Q21.1: Atrial septal defect

The heart pumps blood through the body. Inside the heart are 4 chambers. There are 2 heart atria and 2 ventricles. Both heart atria and both ventricles are separated from each other by a partition.

A hole in the cardiac septum may develop during development in the womb before birth. The cardiac septum sometimes fails to close up as normal during development. A hole in the cardiac septum can result in blood flowing back and forth directly between the upper chambers (atria) or lower chambers (ventricles). This usually results in a change to normal blood flow. In some cases, this means that the heart and lungs are placed under greater strain. The blood supply to the body may also be impacted due to a hole in the cardiac septum.

You have a hole in the wall (septum) that divides the upper chambers (atria) of your heart. This causes blood to flow back from the left upper chamber (atrium) directly into the right atrium. From the right heart, blood flows through the lungs once more. The additional blood flow puts the heart and lungs under greater strain than normal. You may have various symptoms as a result. The condition often causes reduced stamina and feelings of weakness. The heart may also no longer beat at the right rhythm.

The bigger the hole in the cardiac septum between the atria, the sooner symptoms will appear. Often, the symptoms are also more severe with a larger hole. Having only a small hole in the septum may mean that you don’t have any symptoms at all.