Understanding various heart problems and the underlying factors that pose some people on high risk can help us in many ways to maintain a healthy living heart. The following is an insight from health professionals:
Coronary artery disease
A precursor to a heart attack, coronary artery disease or CAD occurs
when sticky plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. This narrows the arteries, making it more difficult for blood to flow through. Many people don’t know they have CAD until a heart attack strikes. But there are warning signs, such as recurring chest pain caused by the restricted blood flow. This pain is known as angina.
The plaque deposited in your arteries is hard on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside. Sometimes the hard outer shell cracks. When this happens, a blood clot forms around the plaque. If the clot completely blocks the artery, it cuts off the blood supply to a portion of the heart. Without immediate treatment, that part of the heart muscle could be damaged or destroyed.
Don’t wait to be sure
The best time to treat a heart attack is as soon as symptoms begin. Waiting to be sure can result in permanent heart damage or even death. If you think you may be having a heart attack go the hospital. And don’t try driving yourself to the hospital.
Causes of heart attacks
Sudden cardiac death accounts for half of all heart disease deaths in the U.S., but it’s not the same as a heart attack. SCD occurs when the heart’s electrical system goes haywire, causing it to beat irregularly and dangerously fast. The heart’s pumping chambers may quiver instead of pumping blood out to the body. Without CPR and restoration of a regular heart rhythm, death can occur in minutes.
Erratic heart beat
Regular electrical impulses cause your heart to beat. But sometimes those impulses become erratic. The heart may race, slow down, or quiver. Arrhythmias are often harmless variations in rhythm that pass quickly. But some types make your heart less effective at pumping blood, and that can take a serious toll on the body. Let your doctor know if you’ve noticed your heart beating abnormally.
Heart failure
Heart failure doesn’t mean your heart stops working. It means the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Over time, the heart gets bigger to hold more blood, it pumps faster to increase the amount of blood moving out of it, and the blood vessels narrow. The heart muscle may also weaken, reducing the blood supply even more. Most cases of heart failure are the result of coronary artery disease and heart attacks.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is a disease involving changes in the heart muscle. These changes may interfere with the heart’s ability to pump effectively, which can lead to a chronic condition called heart failure. Cardiomyopathy is sometimes associated with other chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure or heart valve disease.
Congenital heart defect
A congenital heart defect is one that’s present at birth. The problem could be a leaky heart valve, malformations in the walls that separate the heart chambers, or other heart problems. Some defects are not found until a person becomes an adult. Some need no treatment. Others require medicine or surgery. People with congenital heart defects may have a higher risk of developing complications such as arrhythmias, heart failure, and heart valve infection, but there are ways to reduce this risk.
There are many things that damage the heart, they include:
Smoking
If you smoke, your risk of heart disease is two to three times greater than a nonsmoker’s. And if you smoke around loved ones, you’re increasing their risk with secondhand smoke. Each year in more than one million people die from smoking-related heart disease. But it’s never too late to quit. Within 24 hours of quitting, your heart attack risk begins to fall.
The key to preventing heart disease is a healthy lifestyle. This includes a nutritious diet, at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, not smoking, and controlling high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation – no more than one drink a day for women, two drinks a day for men. Ask your friends and family for help in making these changes. READ MORE ARTICLES
Coronary artery disease
A precursor to a heart attack, coronary artery disease or CAD occurs
when sticky plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. This narrows the arteries, making it more difficult for blood to flow through. Many people don’t know they have CAD until a heart attack strikes. But there are warning signs, such as recurring chest pain caused by the restricted blood flow. This pain is known as angina.
The plaque deposited in your arteries is hard on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside. Sometimes the hard outer shell cracks. When this happens, a blood clot forms around the plaque. If the clot completely blocks the artery, it cuts off the blood supply to a portion of the heart. Without immediate treatment, that part of the heart muscle could be damaged or destroyed.
Don’t wait to be sure
The best time to treat a heart attack is as soon as symptoms begin. Waiting to be sure can result in permanent heart damage or even death. If you think you may be having a heart attack go the hospital. And don’t try driving yourself to the hospital.
Causes of heart attacks
Sudden cardiac death accounts for half of all heart disease deaths in the U.S., but it’s not the same as a heart attack. SCD occurs when the heart’s electrical system goes haywire, causing it to beat irregularly and dangerously fast. The heart’s pumping chambers may quiver instead of pumping blood out to the body. Without CPR and restoration of a regular heart rhythm, death can occur in minutes.
Erratic heart beat
Regular electrical impulses cause your heart to beat. But sometimes those impulses become erratic. The heart may race, slow down, or quiver. Arrhythmias are often harmless variations in rhythm that pass quickly. But some types make your heart less effective at pumping blood, and that can take a serious toll on the body. Let your doctor know if you’ve noticed your heart beating abnormally.
Heart failure
Heart failure doesn’t mean your heart stops working. It means the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Over time, the heart gets bigger to hold more blood, it pumps faster to increase the amount of blood moving out of it, and the blood vessels narrow. The heart muscle may also weaken, reducing the blood supply even more. Most cases of heart failure are the result of coronary artery disease and heart attacks.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is a disease involving changes in the heart muscle. These changes may interfere with the heart’s ability to pump effectively, which can lead to a chronic condition called heart failure. Cardiomyopathy is sometimes associated with other chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure or heart valve disease.
Congenital heart defect
A congenital heart defect is one that’s present at birth. The problem could be a leaky heart valve, malformations in the walls that separate the heart chambers, or other heart problems. Some defects are not found until a person becomes an adult. Some need no treatment. Others require medicine or surgery. People with congenital heart defects may have a higher risk of developing complications such as arrhythmias, heart failure, and heart valve infection, but there are ways to reduce this risk.
There are many things that damage the heart, they include:
Smoking
If you smoke, your risk of heart disease is two to three times greater than a nonsmoker’s. And if you smoke around loved ones, you’re increasing their risk with secondhand smoke. Each year in more than one million people die from smoking-related heart disease. But it’s never too late to quit. Within 24 hours of quitting, your heart attack risk begins to fall.
The key to preventing heart disease is a healthy lifestyle. This includes a nutritious diet, at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, not smoking, and controlling high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation – no more than one drink a day for women, two drinks a day for men. Ask your friends and family for help in making these changes. READ MORE ARTICLES
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