Eisenmenger syndrome - Symptoms, causes and treatment

Eisenmenger syndrome or Eisenmenger syndrome is a congenital disorder that results in the mixing of clean blood with dirty blood. This condition causes the child to tire easily and turn blue.

Mixing clean blood with dirty blood occurs due to congenital heart disease, and most often due to a hole in the septum of the heart chambers. As a result of this condition, the pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs will increase and increase the risk of heart failure.

Symptoms of Eisenmenger Syndrome

Eisenmenger syndrome usually begins to appear when a child is 2 years old or older, but symptoms do not appear completely immediately and can take years for the sufferer to feel. Patients may just start to feel the complaint when they were teenagers or adults.

Below are the symptoms of Eisenmenger syndrome that are easy to detect:

The skin, lips, fingers and toes turn bluish (cyanosis).
The fingers or toes become wide and stocky (clubbing finger).
Tingling or numbness in the toes or hands.
Dizziness or headache.
coughing up blood (hemoptoe).
Stomach swells.
Get tired quickly.
Heart beat.
Chest pain.
Hard to breathe.

Cause Eisenmenger Ssyndrome

The structure of the heart consists of 4 rooms, namely 2 rooms above which are called the atrium (atrium) and 2 rooms below which are called ventricles (ventricles). Between the atria are separated by a septum called the atrial septum, while between the chambers are separated by a septum called the ventricular septum.

The left chamber of the heart contains oxygen-rich blood (clean blood) to be pumped throughout the body. While the right heart chamber contains oxygen-poor blood (dirty blood), to be carried to the lungs and filled with oxygen.

Eisenmenger syndrome occurs when clean blood mixes with dirty blood due to congenital heart disease. As a result, the pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs increases (pulmonary hypertension) and the patient turns blue.

Clean blood mixed with dirty blood is caused by a congenital abnormality in the form of a hole or channel that connects the left heart chamber with the right heart chamber. Congenital disorders include:

Holes in the ventricular septumventricular septal defect/VSD).
Hole in the atrial septumatrial septal defect/ASD).
The channel between the main artery (aorta) and the arteries in the lungs (pulmonary artery). This disorder is called (patent ductus arteriosus).
A large hole in the center of the heart that causes all the chambers of the heart to uniteatrioventricular canal defect).

Ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect is the most common cause.

When to go to the doctor

Immediately consult a cardiologist if your child experiences the above symptoms. Patients with Eisenmenger syndrome also need to undergo regular examinations to the doctor, so that their condition can be continuously monitored. The goal is to prevent complications, which can be fatal.

Diagnosis of Eisenmenger Syndrome

To diagnose Eisenmenger syndrome, the doctor will ask about the patient's symptoms and perform a physical examination, especially the lungs and heart. If the patient is suspected of having Eisenmenger syndrome, the doctor will perform several further tests, such as:

Chest X-ray, to check the size of the heart and the condition of the lungs.
Electrocardiography (ECG), to record the electrical activity of the heart.
Echocardiography, to see the structure of the heart and blood circulation.
Blood tests, to check the patient's blood cell count, kidney function, liver function, and iron levels.
CT scan or MRI, to see the condition of the heart and lungs in more detail.
Cardiac catheterization, performed if other tests have not clearly seen the congenital abnormality.

Eisenmenger Syndrome Treatment

The cardiologist will give you medicines to take, such as:

Heart rate control medication
This drug is given to patients with heart rhythm disorders. Examples of drugs given are verapamil or amiodarone.
Blood thinners
This drug is given to patients with heart rhythm disorders to prevent stroke and prevent blood clots. Examples of drugs given aspirin or warfarin.
The drug sildenafil ortadalafil
This medicine is used to dilate the blood vessels in the lungs, improve blood flow, and reduce blood pressure in the lungs.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are given to patients who plan to take medical actions, such as dental treatment, so that patients avoid infection of the heart (endocarditis).

In addition, there are also several actions that can be taken to relieve the symptoms of Eisenmenger syndrome, such as:

Bleeding (phlebotomy)
The purpose of a phlebotomy is to lower the number of blood cells. The doctor will recommend this action if the patient's red blood cell level is too high.
Heart and lung transplant
Some people with Eisemenger syndrome may need a heart and lung transplant, or a lung transplant with repair of the heart orifice. Talk to your cardiologist about the benefits and risks.

Women who suffer from Eisenmenger syndrome and are sexually active are advised not to get pregnant, because this disease is dangerous and can threaten the lives of pregnant women and fetuses. Consult a gynecologist for the safest birth control procedure.

Although people with Eisenmenger syndrome cannot fully recover to be like normal people, a series of treatments above can relieve symptoms and avoid the risk of complications.