Heart Disease
The facts about heart disease
The number one killer of men and women both nationally and worldwide, heart disease consists of a range of diseases that affect the heart and in some cases the blood vessels.
These diseases include coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, congenital heart disease, ischemic heart disease, and cardiomyopathy.
One heart disease symptom that is common to all forms is shortness of breath. Most of the other symptoms will vary.
Types of Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease is caused by narrowed, blocked, or stiffened blood vessels that impede blood flow to the heart. The symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue.
Arrhythmias are abnormal heartbeats. The heart may beat too quickly, too slowly or irregularly with an arrhythmia. Symptoms can include sensations of fluttering in the chest, a racing heartbeat, a slow heartbeat, chest pain, shortness of breath and fainting or dizzy spells.
Congenital heart disease is a type of malformation in one or more structures of the heart and surrounding blood vessels that occurs before birth. Serious congenital heart defects usually become evident during the first few days or weeks of life. Heart defect symptoms in newborn infants include pale gray or blue skin color; swelling in the legs, abdomen and areas around the eyes as well as shortness of breath during feedings. Lesser defects might not be diagnosed until later in life. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue during exercise or activity, accumulation of fluid in the heart or lungs and swelling in the hands, ankles or feet.
Ischemic heart disease is characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart muscle, usually due to coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries). Its symptoms include chest pain and decreased exercise tolerance.
Cardiomyopathy is the thickening and stiffening of heart muscle. In the early stages, there may be no symptoms. The condition can progress to include symptoms like breathlessness, swelling of the legs, ankles and feet, abdominal bloating, fatigue, irregular heartbeats dizziness and fainting.
Treatment
The risk of heart disease is highest for men. Other risk factors include age (risk increases as you get older), family history, poor diet, smoking, lack of regular exercise, diabetes, stress and poor oral hygiene. Doctors advise all patients to minimize their chances of heart disease by exercising, eating a balanced diet, limiting their consumption of alcohol and cholesterol and refraining from use of tobacco.