sarnsrun/medquad huggingface dataset:
Topic: Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Question: What is (are) Patent Ductus Arteriosus ?
Answer: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a heart problem that occurs soon after birth in some babies. In PDA, abnormal blood flow occurs between two of the major arteries connected to the heart.
                
Before birth, the two major arteriesthe aorta and the pulmonary (PULL-mun-ary) arteryare connected by a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus. This vessel is an essential part of fetal blood circulation.
                
Within minutes or up to a few days after birth, the vessel is supposed to close as part of the normal changes occurring in the baby's circulation.
                
In some babies, however, the ductus arteriosus remains open (patent). This opening allows oxygen-rich blood from the aorta to mix with oxygen-poor blood from the pulmonary artery. This can put strain on the heart and increase blood pressure in the lung arteries.
                
Normal Heart and Heart With Patent Ductus Arteriosus
                

                
Go to the "How the Heart Works" section of this article for more details about how a normal heart works compared with a heart that has PDA.
                
Overview
                
PDA is a type of congenital (kon-JEN-ih-tal) heart defect. A congenital heart defect is any type of heart problem that's present at birth.
                
If your baby has a PDA but an otherwise normal heart, the PDA may shrink and go away. However, some children need treatment to close their PDAs.
                
Some children who have PDAs are given medicine to keep the ductus arteriosus open. For example, this may be done if a child is born with another heart defect that decreases blood flow to the lungs or the rest of the body.
                
Keeping the PDA open helps maintain blood flow and oxygen levels until doctors can do surgery to correct the other heart defect.
                
Outlook
                
PDA is a fairly common congenital heart defect in the United States. Although the condition can affect full-term infants, it's more common in premature infants.
                
On average, PDA occurs in about 8 out of every 1,000 premature babies, compared with 2out of every 1,000 full-term babies. Premature babies also are more vulnerable to the effects of PDA.
                
PDA is twice as common in girls as it is in boys.
                
Doctors treat the condition with medicines, catheter-based procedures, and surgery. Most children who have PDAs live healthy, normal lives after treatment.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Question: What causes Patent Ductus Arteriosus ?
Answer: If your child has patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), you may think you did something wrong during your pregnancy to cause the problem. However, the cause of patent ductus arteriosus isn't known.
                
Genetics may play a role in causing the condition. A defect in one or more genes might prevent the ductus arteriosus from closing after birth.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Question: Who is at risk for Patent Ductus Arteriosus? ?
Answer: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a relatively common congenital heart defect in the United States.
                
The condition occurs more often in premature infants (on average, occurring in about 8 of every 1,000 births). However, PDA also occurs in full-term infants (on average, occurring in about 2 of every 1,000 births).
                
PDA also is more common in:
                
Infants who have genetic conditions such as Down syndrome
                
Infants whose mothers had German measles (rubella) during pregnancy
                
PDA is twice as common in girls as it is in boys.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Question: What are the symptoms of Patent Ductus Arteriosus ?
Answer: A heart murmur may be the only sign that a baby has patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). A heart murmur is an extra or unusual sound heard during the heartbeat. Heart murmurs also have other causes besides PDA, and most murmurs are harmless.
                
Some infants may develop signs or symptoms of volume overload on the heart and excess blood flow in the lungs. Signs and symptoms may include:
                
Fast breathing, working hard to breathe, or shortness of breath. Premature infants may need increased oxygen or help breathing from a ventilator.
                
Poor feeding and poor weight gain.
                
Tiring easily.
                
Sweating with exertion, such as while feeding.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Question: How to diagnose Patent Ductus Arteriosus ?
Answer: In full-term infants, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) usually is first suspected when the baby's doctor hears a heart murmur during a regular checkup.
                
A heart murmur is an extra or unusual sound heard during the heartbeat. Heart murmurs also have other causes besides PDA, and most murmurs are harmless.
                
If a PDA is large, the infant also may develop symptoms of volume overload and increased blood flow to the lungs. If a PDA is small, it may not be diagnosed until later in childhood.
                
If your child's doctor thinks your child has PDA, he or she may refer you to a pediatric cardiologist. This is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating heart problems in children.
                
Premature babies who have PDA may not have the same signs as full-term babies, such as heart murmurs. Doctors may suspect PDA in premature babies who develop breathing problems soon after birth. Tests can help confirm a diagnosis.
                
Diagnostic Tests
                
Echocardiography
                
Echocardiography (echo) is a painless test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of your baby's heart. During echo, the sound waves bounce off your childs heart. A computer converts the sound waves into pictures of the hearts structures.
                
The test allows the doctor to clearly see any problems with the way the heart is formed or the way it's working. Echo is the most important test available to your baby's cardiologist to both diagnose a heart problem and follow the problem over time.
                
