Guide To The Symptoms Of Truncus Arteriosus

Shortness Of Breath

A common symptom that occurs in individuals with truncus arteriosus is shortness of breath or dyspnea. Shortness of breath is best described as an individual's inability to breathe in enough air. The amount of hemoglobin in the blood, oxygen in the air, and carbon dioxide in the air all play a role in the rate of breathing. The blood in a truncus arteriosus patient flows into the right atrium of the heart and then into the right ventricle. The blood flows through the ventricular septal defect into the left ventricle where it mixes with oxygen-rich blood and is either pumped to the lungs for oxygen or out to the tissues of the body. This abnormal flow of blood through the heart causes the carbon dioxide levels in the blood to be consistently elevated. The brain responds to having too much carbon dioxide in the blood by releasing substances in the body that stimulate the lungs to breathe faster and harder. Because the oxygen levels in the blood are always lower than normal, the carbon dioxide levels are always higher than normal. Frequent episodes of rapid breathing will occur and cause the patient to feel a sensation of tightness in the chest or that they cannot inhale enough air.