Symptoms of Pulmonary Stenosis
Some children with pulmonary stenosis do not have any symptoms at first. They may have no noticeable problems unless the condition gets worse. If they have symptoms, these may get worse with exercise or activity.
Babies may have symptoms like these:
- Working hard to breathe
- Poor appetite
- Trouble feeding
- Failure to thrive
Newborns with these symptoms need treatment right away.
Children past infancy may also have these symptoms:
- Feeling short of breath when active
- Having pain, pressure or tightness in their chest
- Fainting or feeling weak or dizzy when active
- Being more tired than normal
Pulmonary Stenosis Diagnosis
To diagnose this condition, your doctor will examine your child, use a stethoscope to listen to their heart and check their blood pressure. Sometimes doctors find pulmonary stenosis after hearing a heart murmur in a child who appears well.
The doctor will ask for details about any symptoms your child has, their health history and your family health history.
Your child will need an echocardiogram test so the doctor can see how their heart works.
They may need other tests that provide more information about their heart. These include chest X-rays or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the heart, cardiac catheterization and electrocardiogram.