Hidden symptoms of having ‘hole in heart’ as thousands could have condition without even realising

A lot of people could be walking around right now with a hole in their heart without even knowing it. It’s something called an atrial septal defect, or ASD for short.

This happens when someone is born with a small hole in the wall that separates the two top chambers of the heart. Normally, these two sides are supposed to keep the blood that’s full of oxygen separate from the blood that needs oxygen. But when there’s a hole, the two types of blood mix together, and that can cause problems over time.

The tricky part is that a lot of people with a hole in their heart don’t feel sick at all. The symptoms can be really quiet or feel like normal tiredness or getting out of breath easily, so people don’t think much of it. Sometimes, the only way it gets spotted is if a doctor hears something unusual when listening to your heart with a stethoscope.

They might hear a strange ‘swishing’ sound, which is the blood moving through the hole when it shouldn’t be. Even then, it often takes special tests like an ECG (which checks your heart’s electrical signals) or an echocardiogram (an ultrasound scan of your heart) to really see what’s going on.

In kids, having a hole in the heart might mean they get chest infections more often, they might struggle a bit more than other kids when running around, or they just seem more tired than usual. Some kids with ASD might also not gain weight like they should. In adults, the signs are pretty similar.

People might notice they get out of breath more easily, feel more tired even after a good night’s sleep, or have a strange feeling like their heart is skipping beats or beating funny. Some might even faint or get chest infections more often than normal.

Doctors say that you can’t just take medicine to close the hole  it doesn’t work like that. The only way to fix it is with a procedure. Some people can have a smaller operation, called a keyhole surgery, where they use small tools and don’t have to open up the chest much. Others might need full open-heart surgery, depending on where the hole is and how big it is.

If a hole in the heart isn’t found and treated, it can cause serious problems later on. The heart has to work harder to pump blood properly, and this extra strain can lead to heart failure. The lungs can also get damaged from the extra blood flow, making it harder to breathe and putting even more pressure on the heart.

Some people could end up having strokes or problems with the heart valves leaking. In really serious cases, untreated ASD can even lead to a condition called Eisenmenger syndrome, where the blood pressure in the lungs gets dangerously high and can cause life-threatening complications.

The scary part is that because the signs can be so small and easy to ignore, a lot of people might be living with it for years without knowing anything is wrong. That’s why regular checkups are so important  sometimes, a simple listen with a stethoscope can be the first clue to something much bigger happening inside the heart.