Heart attack | Dr Raghu

The heart is a vital organ that supplies blood to the muscles and tissues and keeps your body running. In our previous articles, we’ve discussed common conditions that affect the heart, such as congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Take a look at our blog for more information.

While much is discussed about these common ailments, other conditions like patent foramen ovale (or PFO) can also affect the heart. So, what exactly is PFO? And how does it affect your cardiac health? In this article, we’ll explore the ins and outs of this lesser-known condition.

What is Patent Foramen Ovale?

Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is a hole in the heart that can be congenital or acquired. The foramen ovale is a flap-like opening between the heart’s upper chambers. It usually closes within three to six months after birth and becomes a part of your heart’s septum.

But if that doesn’t happen, you may have a PFO. In most cases, a PFO is present at birth (congenital). However, one can also develop it as an adult due to injury, infection, or inflammation of the tissue around the heart (acquired).

Should You Be Worried About Patent Foramen Ovale?

If you’ve been diagnosed with a patent foramen ovale, you’re likely wondering if it poses a threat to your cardiac health. Fortunately, this condition is usually asymptomatic and does not require treatment. However, it can be a risk factor for stroke and heart attack in some people.

PFO can also be the underlying cause of other conditions, such as:

Hypoxemia (low blood oxygen)
Pulmonary hypertension
Paradoxical embolism
Migraine
Atrial Fibrillation

That makes it crucial to stay in touch with your doctor and monitor your heart health to keep these conditions at bay.

Signs and Symptoms of PFO

If you’re lucky, a PFO will cause no noticeable symptoms. However, if it results in a drop in your blood oxygen levels, you may experience a variety of symptoms, including:

Headaches
Dizziness
Chest pain (angina)
Shortness of breath
Fatigue or weakness that does not go away with rest
Feeling faint

What Are the Treatment Options for Patent Foramen Ovale?

Treatment options for a PFO include:

Device closure procedure, is necessary only for patients who have had a stroke or heart attack caused by the condition
Anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication for those with a complex morphology PFO
Watchful waiting if you have no symptoms (that means you will be monitored regularly for any problems caused by your condition)

If you experience symptoms, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes or medication as treatment options.

In Conclusion

Now you know what a patent foramen ovale is and why it’s so important to get checked out if you have symptoms. If you are diagnosed with a PFO, your doctor may recommend treatment based on your symptoms and medical history. That said, PFO does not always require treatment. Some people have been living with it for years without any issues at all.

Dr. C Raghu is an eminent cardiologist who specializes in interventional cardiology. If you or anyone you know has been diagnosed with a patent foramen ovale, feel free to consult Dr. Raghu to explore your treatment options.

Patent Foramen Ovale – Blog

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Heart failure is an umbrella term for a set of physical symptoms arising due to the gradual deterioration in the heart’s pumping ability. The term “congestive heart failure” was traditionally used because the condition resulted in fluid buildup and congestion in the lungs.

However, doctors and medical researchers have found that it causes a wide array of other symptoms. That’s why they now refer to the condition as heart failure.

What Happens in Congestive Heart Failure?

A healthy human heart relaxes and contracts nearly 100,000 times a day and pumps more than 2,000 gallons of blood throughout the body. The cardiovascular system also includes a network of arteries and veins to transport deoxygenated and oxygenated blood to and from the heart. If any part of the system falters, it can disrupt the flow of blood to vital organs.

Heart failure is characterized by a progressive decline in the heart’s power to pump blood. When that happens, the heart goes through a series of structural changes (knowns as cardiac remodeling) and beats faster to pump more blood.

Also, the blood vessels constrict to stabilize blood pressure and restrict blood supply to non-critical organs like the skin and kidneys. When blood flow to the kidneys reduces, it compels the body to retain more fluid and sodium.

All these short-term fixes result in more damage and cause even more stress to the heart muscles. That, in turn, results in further deterioration of the heart’s pumping action.

Congestive Heart Failure Symptoms: A Closer Look

The symptoms of heart failure vary depending on whether they’re caused due to a lack of oxygen or an increase in fluid build.

Lack of oxygen supply results in the following symptoms :

Confusion
Weight gain
Fatigue
Discolored or bluish skin

Excess sodium and fluid buildup in the body causes the following symptoms:

Lung congestion
Shortness of breath
Coughing and wheezing
Loss of appetite
Swelling of feet and abdomen

Causes and Types of Congestive Heart Failure

The most common causes of heart failure include:

Coronary artery disease (Narrowing of arteries due to cholesterol buildup)
Damaged or dying heart tissue due to a heart attack
Cardiomyopathy (damage to the heart muscles)
Heart rhythm disturbances due to atrial fibrillation
Underlying medical conditions like hypertension and diabetes

There are various ways to categorize congestive heart failure. Depending on the part of the heart’s pumping that’s affected due to heart failure, it can be of the following types:

Systolic heart failure or heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction
Diastolic heart failure or heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction

Also, depending on the side of the heart that’s affected, heart failure can be categorized as left-sided failure and right-sided failure. The treatment approach a doctor will use depends on the type of heart failure a patient has developed.

Stages of Heart Failure

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association has outlined four stages to denote the progression of heart failure. While Stage A is characterized by risk factors like underlying medical conditions, stage B shows structural changes in a patient’s heart. The more advanced stages (C and D) present visible symptoms.