In babies who have PDA, echo shows how big the PDA is and how well the heart is responding to it. When medical treatments are used to try to close a PDA, echo is used to see how well the treatments are working.
                
EKG (Electrocardiogram)
                
An EKG is a simple, painless test that records the heart's electrical activity. For babies who have PDA, an EKG can show whether the heart is enlarged. The test also can show other subtle changes that can suggest the presence of a PDA.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Heart Valve Disease
Question: Who is at risk for Heart Valve Disease? ?
Answer: Older age is a risk factor for heart valve disease. As you age, your heart valves thicken and become stiffer. Also, people are living longer now than in the past. As a result, heart valve disease has become an increasing problem.
                
People who have a history of infective endocarditis (IE), rheumatic fever, heart attack, or heart failureor previous heart valve diseasealso are at higher risk for heart valve disease. In addition, having risk factors for IE, such as intravenous drug use, increases the risk of heart valve disease.
                
You're also at higher risk for heart valve disease if you have risk factors for coronary heart disease. These risk factors include high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, insulin resistance, diabetes, overweight or obesity, lack of physical activity, and a family history of early heart disease.
                
Some people are born with an aortic valve that has two flaps instead of three. Sometimes an aortic valve may have three flaps, but two flaps are fused together and act as one flap. This is called a bicuspid or bicommissural aortic valve. People who have this congenital condition are more likely to develop aortic heart valve disease.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Heart Valve Disease
Question: What are the symptoms of Heart Valve Disease ?
Answer: Major Signs and Symptoms
                
The main sign of heart valve disease is an unusual heartbeat sound called a heart murmur. Your doctor can hear a heart murmur with a stethoscope.
                
However, many people have heart murmurs without having heart valve disease or any other heart problems. Others may have heart murmurs due to heart valve disease, but have no other signs or symptoms.
                
Heart valve disease often worsens over time, so signs and symptoms may occur years after a heart murmur is first heard. Many people who have heart valve disease don't have any symptoms until they're middle-aged or older.
                
Other common signs and symptoms of heart valve disease relate to heart failure, which heart valve disease can cause. These signs and symptoms include:
                
Unusual fatigue (tiredness)
                
Shortness of breath, especially when you exert yourself or when you're lying down
                
Swelling in your ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and veins in the neck
                
Other Signs and Symptoms
                
Heart valve disease can cause chest pain that may happen only when you exert yourself. You also may notice a fluttering, racing, or irregular heartbeat. Some types of heart valve disease, such as aortic or mitral valve stenosis, can cause dizziness or fainting.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Heart Valve Disease
Question: How to prevent Heart Valve Disease ?
Answer: To prevent heart valve disease caused by rheumatic fever, see your doctor if you have signs of a strep infection. These signs include a painful sore throat, fever, and white spots on your tonsils. If you do have a strep infection, be sure to take all medicines prescribed to treat it. Prompt treatment of strep infections can prevent rheumatic fever, which damages the heartvalves.
                
Its possible that exercise, a heart-healthy diet, and medicines that lower cholesterol might prevent aortic stenosis (thickening and stiffening of the aortic valve). Researchers continue to study this possibility.
                
Heart-healthy eating, physical activity, other heart-healthy lifestyle changes, and medicines aimed at preventing a heart attack, high blood pressure, or heart failure also may help prevent heart valve disease.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Hypotension
Question: What is (are) Hypotension ?
Answer: Hypotension (HI-po-TEN-shun) is abnormally low blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood.
                
Blood pressure is measured as systolic (sis-TOL-ik) and diastolic (di-a-STOL-ik) pressures. "Systolic" refers to blood pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. "Diastolic" refers to blood pressure when the heart is at rest between beats.
                
You most often will see blood pressure numbers written with the systolic number above or before the diastolic number, such as 120/80 mmHg. (The mmHg is millimeters of mercurythe units used to measure blood pressure.)
                
Normal blood pressure in adults is lower than 120/80 mmHg. Hypotension is blood pressure that's lower than 90/60 mmHg.
                
Overview
                
Blood pressure doesn't stay the same all the time. It lowers as you sleep and rises when you wake up. Blood pressure also rises when you're excited, nervous, or active.
                
Your body is very sensitive to changes in blood pressure. For example, if you stand up quickly, your blood pressure may drop for a short time. Your body adjusts your blood pressure to make sure enough blood and oxygen are flowing to your brain, kidneys, and other vital organs.
                
Most forms of hypotension happen because your body can't bring blood pressure back to normal or can't do it fast enough.
                
Some people have low blood pressure all the time. They have no signs or symptoms, and their low blood pressure is normal for them.
                
