Heart on the right side: What is situs inversus? Genetic disorder that Catherine O'Hara was born with

On Friday (Jan 30), Catherine O'Hara, best known for her role in Home Alone and Schitt's Creek, died in Los Angeles at the age of 71. It has been revealed that the veteran star was taken to the hospital in a serious condition.'' She died following a ''brief illness.''

The exact cause of her death has not been revealed yet. But did you know that the comedic icon was battling with a rare genetic condition since her birth?

Catherine O'Hara's rare medical condition

Before her death, the comedy star had spoken openly about a rare medical condition she had lived with since birth.

Born in Toronto in 1954, the Home Alone actress revealed in a 2021 interview that her heart and other vital organs were reversed. But what does this mean?

This rare condition is known as situs inversus, a genetic disorder in which the heart is located on the right side of the body, and vital organs are flipped.

During an interview in 2021, O'Hara revealed,'' I'm freak, yeah!''

In the old interview, O'Hara recalled how the doctor talked about this rare condition. "He calls us into his office and says, 'You're the first one I've met!'" O'Hara recalled.

“I don't even know the name, because I don't want to know the name. Something cardio-inversus. And then dextrocardia and something-inversus. People are going to think I'm so ignorant not to know this, but I kind of don't want to know. Because I didn't know before that,” she said.

What is situs inversus?

This rare condition occurs in approximately 1 in every 10,000 people. According to the Cleveland Clinic, under this disorder, the organs in the chest and abdomen are positioned in a reversed layout compared to normal anatomy.

To understand it simply, the organs in the chest and abdomen are arranged as a mirror image of typical human anatomy.

The condition is caused by various genetic mutations, and most people live normal lives without serious health effects.

What are the symptoms of Situs Inversus?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are no symptoms for this condition. In most cases, people are diagnosed with this condition when they are treated for something else.

The main types of situs inversus are dextrocardia and levocardia.

How does situs inversus occur?

Situs inversus may occur due to several factors, such as a familial history of cardiac

defects, a biological family history of noncardiac anomalies, among others.