Congenital heart disease is a type of disorder or an abnormality that is found in the heart's structure before birth. This leads to abnormal functioning of the heart. Although this defect or abnormality occurs before birth, its effects may not be observed immediately. There are different types of abnormalities that affect the heart.

Some types of heart abnormalities found:

1. Aortic coarctation - This is a type of congenital disorder in which a portion of the aorta is narrowed. Aorta supplies blood and nutrients to the body and also acts like a blood vessel for many arteries. This causes low blood pressure near the narrowed part and high blood pressure close to the heart. Thus giving rise to high blood pressure in the upper part of the body and low blood pressure in the lower part of the body. Some severe symptoms might occur during childhood while they might not occur till adolescence sometimes. Symptoms depend on the pressure of the blood flow restriction.

Some symptoms of aortic coarctation are:

Dizziness
Headache
Chest pain
Leg cramps
Hypertension

2. Ventricular septal defect - In short known as VSD, is a type of congenital defect that indicates one or more holes in the muscular wall that separates the right and left ventricles of the heart. This is the most commonly found congenital heart defect present from birth. As the fetus grows, a muscular wall forms to separate these lower heart chambers. Incomplete formation of this wall leaves a hole which is known as ventricular septal defect, or a VSD. At least 1% babies are found to be born with this defect. If the hole is small it will close slowly as the muscular wall continues to grow after birth. If the hole is large then too much blood will be pumped out thereby causing heart failure sometimes. In such cases symptoms are very indicating and need surgery as a cure. An actual cause of VSD is still not indicated but is observed to form with other congenital heart malformations.

Some of the symptoms of VSD are:

Shortness of breath
Breathing hard and fast
Paleness
Fast heart rate
Failure to gain weight
Respiratory infections in children

Detection:

Congenital heart disease or defects can be detected by doing an X-ray, ECG, echocardiography, Doppler test, MRI, cardiac catherization and aortagraphy. Small defects heal naturally as you grow but some major defects need surgery to cure them.