An atrial septal defect is a congenital condition in which a hole is present in the wall separating the two upper chambers, or atria, of the heart. This opening can adversely affect the flow of oxygenated blood throughout the heart, lungs and body. While some people with small atrial septal defects may notice no symptoms, those with large defects and adults who have lived with the condition for many years typically develop a number of potentially serious symptoms related to the heart and lungs.
Respiratory Problems
Atrial septal defects may cause breathing problems, particularly if the hole between the heart chambers is large, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. Individuals may feel short of breath at rest or during moderate activity. Exercise may make it particularly difficult to breathe, resulting in feelings of fatigue, weakness or faintness.
According to MayoClinic.com, some people with atrial septal defects may also develop frequent lung or respiratory infections.
Heart Rhythm and Sound Irregularities
The hole between the heart's two upper chambers can affect the force, volume and direction of blood flowing through the heart. As a result, patients with atrial septal defects may develop abnormal heart sounds and rhythms. For example, some people may develop a heart murmur--a whooshing sound detectable by a physician listening to the heart with a stethoscope. Others may notice heart palpitations--sensations that the heart is racing, skipping beats or pounding intensely or rapidly in the chest.
Stroke
Among some patients with atrial septal defects, the first and only noticeable symptom is a stroke--an interruption in the blood flow to part of the brain. This is especially common among those with a specific type of atrial septal defect called a patent foramen ovale--a flap-like piece of tissue that covers the hole between the heart's chambers and interferes with blood flow out of the heart and into the body. According to ClevelandClinic.org, more than 40 percent of those with no known risk factors who have a stroke discover they have a patent foramen ovale. Symptoms of a stroke may include include paralysis on one side of the face or body, problems with balance or movement, loss of the ability to speak or comprehend speech, a sudden and severe headache and blurred or dimmed vision, according to MayoClinic.com. A stroke is considered a medical emergency and requires immediate professional care.
Eisenmenger's Syndrome
According to Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, some people with longstanding, undiagnosed atrial septal defects may, in rare cases, develop symptoms of Eisenmenger's syndrome--a condition characterized by a constellation of serious heart, blood, breathing and organ problems. The hole between the two upper chambers of the heart may allow blood to flow backward into the lungs, rather than out of the heart and into the body. This puts strain on the lungs, causing pulmonary hypertension--high blood pressure in the lungs. According to the UCSF Medical Center, backward blood flow and pulmonary hypertension are the defining characteristics of Eisenmenger's syndrome, causing symptoms such as cyanosis--a bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes--as a result of lack of oxygen in the bloodstream, loss of consciousness, anemia and other blood disorders, clubbed fingers, coughing up blood, kidney and gallbladder problems and heart failure.
