Q. What is your lifespan if you have a hole in your heart?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
The prognosis for a person with a hole in the heart depends on the size of the hole and whether or not any other medical problems exist. Small holes usually close over time, so they don't require treatment and generally don't reduce life expectancy too much. Larger holes, however, may cause more serious health issues such as an increased risk of stroke or heart failure. A person's lifespan can also be affected by other conditions (such as high blood pressure) that are associated with having a hole in the heart.
In general, people with small atrial septal defects (ASDs) have lifespans similar to those without them — provided they take care of themselves and receive regular checkups from their physician. However, if left untreated or unmanaged properly, large ASDs can lead to serious complications such as pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs). This could potentially shorten one's lifespan significantly depending on age and severity of condition.
Overall, people who get diagnosed early and keep their hearts healthy through diet& exercise/blood pressure control/medication/tobacco cessation etc have life spans very similar to non-ASD cases; whereas those who do not get timely diagnosis & avail proper care may experience shortened lifespans due to secondary cardiac ailments like pulmonary hypertension among others; although this is highly individualized based upon patient factors & severity of disease at hand.