What Are the Symptoms of Congenital Heart Disease?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, congenital heart disease (CHD) can occur during fetal development and affects eight to 10 of every 1,000 babies. About 500,000 U.S. adults live with the disease, according to the clinic.

Significance

• With congenital heart disease, a defect occurs in one or more of the structures of either the heart or blood vessels.

Symptoms

• Individuals with congenital heart disease may have no symptoms and, in fact, your doctor may not discover CHD during a physical exam. In severe cases, usually in infants, symptoms include fatigue, rapid breathing, poor blood circulation and cyanosis.

Warning

• Congenital heart disease can take a toll on the heart and cause heart failure. This is because the heart can no longer pump a normal amount of blood for the body.

Effects

• Heart failure symptoms include shortness of breath; edema in the lungs, feet, legs and ankles; and fatigue with any physical activity.

Treatment

• Congenital heart disease treatment is based on how severe the disease is. If your have a mild form of CHD no treatment may be required; medication or surgery may be needed to treat more serious forms.