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Heart Disease causes, symptoms, risk factors & Treatment

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Heart disease
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What Are The Heart Diseases?

Heart disease basically involves a range of conditions that affect your heart or vascular system. Diseases that come under the heart disease include blood vessel diseases, such as coronary artery disease; heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); and structural heart defects (congenital heart defects or developed in later life).

The term “heart disease” is often used synonymously with the term “cardiovascular disease.” Cardiovascular disease generally includes conditions with narrowed or blocked blood vessels, especially the coronary arteries, that can lead to a heart attack, chest pain (angina) or stroke. Conditions that affect the heart's muscle, valves or rhythm are also forms of heart disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the CDC's heart disease facts. The good news is that many cases can be prevented, and many risk factors can be improved with lifestyle changes and treatment. People with high blood pressure are at higher risk because it strains the heart and arteries. Obesity also raises the risk of heart attack, atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.

Symptoms of Heart Diseases

Heart diseases include a variety of conditions such as blood vessel disease (coronary artery disease), rhythm problems (arrhythmias), congenital heart disease, and many more. Symptoms caused by coronary artery diseases include:

  1. Chest pain, tightness, and discomfort
  2. Shortness of breath
  3. Pain in the neck, jaw, shoulder, arm or back
  4. Nausea, vomiting, and sweating

Call 911 right away for chest pain or pressure that lasts more than a few minutes or keeps coming back.

Symptoms caused by rhythm problems include:

  1. Fluttering in the chest
  2. Tachycardia or bradycardia
  3. Chest pain and shortness of breath
  4. Dizziness and syncope

Symptoms caused by congenital heart diseases include:

  1. cyanosis
  2. shortness of breath during feeding

Causes of Heart Disease

Many conditions can cause or contribute to heart disease. Some are:

  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol level
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Trauma
  • Bleeding disorders
  • Lung fibrosis
  • High pulmonary pressure
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Rheumatic fever
  • Infections

Heart anatomy, physiology, functions- A complete Guide

Risk Factors for Heart Diseases

Risk factors of heart diseases fall into 2 categories: controllable and uncontrollable.

1- Uncontrollable or non-modified

Those which are uncontrollable include:

  • age
  • male gender
  • family history and genetics

2- Controllable or modifiable

Controllable risk factors of heart diseases include:

  • diabetes mellitus,
  • hypertension,
  • obesity,
  • hyperlipidemias,
  • smoking,
  • physical inactivity,
  • unhealthy diet,
  • stress,
  • heavy alcohol consumption

A high level of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, is also linked with higher risk.

How Heart Disease Can Be Treated?

Many heart diseases can't be cured, but they can be managed well and their risk factors reduced. Treatment varies from patient to patient depending on the cause, type, and severity of heart disease. Your doctor will recommend the right combination of lifestyle changes, medicines and procedures.

  • Atherosclerosis

Controlling blood pressure and lowering LDL cholesterol, often with medicines such as statins, helps slow the growth of plaques in the coronary and other arteries and lowers the risk of heart attack. Plaques don't simply dissolve, so prevention matters. Monitor your blood pressure regularly and eat a diet low in saturated fat.

  • CAD

In coronary artery disease, doctors can reopen a narrowed coronary artery with angioplasty and a stent, or bypass it with surgery, to restore blood flow to the heart muscle.

  • Valvular Heart Diseases

In valvular heart diseases, we can repair or replace the defective or damaged valve.

  • Heart Failure and Myocarditis

When the heart muscle is too weak to pump well, medicines can help, and a mechanical assist device can help the heart to pump more strongly. In severe cases, heart transplantation is another option.

These treatments may not cure the underlying disease, but they help many people live longer and feel better.

Preventive Measures for Heart Diseases

  • Maintain a healthy body weight.
  • Eat less salt and saturated fat, and more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and high-fiber foods.
  • Get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, each week.
  • Quit smoking and limit alcohol.
  • Keep your blood pressure in check; if you have high blood pressure, monitor it regularly.
  • If you are diabetic, control your blood sugar.

HP Thoughts: How would you know if you have a life-threatening heart ailment? Read our post to learn more: Coronary Thrombosis.

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