PFOs may not cause any symptoms. You may never know you have a PFO unless you are screened for another heart problem or experience a complication of a PFO.A patent foramen ovale is a small, flaplike opening in the wall between the upper chambers of the heart. The larger the hole, the more likely symptoms are. PFOs, on the other hand, are normal before birth but may fail to close after birth. Most people will not have any signs or symptoms directly from PFO at all. Possible PFO symptoms include: Stroke. A patent foramen ovale occurs when a hole that is always present in a newborn's heart fails to close as it should once the lungs begin to function after birth. Patent foramen ovale symptoms manifest as migraines, shortness of breath when getting up and standing, and a higher risk for certain kinds of strokes. The presence of a PFO is strongly associated with migraine with aura, migraine aura without headache, and chronic migraine.