Coarctation of the aorta

Description

A narrowing of the body's main artery that's often present at birth.

Overview

Coarctation of the aorta forces the heart to work harder to pump blood. It is usually present at birth, which means it's a congenital heart defect. But rarely, injury and some health conditions cause it later in life. The condition often occurs with other congenital heart defects.

Symptoms

Symptoms in babies can include trouble breathing, trouble feeding, sweating, and a change in skin color. Long-term high blood pressure is the most common symptom later in life. Headache, chest pain and muscle pain also may occur.

Treatments

Treatment may include medicines and a heart procedure or surgery to fix the narrowed blood vessel.