Heart Disease

Heart Disease
Heart disease, as the name implies, is an affliction of heart and its associated systems. Around 13 million people suffer from coronary heart disease, with 479,000 people dying from it each year. Congenital heart disease affects 8-10 out of 1,000 children every year in America.Heart disease has branched into different types, each disease having its own causal factors, symptoms, treatment procedures, and prevention measures. However, still there are certain similarities in the symptoms and diagnoses among the numerous types of heart diseases.Different types of heart diseases include coronary heart disease, congenital heart disease, heart valve disease, heart muscle disease, aorta disease, pericardial disease, heart failure, and many, many more.Some common symptoms of heart disease include chest discomfort, pain in different parts of the body, shortness of breath, nausea, coldness, vomiting, unexplained severe headaches, sweating, anxiousness, heartburn, swelling in limbs and tissues, and many more.Sometimes, there might not be any symptoms of heart disease. Hence, it is called a silent killer also.Usually, diagnosis is possible through tests which are conducted especially for this purpose. Some tests include electrocardiography tests, which measures the electrical activity when the person is at rest; laboratory tests, which includes blood testing; nuclear imaging; ultrasound; radiological imaging; invasive tests, which involves the insertion of catheters into the heart’s blood vessels for closer examination; and many more.Heart disease prevention lies in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and keeping a good diet. One should be particularly careful if high cholesterol, diabetes, and other problems run in the family. Some heart diseases are triggered by these factors.Apart from this, medications are also available to keep blood pressure, diabetes, and other undesirable things in control. For those suffering from severe heart disease, surgery remains the ultimate remedy.Heart disease is a dangerous disease which can slowly strengthen its hold on people without their being even aware of it. One has to be particularly careful and recognize its symptoms, besides taking good care to prevent from being a victim.
Heart Disease - Recognizing The Warning Signs:Heart disease is the number one killer in the US. It far outranks cancer, accident, and even AIDS, which is almost always fatal. Of the different kinds of heart disease, coronary heart disease, the most preventable, is the worst killer, accounting for about half of all deaths from heart disease.And while men have traditionally been considered far more at risk for developing heart disease then women, women need to be concerned as well. Women are almost twelve toes more likely to die of heart-related problems than they are from breast cancer.Heart disease not only kills; it leaves its surviving victims disabled and adds billions of dollars each year to the cost of medical care in the US.Angina And Shortness Of BreathOne of the deadliest characteristics of heart disease is that it often remains hidden until it is severe enough to cause congestive heart failure or heart attack. Two ways in which people can equip themselves to fight heart disease are to familiarize themselves with its common symptoms, and if they have a family history of heart disease, to have regular heart checkups.The classic symptom of heart disease is angina, or tightness in the chest. Angina, however, can signal an actual heart attack as well as heart disease? In no event should it be ignored.Shortness of breath, while it often sccompanies heart disease, can be symptomatic of other conditions. Asthma, allergies, and anxiety attacks all lead to shortness of breath, but like heart disease, all of those conditions can be serious. Shortness of breath which lasts for more than a few seconds, or occurs on a regular basis, warrants prompt medical attention.Mitral Valve Prolapse Heart DiseaseMitral valve prolapse is a form of heart disease which can cause vertigo, ringing in the ears, and momentary blackouts. Mitral valve prolapse allows blood to reverse curse and “back up” into the arteries carrying blood to the heart. The decrease in the volume of blood within the heart means that the heart cannot pump sufficient blood to the brain. The momentary decrease in oxygen to the brain can cause people with mitral valve prolapse heart disease to become dizzy when the stand up, or have ringing in the ears and brief blackouts.Women often experience signs of heart disease different from those in men. Angina in women can feel like indigestion, or may produce a feeling of tightness in an area other than behind the breast one.Both heart disease and heart attacks present with the same symptoms, and at the first indication that you may have developed heart disease, you should seek medical help.
Are You Having A Heart Attack?Heart attacks come in all sizes, from minor to major, and the symptoms of a pending heart attack can be deceiving in many cases. Some symptoms of a pending heart attack may have been showing up for quite awhile and were ignored as something else.Pending heart attack symptoms mask themselves as indigestion, being overworked and tired all the time, and taking naps several times a day.During a real heart attack, you may feel feverish, have a nauseous sick feeling, shortness of breath, labored breathing, sweating, tingling in arms, chest pain, heaviness in the chest area like someone is pushing on your chest and various other indications.Your life may depend on you making the right decision within minutes, is what you are feeling a heart attack... as a quick response time in calling for help... 911... could be the determining factor that saves your life. Its better to be wrong, than to be right and not get help on the way ASAP!One of the major causes of a heart attack is the restriction of blood flow to the heart muscle, which causes any number of symptoms. But the bottom line is, how severe is your heart attack. That will in many ways determine what symptoms you experience. The more severy the blockage, the more severe the heart attack symptoms in most cases. The blockage may occure due to a blood clot, or material buildup inside the artery walls that breaks loose.Many hospitals are not fully equipted to deal with heart attack victims, and will transfer the patient by air to a hospital or medical center with a heart attack specialist who can determine how bad it was, and one who has the skill to repair the damage caused by the heart attack.The quicker the blood flow to the heart muscle is restored, the better your chance for a complete recovery from your heart attack.
How to Survive a Heart AttackMost heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Common symptoms of a heart attack are:- Chest pain that does not clear up after resting or taking angina medications. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.- A feeling of a crushing weight against the chest and profuse sweating.- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.- Nausea, vomiting, and cold sweats.- A feeling of indigestion or heartburn.- Fainting.- A fear of impending death (angor animi).Other symptoms of a heart attack are:- Shortness of breath.- Dizziness, weakness, and fainting.- Abdominal pain.If you think you are having a heart attack get help immediately. Each year up to 460,000 people die of heart disease in an emergency department or before reaching hospital. That's up to 60% of cardiac deaths.The first 3-6 hours are critical. By getting help early you greatly increase your chances of survival and greatly lessen permanent damage to your heart.Take 1/4 tablet of aspirin and make sure that the emergency health providers know so that an additional dose isn't given. And tell the emergency health providers that you think you are having a heart attack.