How does VSD affect the respiratory system?
With a VSD, the stronger left side of the heart pumps extra blood to the right ventricle through the hole, and that extra blood goes through the pulmonary artery to the lungs. In most cases the hole is in the membranous part of the septum; more serious VSDs are located in the muscular part of the septum.
Why does VSD cause shortness of breath?
This is a condition where long-term damage to blood vessels in the lungs forces oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle through a large VSD and into the left ventricle. That means some of the blood pumped to the body doesn’t contain enough oxygen. That causes an overall oxygen shortage throughout the body.
Can VSD cause shortness of breath?
Sometimes a VSD isn’t detected until a person reaches adulthood. Symptoms and signs can include shortness of breath or a heart murmur your doctor hears when listening to your heart with a stethoscope.
What problems does VSD cause?
Over time, if not repaired, this defect can increase the risk for other complications, including heart failure, high blood pressure in the lungs (called pulmonary hypertension), irregular heart rhythms (called arrhythmia), or stroke.
Does VSD cause low oxygen levels?
A VSD allows oxygen-rich (red) blood to pass abnormally from the left ventricle through the opening in the septum. Then it mixes with oxygen-poor (blue) blood in the right ventricle. A large VSD can cause high pressure in the blood vessels in the lungs. The higher pressure can lead to lower oxygen levels in the body.
How does VSD cause CHF?
Children born with a VSD have a hole in the heart wall, called the septum, that separates the left and right lower chambers, called the ventricles. If the hole is large, too much blood is pumped into the lungs, making the heart work harder than normal. This may lead to congestive heart failure.
What is Eisenmenger syndrome?
Eisenmenger syndrome is an advanced form of pulmonary artery hypertension. In this condition, the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the lungs narrow. This makes the pressure of blood flow against the walls of the arteries (blood pressure) too high. The heart must work harder to pump blood into the lungs.
Does VSD cause tachypnea?
Symptoms may include abnormally rapid breathing (tachypnea), wheezing, a bluish discoloration to the skin (cyanosis), coughing, and/or abnormal accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary congestion).
How does VSD cause pulmonary edema?
The increased pulmonary blood flow raises pulmonary capillary pressure, which can increase pulmonary interstitial fluid. When this condition is severe, patients can present with pulmonary edema. Therefore, both PA pressure and pulmonary venous pressure are elevated in a VSD.
How does VSD affect cardiac output?
Abstract. Children with ventricular septal defect (VSD) often demonstrate failure to thrive (FTT). Such patients usually have reduced systemic cardiac output which has been postulated as a cause for their growth retardation.
Is VSD cyanotic?
Acyanotic congenital heart defects include: Ventricular septal defect (VSD). Atrial septal defect (ASD).