In other people, certain conditions or factors cause abnormally low blood pressure. As a result, less blood and oxygen flow to the body's organs.
                
For the most part, hypotension is a medical concern only if it causes signs or symptoms or is linked to a serious condition, such as heart disease. Signs and symptoms of hypotension may include dizziness, fainting, cold and sweaty skin, fatigue (tiredness), blurred vision, or nausea (feeling sick to your stomach).
                
In extreme cases, hypotension can lead to shock.
                
Outlook
                
In a healthy person, low blood pressure without signs or symptoms usually isn't a problem and needs no treatment. If it causes signs or symptoms, your doctor will try to find and treat the condition that's causing it.
                
Hypotension can be dangerous. It can make you fall because of dizziness or fainting. Shock, a severe form of hypotension, is a condition that's often fatal if not treated right away. With prompt and proper treatment, shock can be successfully treated.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Hypotension
Question: Who is at risk for Hypotension? ?
Answer: Hypotension can affect people of all ages. However, people in certain age groups are more likely to have certain types of hypotension.
                
Older adults are more likely to have orthostatic and postprandial hypotension. Children and young adults are more likely to have neurally mediated hypotension.
                
People who take certain medicinessuch as diuretics ("water pills") or other high blood pressure medicinesare at increased risk for hypotension. Certain conditions also increase the risk for hypotension. Examples include central nervous system disorders (such as Parkinson's disease) and some heart conditions.
                
Other risk factors for hypotension include being immobile (not being able to move around very much) for long periods, being out in the heat for a long time, and pregnancy. Hypotension during pregnancy is normal and usually goes away after birth.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Hypotension
Question: What are the symptoms of Hypotension ?
Answer: Orthostatic Hypotension and Neurally Mediated Hypotension
                
The signs and symptoms of orthostatic hypotension and neurally mediated hypotension (NMH) are similar. They include:
                
Dizziness or light-headedness
                
Blurry vision
                
Confusion
                
Weakness
                
Fatigue (feeling tired)
                
Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach)
                
Orthostatic hypotension may happen within a few seconds or minutes of standing up after you've been sitting or lying down.
                
You may feel that you're going to faint, or you may actually faint. These signs and symptoms go away if you sit or lie down for a few minutes until your blood pressure adjusts to normal.
                
The signs and symptoms of NMH occur after standing for a long time or in response to an unpleasant, upsetting, or scary situation. The drop in blood pressure with NMH doesn't last long and often goes away after sitting down.
                
Severe Hypotension Linked to Shock
                
In shock, not enough blood and oxygen flow to the body's major organs, including the brain. The early signs and symptoms of reduced blood flow to the brain include light-headedness, sleepiness, and confusion.
                
In the earliest stages of shock, it may be hard to detect any signs or symptoms. In older people, the first symptom may only be confusion.
                
Over time, as shock worsens, a person won't be able to sit up without passing out. If the shock continues, the person will lose consciousness. Shock often is fatal if not treated right away.
                
Other signs and symptoms of shock vary, depending on what's causing the shock. When low blood volume (from major blood loss, for example) or poor pumping action in the heart (from heart failure, for example) causes shock:
                
The skin becomes cold and sweaty. It often looks blue or pale. If pressed, the color returns to normal more slowly than usual. A bluish network of lines appears under the skin.
                
The pulse becomes weak and rapid.
                
The person begins to breathe very quickly.
                
When extreme relaxation of blood vessels causes shock (such as in vasodilatory shock), a person feels warm and flushed at first. Later, the skin becomes cold and sweaty, and the person feels very sleepy.
                
Shock is an emergency and must be treated right away. If a person has signs or symptoms of shock, call 911.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Heart Block
Question: What causes Heart Block ?
Answer: Heart block has many causes. Some people are born with the disorder (congenital), while others develop it during their lifetimes (acquired).
                
Congenital Heart Block
                
One form of congenital heart block occurs in babies whose mothers have autoimmune diseases, such as lupus. People who have these diseases make proteins called antibodies that attack and damage the body's tissues or cells.
                
In pregnant women, antibodies can cross the placenta. (The placenta is the organ that attaches the umbilical cord to the mother's womb.) These proteins can damage the baby's heart and lead to congenital heart block.
                
Congenital heart defects also may cause congenital heart block. These defects are problems with the heart's structure that are present at birth. Often, doctors don't know what causes these defects.
                
Acquired Heart Block
                
Many factors can cause acquired heart block. Examples include:
                
Damage to the heart from a heart attack. This is the most common cause of acquired heart block.
                
Coronary heart disease, also called coronary artery disease.
                
