Recent studies have found that a small hole in the heart, called patent foramen ovale, is strongly associated with intractable headaches in children.
During the fetal period, there is a small hole called the foramen ovale between the left and right atria of our heart, which can send the blood with high oxygen content from the placenta of Bao Ma from the right atrium to the left atrium, and then to the left ventricle, and finally to the whole body of the fetus, so that our baby can get enough oxygen to thrive, which is the premise of normal fetal growth.
However, after the fetus is born, most of this small hole closes quickly, and only a small number of children cannot close it, if it cannot be closed for a long time, we call it patent foramen ovale. This small hole is so small that it is difficult to find with ordinary cardiac ultrasound.
In the past, patent foramen ovale was thought to be unnecessary, as most patent foramen ovale were asymptomatic. Later, it was found that patent foramen ovale can increase the risk of stroke, and the risk of stroke in those with patent foramen ovale increased by 4 times compared with that without it.
Recently, it has been found that patent foramen ovale not only increases the risk of stroke, but is also one of the important causes of intractable headaches. Blood with low oxygen content can eventually reach the brain through this small hole, causing cerebral vasospasm caused by lack of oxygen in the brain, and cerebral ischemia can cause intractable headaches.
We have recently observed that intractable headaches in children are also closely related to the patent foramen of the heart, and many children with intractable headaches have patent foramen ovale.
We selected some children with severe headache and patent foramen ovale to perform patent foramen ovale closure, and as a result, the headache disappeared quickly after surgery.
Dear moms and dads, have you ever thought that your child's intractable headaches are heart-related?