Can you drink alcohol with a patent ductus arteriosus?

Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
Updated on November 23, 2024
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Under normal circumstances, the ductus arteriosus in newborns gradually closes, and in most infants, the ductus arteriosus is completely closed within three months. However, for some people, even after one year of birth, the ductus arteriosus may not necessarily be diagnosed as congenital patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a heart condition. Patients with this condition often experience pathological cardiac phenomena such as left-to-right shunts or right-to-left shunts. Due to these potential issues, the cardiac workload can worsen, leading to cardiac dysfunction and eventually heart failure. Drinking alcohol can potentially increase the patient's blood pressure and heart rate, adding more strain to the heart and exacerbating the condition. Therefore, it is advised that such patients avoid alcohol until after surgical treatment has been completed and their condition has stabilized. There are two methods of surgical treatment: most cases can be completely cured with interventional therapy, while a minority may require surgical ligation.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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Can a patent ductus arteriosus heal by itself?

The ductus arteriosus is a duct that fetal blood must pass through as it is transported from the placenta to the aorta. This duct connects between the main pulmonary artery and the aorta of the fetus and generally closes on its own after birth. Most patients can close it spontaneously within three months, but the likelihood of closure diminishes if it surpasses one year. Therefore, for patent ductus arteriosus, some people can heal on their own, while others, especially children over one year old, cannot heal by themselves and are advised to undergo surgery as soon as possible. This is because the patent ductus arteriosus can cause a condition similar to an arteriovenous fistula, increasing the workload on the heart, leading to cardiac hypertrophy and eventual heart failure.

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Written by Jia Qiu Ju
Cardiology
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Can patent ductus arteriosus cause shortness of breath?

Patent ductus arteriosus can indeed cause shortness of breath. Patent ductus arteriosus refers to a duct between the aorta and the pulmonary artery that fails to close after birth. This can cause blood from the aorta to shunt into the pulmonary artery, leading to high pressure in the pulmonary artery and causing pulmonary congestion, which can lead to pulmonary edema and symptoms such as difficulty breathing. Therefore, if the pulmonary hypertension is not severe, there might still be an opportunity for surgery. Once patent ductus arteriosus is diagnosed and if the timing is appropriate, it is recommended to perform occlusion or surgical treatment as soon as possible to prevent pulmonary hypertension and potentially inducing heart enlargement, which may trigger heart failure.

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Written by Tang Li
Cardiology
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What are the symptoms of patent ductus arteriosus?

Patients with patent ductus arteriosus may exhibit several clinical manifestations based on the amount of shunting. 1. Small shunt volume: The internal diameter of the patent ductus arteriosus is small, and the patient may exhibit no subjective symptoms. The prominent sign is a continuous machinery murmur heard at the left sternal border at the second intercostal space and below the left clavicle, accompanied by a thrill; pulse pressure may slightly increase. 2. Moderate shunt: Patients commonly experience fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest discomfort after exertion. The heart murmur is similar in character to the above but louder, accompanied by a thrill, and widely transmitted. At times, diastolic and mild systolic murmurs caused by left ventricular enlargement, relative mitral valve insufficiency, and stenosis can be heard at the apex, with a positive vascular sign. 3. Large shunt volume: This condition in a patent ductus arteriosus often accompanies secondary severe pulmonary hypertension, leading to a right-to-left shunt. The typical murmur's diastolic component may diminish or disappear, followed by the disappearance of the systolic murmur, and only a diastolic murmur due to pulmonic valve insufficiency can be heard. Patients often exhibit cyanosis and severe clinical symptoms.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Which is more serious, patent ductus arteriosus or ventricular septal defect?

Both of these diseases are types of congenital heart disease, and if there are issues with either of them, the situation can be quite severe. There isn't a distinction between which disease is severe and which is not. If the arterial duct remains open or does not close, surgery is still required for this condition. Patients with ventricular septal defect primarily display changes related to ischemia and hypoxia, and they may also experience recurrent respiratory infections, which are quite serious. Surgery is generally the best treatment. Early surgical intervention can achieve a complete cure, but it is also advisable for the patient to have regular echocardiographic check-ups at the hospital.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Is surgery necessary for an unclosed arterial duct?

Patent ductus arteriosus is a type of congenital heart disease. Currently, surgical treatment is recommended for patients because it involves minimally invasive techniques. Additionally, post-surgery recovery is quick, and there are fewer complications. Particularly for this disease, medication is often not very effective and does not achieve the therapeutic goal. Surgical treatment can completely resolve the patient's issues, thereby reducing the frequency of recurrence and not affecting the child's growth and development. In the meantime, it is still vital to actively prevent respiratory infections.