Each baby is periodically referred by a pediatrician for examination to different specialists, including a cardiologist. Is it worth it to panic if your child has been diagnosed with a doctor after examining an “open oval window in the heart”? In children, this heart disease is sometimes detected. How serious is this disease? How accurately is the disorder diagnosed, and what are its possible consequences? Of course, parents have many similar questions. In this article you will find answers to some of them.
How is an open oval window in the heart diagnosed in children?
It is impossible for even very experienced doctors to detect this violation with a stethoscope. When listening, this defect is not detected, since it does not cause additional noise. Almost all heart defects, including the open oval window (abbreviated as LLC), are diagnosed using the following methods:
- ultrasound examination (ultrasound) in combination with dopplerography shows the direction of blood flow and other possible anomalies;
- contrast echocardiography, during which an intravenous injection with physiological saline is done, will help to identify defects of the atrial septum of very small sizes;
- Ultrasound through the esophagus is prescribed in rare cases to determine the exact location of the hole and identify possible complications.
In addition to these methods, other supporting studies are also used, such as chest x-rays, ultrasound of the kidneys, ECG (electrocardiography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), cardiac catheterization, etc.
Symptoms and signs of LLC, most common in children and adults
In most cases, a child may never complain of any unpleasant sensations indicating the presence of this heart defect. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to undergo examinations when the following symptoms appear in the baby:
- increased fatigue in active games;
- Frequent exposure to seasonal respiratory infections;
- causeless fainting, dizziness;
- characteristic altered breathing (lack of air after games, intermittent, shortness of breath);
- An altered pulse, rapid heartbeat.
What is the danger of the discovered open oval window in the heart of children?
First of all, with a septal defect, the likelihood of blood clots in the heart is increased. As a child grows up, these problems can be aggravated without proper monitoring by doctors and the necessary treatment, causing the risk of many complications. Among them are heart attacks, circulatory disorders of the brain and strokes.
How often is a defect revealed by an open oval window in the heart in adults?
Usually this small hole in the septum closes in a child up to a year. But often in almost half of babies under the age of five, this defect is accidentally detected during diagnosis. Adults suffer from this disease less often. Only about fifteen percent of people over twenty years old have an open oval window in the heart. In children, during growth, it can “close” or significantly decrease in size. But, despite the seriousness of the problem, this vice is not a sentence for a child. Without characteristic complaints of well-being, he can continue to play sports and actively move. The only thing to avoid is diving, which provides for deep-sea diving.