Some people are born with the heart slightly off-center to the right, instead of to the left, and characterized by an anatomy completely mirroring that of a traditional heart: in fact, the atrium and the right ventricle are on the left and the atrium and the left ventricle are on the right.
This curious condition - which affects only 1% of the general population - is called dextrocardia and is, for some, symptom-free and, for someone else, a cause of various disorders.
What do these disorders usually consist of?
After many studies and the medical observation of various dextrocardial subjects, the researchers found that, in some cases, dextrocardia favors the appearance of infections in the lung ( pneumonia ) and paranasal sinuses ( sinusitis ). The reason for this predisposition would seem to be linked to an inadequate and malfunctioning ciliary system of the lungs (NB: the cilia present inside the respiratory tract cooperate with the mucus to block and eliminate dangerous and irritating substances inhaled from the external environment).
BUT THAT IS NOT ALL…
Some individuals with dextrocardia may suffer from a fairly obvious and worrying cardiac dysfunction, which is capable of leading to the appearance of:
- Breathing difficulties
- Cyanotic lips and skin
- Sense of recurrent fatigue
- Growth and delayed puberty
