Usually, an enlarged heart is found by chance - during a routine physical examination of a child during a chest x-ray. And the diagnosis of cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart, shocks parents. What to do if the child's heart is enlarged.
Cardiomegaly distinguishes between primary and secondary. Secondary enlargements of the heart can develop as a consequence of other diseases: infectious diseases of the heart and other organs and systems, severe toxic lesions, respiratory failure. The exact causes of primary cardiomegaly are not yet fully understood.
An enlarged heart is usually discovered by chance - during a routine physical examination, based on the results of a chest x-ray. The x-ray clearly shows the mutilated dimensions of the heart shadow. Also, small changes can be found on the cardiogram and on auscultation of the heart. Echocardiography is a mandatory study.
As a rule, when cardiomegaly is detected on examination, ordered because of the deterioration of the child's condition, this is an unfavorable prognostic sign. Usually in this case, the course of the disease is rapid and severe, often fatal.
Symptoms to watch out for:
- heart palpitations;
- rapid breathing;
- pallor of the skin;
- cyanosis of the lips and tip of the nose;
- edema;
- lack of appetite.
A child's heart itself beats more often than an adult's, so it is difficult for a non-specialist to judge whether a heartbeat is frequent or not. But heart rate above 160 is definitely a warning sign. Respiration with cardiomegaly not only becomes more frequent, but its rhythm is also disrupted. The child breathes frequently, shallowly and sometimes, as it were, "misses" breaths.
Pallor of the skin develops due to circulatory disorders due to poor heart function. If these violations are not eliminated, then the pallor increases, and cyanosis appears - a bluish tint of the skin of the nasolabial triangle.
Edema testifies to rather severe circulatory disorders, when the child's heart cannot cope with its work, and the liquid begins to "sweat" from the bloodstream into the tissue.
Lack of appetite is the most common symptom of most diseases, often the very first. And, unfortunately, many mothers do not pay enough attention to him.
So, the child was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. What to do?
First of all, don't panic. By itself, an enlarged heart on an X-ray does not mean anything. The child should undergo the necessary minimum of examinations. After all laboratory and instrumental studies, the baby will be sent for consultation to a pediatric cardiologist, who, based on the child's condition and the data of all his examinations, will be able to make the correct diagnosis and choose an adequate treatment. It is not worth delaying with the consultation of a specialist, because the treatment is most effective when there is still no detailed clinical picture of the disease. This means that the heart is still doing its job, and it can be restored. With the appearance of noticeable symptoms, it is even more impossible to hesitate.
Therefore, you should not neglect routine medical examinations and examinations. Do not forget that in some cases they can save a small life.
