Heart Disease:
Heart disease is a broad term used to describe a range of diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels. These diseases vary according to how they occur; some of which are caused by a blockage in blood vessels, leading to a heart attack, angina or stroke, while some affect the heart muscle, such as congestive heart failure.
Some types of heart diseases:
- Arteriosclerosis
- Coronary artery disease.
- Angina.
- Heart attack.
- Myocardial infarction.
- Cardiomyopathy.
- Myocarditis.
- Congestive heart failure.
- Heart failure.
- Arrhythmias.
- Stroke.
Causes:
The causes of heart diseases differ depending on the type of it.
Symptoms:
The symptoms of heart diseases differ depending on the type of it. For example:
Cardiovascular diseases:
- Chest pain.
- Severe shortness of breath.
- Cold limbs.
- Weakness and fatigue.
Irregular heartbeat:
- Palpitations or slow heart rate.
- Chest pain.
- Shortness of breath.
- Dizziness.
Enlarged heart:
- Shortness of breath, whether with or without effort.
- Leg and foot swelling.
- Fatigue.
Myocarditis:
High temperature.
Breathing difficulty.
Stress.
Rash.
Symptoms of heart attack or stroke:
- Discomfort or pain in the center of the chest, between the breasts or behind the breastbone.
- This discomfort can spread to other areas, such as back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
- Shortness of breath.
- Fatigue, anxiety, tension, indigestion, nausea or vomiting.
- Sudden weakness of the arm, face, or leg, often one side of the body.
- Sudden trouble in walking, dizziness, loss of balance.
- Severe headache with no known cause.
Warning: If you experience such symptoms rush to the Emergency Room to avoid complications.
Heart disease risk factors:
- Age.
- Sex; Men are also much more prone to heart problems than women.
- Family medical history.
- Smoking.
- Diet rich in salt and/or saturated fat.
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- High cholesterol.
- Obesity.
- Lack of physical activity.
- Nervous tension.
- Diagnosis.
- Blood tests.
- Chest X-ray.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG).
- Echocardiogram.
- Cardiac catheterization.
- Myocardial biopsy.
- Computed tomography (CT scan) of the heart.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Treatment:
Heart disease treatment depends on the type of the disease and its causes. Generally the treatment plan includes:
- A better way of life for patients.
- Medications according to the type of disease.
- Surgical intervention, if necessary.
Prevention:
Heart diseases are preventable by improving lifestyle;
- Quitting smoking.
- Controlling blood pressure.
- Controlling diabetes.
- Following-up with cholesterol levels.
- Maintaining an ideal weight.
- Eating healthy.
- Exercising.
- Keeping tensions away.