor should determine the degree of danger of each, assess the possibility of conducting a complex operation, or several operations.

The peculiarity of most PPPs is that they may not make themselves felt for a long time. And although special diagnostic methods are able to detect them even at an early stage, most often this happens when the violations have already made themselves felt. In addition, the compensatory capabilities of the heart are able to stabilize the situation for a long time. But over time, this leads to hypertrophy of the heart, to various types of insufficiency. Therefore, you should be careful about your health.

PPP forecasts are generally unfavorable, but most of them are successfully corrected by surgery. The postoperative condition is related to the individual characteristics of the organism, but can be improved with the help of preliminary measures, as well as subsequent drug therapy.

Diagnosis of heart defects

It is possible to detect congenital heart disease when examining a pregnant woman.

If a CHD is suspected in a baby, immediately after birth, he is sent for examination to neonatologists, and the child is under the supervision of specialists for a long time. If specific congenital heart diseases are suspected, specific diagnostic measures are taken.

Young children in whom a pediatrician suspected a congenital or acquired defect are sent for examination to a cardiologist.

1. Ultrasound examination (ultrasound). It allows you to see the shape of the functional components of the heart, to assess the correctness of its work.
2. Radiography allows you to see abnormalities in the structure of the heart, and if necessary, a contrast agent is used. It is injected into the blood and makes it possible to assess the state of the entire cardiovascular system.

Prevention of heart defects

If weakly developed defects are detected, as well as in the presence of risk factors, various therapeutic measures can be prescribed:

1. Therapeutic exercise to stabilize the physical condition of the patient. It can be prescribed, including for the prevention of postoperative complications. The exercises are usually associated with not too hard endurance work, with preference given to static loads.
2. Drug therapy may include means that support the heart, normalize the production of hormones, stabilize the metabolism, containing iron.
3. In addition, there are preventive diets. The emphasis in them is on minimizing the consumption of fried and smoked products, on increasing the proportion of iron-containing foods in the diet.

A serious help both in prevention in the absence of the disease, and in its mild form, will be the rejection of bad habits - smoking, drinking alcohol and caffeine-containing products.

There is nothing to talk about narcotic and psychotropic drugs - their use increases, among other things, the likelihood of developing heart defects.

Heart disease treatment

With mild symptoms and a timely visit to the doctor, it happens that you can get off with medication, or even diet and exercise. But in many cases, an operation is prescribed. It must be understood that heart defects differ from colds or bruises in that they cannot go away on their own. The body will compensate for defects, but at the same time it will wear out more and more, and new deviations will occur over time. It is important to add that CHD is very rare among adults - patients with these pathologies rarely have time to finish school. This is an excellent answer to the question of how many people live with heart disease. Moreover, almost three-quarters of children with CHD die within the first year of life.

1. The urgency of the operation.
2. The state of the child.

If the situation is favorable, a thorough preparation of the child for surgical intervention is carried out. But often there is no time. For example, patients with left heart hypoplasia often require surgery in the first days of life.

The following heart symptoms will begin to develop:

• heart failure;
• violations of the blood supply to the whole body; arrhythmias;
• infectious diseases due to weakened immunity;
• rheumatic diseases.

• there will be shortness of breath;
• possible pulmonary edema up to death;
• colds will become more frequent, as well as chronic inflammatory diseases;
• high risk of getting pneumonia.

Depending on the specific pathology, different operations may be prescribed. Many of the operations must be performed on a stopped heart, for which there are special centers with appropriate life support devices, special methods for creating temporary cardiopulmonary bypass.

Methods of surgical correction

There are the following types of operations for heart defects:

1. If there is an interfering superfluous element, for example, a vessel, it is simply removed.
2. Septal defects between the atria or between the ventricles, depending on its area, can be corrected by suturing or sewing in a “patch”.
3. With various types of stenosis, the vessels can be expanded by implanting special structures in them, or by removing the deformed part with subsequent stitching.
4. If the position of the arteries is disturbed, this is corrected by cutting them at the base and stitching them into the right place with the creation of the necessary opening, and possibly sewing in an artificial valve.
5. Valve defects are eliminated with the help of plastic surgery on them or by prosthetics.

1. Mechanical prostheses are made from metals and other inorganic elements and may have one or two leaves. Their service life is up to five decades, a second operation will be required very soon. However, it is necessary to take special means to prevent rejection.
2. Organic prostheses are made from human tissue, or tissue from a pig. They can wear out at different rates, on average a little more than a dozen years. Their advantage lies in the fact that, with the right selection, they are not rejected by the body, they do not require the use of appropriate funds (this is not always possible).

Therapeutic measures after surgery

Even after a successful operation, in the absence of visible complications, it is necessary to be observed by a cardiologist in order to prevent complications in the future, to control the state of health.

A few days after the operation, you should begin to exercise for the lungs - what exercises to do and how much depends on the recommendations of the doctor, based on the current condition of the patient.

When replacing valves with artificial prostheses, it is necessary to permanently exclude foods containing a large amount of vitamin from the diet.

• some types of tea;
• cabbage, spinach and some other green vegetables;
• beans, peas, beans;
• dairy products;
• products containing caffeine.

Approximately within six months, measures are needed to restore motor activity in the first months, while the bones in the chest are being restored, it is impossible to lift weights, and in general to strain your arms with any significant effort. It is not recommended to drive for at least a quarter after the operation.

The recovery time of the body, thus, depends on the severity of the operation, the state of the body, the thoroughness of the instructions of the specialists. Therefore, at the first signs of heart disease, you should contact a cardiologist. It is also desirable to lead a healthy lifestyle, give up bad habits. Timely appeal to specialists for medical help and a caring attitude towards one's health will minimize the time spent and nerves, quickly restore undermined health.