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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSymptoms or signs of congenital heart disease may not show up until later in life. They may recur years after you've had treatment for a heart defect. Some typical congenital heart disease symptoms you may have as an adult include:
- Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
- A bluish tint to the skin (cyanosis)
- Shortness of breath
- Tiring quickly upon exertion
- Dizziness or fainting
- Swelling of body tissue or organs (edema)
When to see a doctor
If you have any of the signs or symptoms of congenital heart disease, make an appointment to see your doctor. If you have chest pain or severe shortness of breath, seek emergency medical attention.
- What are congenital heart defects? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/chd/chd_what.html. Accessed Feb. 14, 2011.
- Congenital cardiovascular defects. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4565. Accessed Feb. 14, 2011.
- Beerman LB. Congenital Cardiovascular Anomalies. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec19/ch287/ch287a.html. Accessed Feb. 14, 2011.
- Pillutla P, et al. Mortality associated with adult congenital heart disease: Trends in the US population from 1979 to 2005. American Heart Journal. 2009;158:874.
- Mettler BA, et al. Congenital heart disease surgery in the adult. Surgical Clinics of North America. 2009;89:1021.
- Bernstein D. Developmental biology of the cardiovascular system. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?sid=1117823327&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50422-9&isbn=978-1-4160-2450-7&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50422-9&uniqId=235477645-9. Accessed Feb. 14, 2011.
- Webb GD, et al. Congenital heart disease. In: Libby P, et al, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?sid=1117828709&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50064-9&isbn=978-1-4160-4106-1&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50064-9--cesec7&uniqId=235477645-12. Accessed Feb. 14, 2011.
- Anderson KP. The changing epidemiology of ventricular arrhythmias. Cardiology Clinics. 2008;26:321.
- Lifestyle changes for heart failure. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartFailure/PreventionTreatmentofHeartFailure/Lifestyle-Changes-for-Heart-Failure_UCM_306341_Article.jsp. Accessed Feb. 14, 2011.
- Coping with feelings. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/CardiacRehab/Coping-with-Feelings_UCM_307092_Article.jsp. Accessed Feb. 14, 2011.
- Grogan M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 18, 2011.
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