Heart Disease

Heart Disease:

Heart disease is a broad term used to describe a range of diseases that affect your heart, and in some cases, your blood vessels.

The term “heart disease” is often used interchangeably with “cardiovascular disease” — a term that generally refers to conditions that involve narrowed or blocked blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack, chest pain (angina) or stroke. Other heart conditions, such as infections and conditions that affect your heart’s muscle, valves or beating rhythm also are considered forms of heart disease

Types of Heart Disease:

Cardiovascular disease is not a single ailment, but a disorder of the heart and circulatory system. Heart disease can refer to damage in the heart’s lining, valves, muscle, arteries, or electrical system. A person can suffer from several types of cardiovascular disorders at the same time or several different problems can be related to a single underlying cause. A person can be born with a diseased heart, or develop heart disease. Some risk factors leading to heart disease are controllable (smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise), while others are not controllable (age, gender, ethnicity).

Aneurysms
Healthy arteries are flexible and elastic. When an artery becomes damaged, it losses its elasticity. Instead of retaining its smooth cylindrical shape, the artery may develop a bulge, called an aneurysm. Having lost its elasticity and strength the damaged artery may rupture, much like a balloon that has too much air in it.

Angina
is a symptom of myocardial ischemia usually caused by coronary atherosclerosis. Patients feel chest pressure and shortness of breath, and possibly sweating when they exercise.

Arrhythmia
is any deviation from or disturbance of the normal heart rhythm. The basic rhythm of the heart is a tightly regulated phenomenon designed to insure efficiency and optimal
performance. It is a dynamic phenomenon that changes according to the metabolic needs of the body. The cardiac rhythm involves several different microscopic and macroscopic structures within the normal heart.

Symptoms of Heart Disease:

Symptoms of heart disease varies according to the type of heart disease. When symptoms occur, they vary from person to person. Symptoms may may include chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness and fatigue, palpitations (the sensation of the heart beating in the chest), lightheadedness, and fainting, or feeling about to faint.

If at anytime you experience the following signs or symptoms below, go to an emergency room immediately and contact your physician.

* Chest pain (angina pectoris)
* Shortness of breath
* General fatigue
* Swelling (edema)
* Loss of consciousness (syncope)
* Light-headedness (presyncope)
* Palpitations
* Limb pain or tiredness (claudication)
* Abnormal skin color
* Sores on skin (uleration)
* Shock (collapse)
* Sudden change in vision, strength, coordination, speech or sensation

Heart Disease Treatment:

Treatment for heart disease focuses on taking steps to manage symptoms and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. For example:

* If your doctor agrees, take a low-dose OTC medication each day to reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke.
* If you can’t control your high blood pressure and high cholesterol with healthier habits, you may need to take medicines. They can help you manage these health problems and lower your risk.
* Your doctor may also suggest medicines if you often have chest pain that makes it hard to do everyday activities.
* If medicines don’t help your chest pain, your doctor may suggest procedures to improve blood flow to the heart. Angioplasty with or without stent placement is one way to open clogged coronary arteries. Or sometimes coronary artery bypass graft surgery may be needed.
* No matter what kind of treatment you get, healthy habits such as quitting smoking, eating a heart-healthy diet, and getting regular exercise are important. You can start today:

Initial Heart Disease Treatment:

• Lifestyle changes are the first step for anyone with coronary artery disease. But sometimes lifestyle changes are not enough. You may also need medicines. If you take medicines, take them on a schedule and take the correct dose. Taking medicines properly can help you prevent a heart attack or stroke.