The 5 Most Common Heart Diseases in Kids

Introduction

Heart diseases can affect anyone, irrespective of their age. It is unfortunate enough to see an adult suffering from an anomaly that affects the heart. But to see a kid going through a suffocating misery as such this is simply heart wrenching. The 5 most common heart diseases in kids are listed below. It is heartbreaking when children are diagnosed with heart diseases. After all, they are the flowers that just bloomed!

A timely diagnosis is critical. On one hand, it can prevent the disease from affecting the major portion of the heart. Also, it makes it much easier to treat the diagnosed disease. This discussion aims to disseminate, the knowledge about the most common heart diseases in kids. This is a small effort to keep our kids smiling forever!

The 5 most common heart diseases in kids

We did a fair bit of research to identify which heart diseases in kids are most prevalent. Of course, certain demographic factors can influence our findings. But speaking globally, these are the five most prevalent heart diseases in kids!

1- Congenital heart diseases

Sometimes, an unlucky little one is born with a defective heart. These defects that are present at birth constitute congenital heart diseases. A kid with heart disease as such this is in for a lifelong painful experience. However, this was before the researchers entered the fray. Now, there are various options available, which offer a solution to the problem of congenital heart diseases. These solutions include heart surgery, heart transplant, medications, and certain other treatments. Some of the common disorders which fall under CHD include valve disorders, hypoplastic heart, and various septum issues. One needs to monitor a CHD heart disease in a kid constantly, for a long time.

2- Atherosclerosis

How many times have you heard the doctors moan about the unhealthy lifestyle followed by modern-day teenagers? And it is just not the teenagers who lazily binge eat what we call junk food. Our children are eating all this food, which can lead to a build-up of cholesterol and fat inside their arteries. As a result, arteries stiffen, which doubles the chances of clots or heart attacks. In medical terms, this condition is known as Atherosclerosis. Obesity is a major reason but there are other factors involved as well. These include diabetes and hypertension.

3- Arrhythmias

Arrhythmias are defined as the abnormal rhythm of the heart. Arrhythmias are one of the most common heart diseases in a kid. Different types of arrhythmias exist, some of these are frequently found in children. These include:

1- Tachycardia

2- Bradycardia

3- LQTS

4- Wolf- Parkinson- White syndrome

Tachycardia happens when the heartbeat becomes faster than the normal. In contrast to that, bradycardia is the slowing down of heartbeat. These disorders affect the pumping system of the heart and are quite damaging to normal circulatory functions.

4- Kawasaki Disease

This is one of the rare heart diseases that affects children more than adults. It is an inflammatory disorder of blood vessels. The areas where it manifests itself the most are the hands, feet, mouth, and lips. Researchers say that Kawasaki disease is a major reason for heart disease in kids under the age of five. One out of four children who suffer from heart disease is suffering from this disorder. The poor kids who suffer from this order need lifelong monitoring of their fluttering hearts!

5- Heart Murmurs

The whooshing sounds made by the blood flowing through the heart chambers are characteristic of Heart murmurs. This intriguing heart disease in kids can be either innocent which resolves itself, or it can be caused by bacterial infections. This can lead to severe consequences. Treatment must be initiated in any case, on an urgent basis!

Conclusion

Well, this concludes the discussion. Hopefully, now you are much more aware of how heart disease in a kid can affect his or her life. Living with a heart that might fail any day is stressful. No one wants their kids to go through all that pain and misery. In case of an unfortunate event, one must start thinking about the treatment at the very initial stages. Heart disease in a kid is not something to be taken lightly, and deserves our utmost attention! To help those kids who can’t afford treatment on their own, you can always help them by donating to platforms like Transparent Hands. This crowdfunding platform is a one hundred percent transparent platform, which provides medical services all across Pakistan! After all, this is the future we are dealing with.