Once, during a day of outdoor activitya woman suffered a fainting. This was the indication of a long-standing serious health problem that, until then, had never given signs.
A British citizen discovered, following an incident after a bike ridewhich had a hole in your heart since birth. The story became known through the story of the protagonist herself in a note with a local media.
This year, according to an interview from the multimedia news agency PA Mediaa middle-aged woman named Diana spoke publicly about a congenital defect which he detected some time ago thanks to a particular event. This incident allegedly occurred one day June 2022.
Diana, from 55 yearsdeclared to the same media that at that time he went out ride a bike with his wife in the English county of Essex. The plan, she revealed, consisted of travel 14 miles —approximately 22.5 kilometers— until reaching Mersea Islandan island accessible at low tide in the area.
In one part of the journey, according to their words, they both decided stop to eat something at a cafe to recover energy. After a while, Diana lost consciousness while sitting about to try a discounted —it is a sweet bread—with cream.
«I had just put cream on the discounted to take a bite, and I don’t remember much else after that.. Apparently I ended up falling face first on the discountedWhat a waste!» he said to PA Media in a joking tone, referring to his fainting in the cafeteria.
Fortunately, the British citizen He regained consciousness at the scene. «I woke up when someone was putting a cold cloth on the back of my neck and at the same time they were calling an ambulance (NdR: refers to his wife and the others present). I spent a couple of hours trying to get back to normal.«, he recalled about it.
On that occasion, Diana warned, «everyone» determined that what was happening was a faint and nothing more. «All We thought it had simply been a faintalthough it is quite unusual to faint while sitting, which turned out to be a concern when I went to the doctor a week later,» she said. In addition, she came to think that perhaps the episode was part of a side effect of menopause.
What problem did he have in his heart?
Due to her partner’s insistence, the woman sought help from a clinical doctor. This health professional, according to her, told her that her fainting could be related to heart problems and referred her to a specialist.
«It was a little shocking, because I was thinking, ‘How can it have to do with the heart? yes I had a fairly active life? I’m not a gym addict, I don’t go every day, but we always walk (NdR: with his partner) when we go to different places. «We ride when the weather is good, or when the weather is not so good and you just need fresh air,» he said.
According to her, after a series of studies and clinical analyses, Diana received an accurate diagnosis: They confirmed that he had a hole in his heart, a congenital defect known as atrial septal defect —atrial septal defect in English—that It does not always manifest itself with symptoms and can be life-threatening..
«Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a congenital heart defect. It consists of and hole in the interatrial septumthe muscular wall that separates the two upper chambers (atria) of the heart. Small ASDs generally do not require treatment. Larger ones may require percutaneous (non-surgical) repair or surgery to reduce the risk of serious complications«, reported the American non-profit academic medical institution Cleveland Clinic on its website.
In Diana’s case, her hole It was of considerable sizehence I needed surgery. «They told me I’ve had it my whole life, and it’s surprising that it hasn’t been detected or discovered before,» he said.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, many people with CIA have no symptoms»well into adulthood» and some holes (less than five millimeters) may not show symptoms because they do not cause overload on the heart or lungs.
«In adulthood, the symptoms They are usually subtle. You can experience decreased exercise tolerance, difficulty breathing, increased fatigue, arrhythmias, palpitations or fainting. If left untreated, you may be at greater risk of developing a Stroke, heart failure o pulmonary hypertension«, communicated on its official website the American organization Adult Congenital Heart Association, dedicated to supporting patients with congenital heart disease.
Open heart surgery and a pacemaker
At the beginning of 2024According to her story, Diana underwent a open heart operation at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. Fortunately, the procedure—which also included a pacemaker— was successful. As he explained, he undergoes check-ups every year and is able to live a normal life.
On the other hand, she said that she is currently preparing—following expert recommendations—to participate in an event to raise funds for the cardiovascular research charity British Heart Foundation. This event, called «London to Brighton Bike Ride 2026» will take place on June 21 and will consist of a 54 mile bike ride —about 87 kilometers—.
“I think it’s important that those of us who have a heart condition and are well enough to contribute, in any way we canto help others who, unfortunately, may find themselves in the same situation as us, where they don’t know who to turn to, who to talk to or what to do,» he said.