Myocarditis (MI-o-kar-DI-tis), or inflammation of the heart muscle.
                
Heart failure.
                
Rheumatic (roo-MAT-ik) fever.
                
Cardiomyopathy (KAR-de-o-mi-OP-a-the), or heart muscle diseases.
                
Other diseases may increase the risk of heart block. Examples include sarcoidosis (sar-koy-DOE-sis) and the degenerative muscle disorders Lev's disease and Lenegre's disease.
                
Certain types of surgery also may damage the heart's electrical system and lead to heart block.
                
Exposure to toxic substances and taking certain medicinesincluding digitalis, beta blockers, and calcium channel blockersalso may cause heart block. Doctors closely watch people who are taking these medicines for signs of problems.
                
Some types of heart block have been linked to genetic mutations (changes in the genes).
                
An overly active vagus nerve also can cause heart block. You have one vagus nerve on each side of your body. These nerves run from your brain stem all the way to your abdomen. Activity in the vagus nerve slows the heart rate.
                
In some cases, acquired heart block may go away if the factor causing it is treated or resolved. For example, heart block that occurs after a heart attack or surgery may go away during recovery.
                
Also, if a medicine is causing heart block, the disorder may go away if the medicine is stopped or the dosage is lowered. Always talk with your doctor before you change the way you take your medicines.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Heart Block
Question: Who is at risk for Heart Block? ?
Answer: The risk factors for congenital and acquired heart block are different.
                
Congenital Heart Block
                
If a pregnant woman has an autoimmune disease, such as lupus, her fetus is at risk for heart block.
                
Autoimmune diseases can cause the body to make proteins called antibodies that can cross the placenta. (The placenta is the organ that attaches the umbilical cord to the mother's womb.) These antibodies may damage the baby's heart and lead to congenital heart block.
                
Congenital heart defects also can cause heart block. These defects are problems with the heart's structure that are present at birth. Most of the time, doctors don't know what causes congenital heart defects.
                
Heredity may play a role in certain heart defects. For example, a parent who has a congenital heart defect might be more likely than other people to have a child with the condition.
                
Acquired Heart Block
                
Acquired heart block can occur in people of any age. However, most types of the condition are more common in older people. This is because many of the risk factors are more common in older people.
                
People who have a history of heart disease or heart attacks are at increased risk for heart block. Examples of heart disease that can lead to heart block include heart failure, coronary heart disease, and cardiomyopathy (heart muscle diseases).
                
Other diseases also may raise the risk of heart block, such as sarcoidosis and the degenerative muscle disorders Lev's disease and Lenegre's disease.
                
Exposure to toxic substances or taking certain medicines, such as digitalis, also can raise your risk for heart block.
                
Well-trained athletes and young people are at higher risk for first-degree heart block caused by an overly active vagus nerve. You have one vagus nerve on each side of your body. These nerves run from your brain stem all the way to your abdomen. Activity in the vagus nerve slows the heart rate.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Heart Block
Question: What are the symptoms of Heart Block ?
Answer: Signs and symptoms depend on the type of heart block you have. First-degree heart block may not cause any symptoms.
                
Signs and symptoms of second- and third-degree heart block include:
                
Fainting
                
Dizziness or light-headedness
                
Fatigue (tiredness)
                
Shortness of breath
                
Chest pain
                
These symptoms may suggest other health problems as well. If these symptoms are new or severe, call 911 or have someone drive you to the hospital emergency room. If you have milder symptoms, talk with your doctor right away to find out whether you need prompt treatment.
Source: NHLBI
Topic: Heart Block
Question: What are the treatments for Heart Block ?
Answer: Treatment depends on the type of heart block you have. If you have first-degree heart block, you may not need treatment.
                
If you have second-degree heart block, you may need a pacemaker. A pacemaker is a small device that's placed under the skin of your chest or abdomen. This device uses electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate.
                
If you have third-degree heart block, you will need a pacemaker. In an emergency, a temporary pacemaker might be used until you can get a long-term device. Most people who have third-degree heart block need pacemakers for the rest of their lives.
                
Some people who have third-degree congenital heart block don't need pacemakers for many years. Others may need pacemakers at a young age or during infancy.
                
If a pregnant woman has an autoimmune disease, such as lupus, her fetus is at risk for heart block. If heart block is detected in a fetus, the mother might be given medicine to reduce the fetus' risk of developing serious heart block.
                
Sometimes acquired heart block goes away if the factor causing it is treated or resolved. For example, heart block that occurs after a heart attack or surgery may go away during recovery.
                
Also, if a medicine is causing heart block, the condition may go away if the medicine is stopped or the dosage is lowered. (Always talk with your doctor before you change the way you take your medicines.)
Source: NHLBI