The right heart is a rare congenital condition in which the heart faces to the right instead of to the left (its normal location), and the right heart does not distinguish between race, gender, or region of residence, as it affects all groups in the same proportions.
Right heart types
There are two types of right heart and they are as follows
1. Dextrocardia situs inversus
In this case, the heart is reflected to the right alone without any other organs being reflected, and this condition is often associated with other congenital defects.
This condition affects approximately 1 in every 12,000 children, and is a medically well-known condition.
2. Dextrocardia with situs inversus totalis
In this case, the heart is reflected to the right along with a group of the body’s organs, i.e. the matter is like a woman, as the liver, spleen and other organs located in the left of the body are naturally facing the right, and the organs located in the right become located in the left.
This condition may not be accompanied by any diseases or symptoms, as the body is 100% normal, but it is reversed. This condition is called total site inversion, and this condition affects approximately 1 out of 10,000 children.
Diseases associated with the right heart
The condition of the right heart is usually accompanied by several congenital diseases, the most prominent of which are the following:
1. Kartagener syndrome
Kartagener syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects the cilia of the sinuses and bronchi, causing them inflammation.
Kartagener syndrome is present in 20% of people who have a right-handed heart.
2. Heterotaxy syndrome
Heterotopia syndrome is a congenital condition that causes abnormalities in the organs and blood vessels during the development of the fetus. People with this condition often suffer from the following:
A defect in the rotation of the intestine.
Systemic venous malformations.
Abnormal pulmonary venous connections.
spleen interruption
3. Tricuspid atresia
Tricuspid atresia is a birth defect in which the tricuspid valve fails to develop, resulting in the tricuspid valve blocking the return of blood to the right atrium from the right ventricle.
Right heart symptoms
Often, the right heart that does not suffer from other abnormalities does not show any symptoms on the body, but is discovered by sheer chance during the diagnosis of another medical condition.
In the event that the right heart suffers from other deformities, the following symptoms may appear:
1. The child is not developing normally
In the event that the heart suffers from problems that cause a lack of oxygen in it, the child’s growth will be affected and he will become shorter in height and weight than his peers, and this condition often results in negative effects on the liver, causing jaundice, which is yellowing of the skin and eyes.
2. Low body immunity
Often the right heart with other deformities is associated with the absence of the spleen in the body, and the spleen is an important part of the immune process, and its absence means that the body is exposed to many diseases as a result of infection.
3. Other symptoms
Other symptoms may be the following: D
Breathing difficulty.
Blue lips, and sometimes the whole body.
Fatigue immediately after doing very little effort.
not gaining weight
Causes and risk factors for right heart
The cause of the right heart is not clear and unknown, as it occurs during the development of the fetus during the first weeks of pregnancy as a result of a defect in the genes of the heart.
Since recessive genes are the scientific cause of the condition, the fetus has acquired abnormal genes from both parents to develop this condition in his body.
Right heart complications
In the event that the right heart is associated with other congenital anomalies, the complications will be as follows:
1. Exposure to frequent lung infections
In the case of the right heart accompanying Kartagener syndrome, the exposure to lung diseases and inflammation increases dramatically.
2. Bowel disorders
In the event that the patient with the right heart suffers from poor rotation of the intestines, the complications will be very numerous on the body, as the following signs appear on the patient:
abdominal pain
Flatulence.
Inability to excrete, and this leads to the death of the infant if the condition is not discovered immediately after birth.
3. Other complications
The following complications may also occur in right-sided heart patients
Esophageal disorders.
Blood vessel disorders and organ failure, which causes weakness.
congestive heart failure
Male infertility in Kartagener syndrome.
Right heart diagnosis
The right heart is diagnosed by the following methods
1. ECG test
In the event that the doctor suspects that the infant has a right-handed heart as a result of hearing the heartbeat from the right side and not the left, he recommends electrocardiography, to note that the reversed heart electrical waves are in the right heart.
2. X-ray imaging
X-rays are taken after the ECG to be 100% sure of the diagnosis.
3. MRI
MRI does not aim to diagnose the location of the heart, as previous examinations have proven this. The aim of this imaging is to know the details of the heart to determine if it suffers from other deformities or just its location is changing.
MRI often includes imaging of the entire thoracic and abdominal region to diagnose other abnormalities commonly associated with the right heart.
Right heart treatment
The right heart does not need treatment if it does not suffer from congenital deformities. If it is healthy, it will perform its work perfectly without any problems, and the sufferer may die without knowing that he has a heart on the right side as long as he has not been exposed to personal pictures in his life.
The following will mention the treatment of congenital anomalies associated with the right heart, if any:
1. Treatment of internal right heart defects
Holes or defects in the blood vessels in the heart are treated through surgical procedures, as the doctor makes a complete chest incision to treat the defect as much as possible.
After surgery, doctors will prescribe a combination of medications that improve heart rate.
2. Treatment of lack of spleen
If the heart is right and the spleen is not present, the doctor will often prescribe antibiotics to limit exposure to infection as much as possible.
3. Treatment of bowel malrotation
It was mentioned previously that H syndrome may lead to poor roundness of the intestine, a condition that may result in a blockage in the intestine, which prevents the excretion of waste. The treatment here lies in performing surgery to correct the imbalances in the digestive system.
Right heart prevention
It is not possible to prevent congenital malformations in general, as the cause is unknown, but a pregnant woman''s adoption of a healthy lifestyle may reduce congenital malformations of the fetus in general, including a right-sided heart defect.
For pregnancy to enjoy live patterns, the following guidelines must be followed
Eat useful foods with important nutrients for the body, and stay away from harmful foods, especially those that contain toxic elements, such as: mercury and preservatives.
Drink more water, so that the amount of water you drink should not be less than 8 cups.
Doing sports for pregnant women, and a lot of psychological exercises such as: yoga, and deep breathing.
Sleep a sufficient number of hours, at least 7 hours a day, and it is preferable that the sleep be regular.
Avoid stress as much as possible.
Quit Smoking.
Avoid drinking alcohol or drugs.
