Symptoms

Congenital microcardia, Congenital hypoplasia of heart (disorder), Congenital small heart,congenital heart disease, congenital microcardia, congenital hypoplasia of heart, congenital small heart,

Congenital heart disease can have a range of symptoms, because the conditionrefers to several different types of heart defect.

Generalsigns of congenital heart disease can include:

  • excessive sweating
  • extreme tiredness and fatigue
  • poor feeding
  • rapid heartbeat
  • rapid breathing
  • Shortness of breath
  • chest pain
  • a blue tinge to the skin (cyanosis)
  • clubbed fingernails

In more severe cases, these problems may develop shortly after birth. However, symptoms sometimes don'tdevelop until the teenage years or early adulthood.

.

Complications

Children and adults with congenital heart disease can also develop a range of further problems, such as:

  • problems with growth and development
  • repeated respiratory tract infections (RTIs) infections of the sinuses, throat, airways or lungs
  • heart infection ( endocarditis )
  • pulmonary hypertension raised blood pressure within the blood vessels that supply the lungs (pulmonary arteries)
  • heart failure where the heart is unable to efficiently pump enough blood around the body

.

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 28 Nov 2016