Healthy Heart

The heart is the strongest muscle in your body, with a very important job. The heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout your body through blood vessels including veins, arteries and capillaries. Your heart provides your body with oxygen and nutrients, and also carries waste and carbon dioxide out of the body. As one of the most important organs in your body, your heart is protected by your rib bones to prevent injuries.

The heart is divided into two different sides (left and right) each side containing two chambers; a ventricle and atrium. The left and right atria are divided by the interatrial septum, and the left and right ventricles are separated by the septum. The atria are separated from the ventricles by the atrioventicular valves. The tricuspid valve is responsible for separating the right atrium from the right ventricle, as the mitral valve is responsible for separating the left atrium and left ventricle. The pulmonic valve separates the right ventricle from the pulmonary artery and the aortic valve separates the left ventricle from the aorta.

When your heart pumps, unoxygenated blood enters the heart (right side) and travels from the right atrium, through the tricuspid valve, into the right ventricle and then out to the pulmonary artery to the lungs. In the lungs, the blood picks up oxygen and gets rid of carbon dioxide. When blood travels from the lungs (oxygenated), it enters the left atrium, travels through the mitral valve, down to the left ventricle and then the blood is pumped throughout the body through the aorta. The process is repeated over 100,000 times a day.

Learn more about a healthy heart and watch a video on how the heart works.

Heart Conditions

Congenital Heart Disease
Congenital heart disease affects about 1 in 100 babies in the United States. With correct diagnosis and current treatments, nearly every form of congenital heart defect can be treated. Congenital heart defects happen during the earliest weeks of pregnancy when the heart does not completely or normally develop. The cause of congenital heart defects are unknown, and therefore cannot be prevented. The defects are abnormalities in the structure of the heart that can cause problems that cause too much blood to pass through the lungs, too little blood passing through the lungs, too little blood passing through the body, or a combination of several different heart defects.

As part of our Fetal Heart Program, we have the ability to do fetal echocardiograms on pregnant moms if/when there is a suspected heart issue.

When too much blood passes through the lungs:

• PDA: Patent Ductus Areriousus
• ASD: Atrial Septal Defect
• VSD: Ventricular Septal Defect
• Atrioventricular Canal Defect

When too little blood passes through the lungs:

• TA: Tricuspid Atresia
• PA: Pulmonary Atresia
• TGA: Transposition of the Great Arteries
• TOF: Tetralogy of Fallot

When too little blood passes through the body:

• COA: Coarctation of the Aorta
• Aortic Stenosis
• Pulmonary Stenosis
• Total Anomalous Venous Connection

A combination of heart defects:

• Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
• Truncus Arteriousus

Learn more about the different types of Congenital Heart Defects.

Acquired Heart Disease
Unlike congenital heart defects, acquired heart diseases occur after a child is born. Some acquired heart disease can be prevented by recognizing signs and symptoms and seeing your physician. The two most common diagnosed conditions include rheumatic heart disease and Kawasaki disease. Rheumatic heart disease is caused by rheumatic fever caused by the same bacteria as strep throat. Rheumatic fever affects children between the ages of 5 and 15 years of age, and can potentially permanently damage heart valves. Kawasaki disease affects younger children, usually under the age of five. While Kawasaki is not preventable there are signs and symptoms that if caught early, kids can recover quickly. The inflammation of blood vessels can damage coronary arteries, and potentially lead to aneurysms and/or heart attacks.

Heart Arrhythmias/ Irregular Heartbeat
Heart arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat, meaning the heart is beating too fast, too slow or in an irregular pattern. Arrhythmias can be present at birth, caused by a birth defect, or can even occur with a normal, healthy heart. Children can also get arrhythmias when they have a chemical imbalance, infection, disease or be on a certain medication. In order for the body to function normally, the correct amount of blood needs to be supplied throughout the body. When the heart is not beating normally, your heart is not pumping the right amount of blood to your body. This can cause children to be tired, dizzy, weak, and lightheaded.

Types of Arrhythmias
The two types of heart arrhythmias are Tachycardias and Bradycardias.

Tachycardias are when the heart beats too fast. Types of Tachycardia’s are:

• SVT: Supraventricular Tachycardia
• WPW: Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndroms
• Ventricular Tachycardia

Bradycardias are when the hearts beats too slowly. When this occurs, it may result in a Sick Sinus Syndrome or Heart Block.

Learn more about arrhythmias.