Can spontaneous cure occur for cardiac ailments?

Can spontaneous cure occur for cardiac ailments?

Everyone is afraid of heart disease. Still some are reluctant to take medications or undergo procedures, especially operations for heart disease. So they would be very happy if there is a spontaneous cure for heart diseases. Though most heart diseases require either medications or procedures for a cure, there are some which can get spontaneously cured. There are others which are benefitted by lifestyle modifications and may not need medications.

We will start off with birth defects. A defect in the wall between the two lower muscular chambers of heart is known as ventricular septal defect. Most of the small ventricular septal defects noted at the time of birth do close spontaneously later on. But large ventricular septal defects may not close spontaneously and may need treatment. Still some of them may become smaller later, avoiding the need for an operation.

Another common birth defect is a persistent communication between two largest blood vessels in the body known as patent ductus arteriosus or PDA. It is a communication between the aorta which carries oxygenated blood to the whole body and the pulmonary artery which returns the blood to the lungs for oxygenation. In a normal child this communication closes off in the first few days after birth. Even if it persists, some of the small defects, especially in a premature infant, may close later on. In a premature infant with these defect, there are medications which can enhance the process of closure.

Another common defect is in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart known as atrial septal defect. Small atrial septal defects also can close gradually in the first two years of life. But larger defects may persist life long and need procedures to close. Smaller defects even if they do not close spontaneously, seldom needs any treatment.

In a child, valves of the heart may be damaged by a disease known as rheumatic fever. Though the damage can increase as time passes, some of the minor leaks in the valves can regress over time. But they need follow up to see if these valves get narrowed in the long run which may go undetected.

Common heart problem in an adult is blocks in the blood vessels due to build up of fatty deposits. Sometimes a blood vessel is blocked by a clot forming over a fatty deposit. This results in a heart attack. Though it is a serious disease which needs emergency angioplasty, in some lucky persons, the body’s own clot dissolving mechanisms salvage the blood vessel sometimes. Such spontaneous dissolution of clots is observed occasionally. These persons still need lifestyle modifications and medications to prevent recurrence.

Another favourable situation in a few with gradually progressing blocks in the blood vessels of the heart is the formation of collateral blood vessels. These can be considered as natural bypass. This process can be enhanced by lifestyle modifications known to improve heart disease like healthy diet, weight reduction and regular supervised exercise program. They also need medications to prevent worsening of the disease process and regular follow up.