Heart disease: symptoms, causes and treatment

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Definition of heart disease

What is heart disease?

The definition of heart and blood vessel disease or cardiovascular disease is a variety of conditions in which there is narrowing or blockage of blood vessels that can cause heart attack, chest pain (angina), or stroke.

Cardiovascular disease is a critical condition that needs immediate treatment. The reason is, the heart is a vital organ that functions to pump blood throughout the body. If the heart has a problem, blood circulation in the body can be disturbed.

Without proper medical assistance, cardiovascular disease can be life threatening and cause death.

How common is this disease?

Heart disease is a disease that is relatively common. This chronic disease is said to be a fairly frequent cause of death worldwide for both men and women of all races.

Types of heart disease

Cardiovascular disease consists of many types, including the following:

• Atherosclerosis. Plaque buildup from cholesterol in the heart vessels and mild inflammation in these vessels.
• Coronary heart disease. Blockage of one or more arteries caused by plaque buildup. As a result, blood flow is not smooth.
• Arrhythmia. A heart disorder characterized by an abnormal beat or rhythm, in which your heartbeat can be too fast, too slow, too early, or irregular.
• Congenital heart defects or congenital heart defects. The condition of the structure of the heart that is not perfect when a person is still in the womb.
• Endocarditis. Infection that affects the inner membrane of the chambers and valves of the heart (endocardium). People who have congenital heart disease and have a history of other heart problems are at a higher risk of developing this condition.
• Heart valve disease. Heart valve damage due to constriction (stenosis), leakage (regurgitation or insufficiency), or incomplete closure (prolapse).

Signs & symptoms of heart disease

The characteristics of cardiovascular disease in women and men vary widely, depending on the cardiovascular disease they have.

According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the most common types of heart disease symptoms are:

Symptoms of coronary heart disease

• Pain in the chest (angina).
• Cold sweat appeared.
• Nausea.
• Hard to breathe.

Arrhythmia symptoms

• Heart palpitations.
• Heartbeat fast or slow.
• Dizzy.
• Chest pain.
• Hard to breathe.
• Sweating.
• Fainting (syncope) or nearly fainting.
• Palpitations (heartbeats such as skipping and pounding).

Symptoms of a congenital heart defect

• Skin discoloration, such as a bluish or pale color (cyanosis).
• Swelling of the legs and abdomen.
• Easily tired or short of breath shortly after physical activity.

Symptoms of endocarditis

• Fever.
• Hard to breathe.
• Fatigue.
• Swelling in the legs or stomach.
• Irregular heartbeat.
• Continuous dry cough.
• A skin rash or reddish or purplish spots that are unusual.

Symptoms of heart valve disease

• Chest pain.
• Fatigue.
• Hard to breathe.
• Irregular heartbeat.
• Swollen feet or ankles.
• Fainting (syncope).

When to see a doctor?

If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, check with your doctor immediately. Especially, shortness of breath, chest pain, and loss of consciousness. Getting medical care faster can improve the patient's quality of life.

Causes of heart disease

The causes of heart disease are damage, blockage, inflammation, or abnormalities in the heart, muscles and surrounding blood vessels.

Blockages in the vessels of the heart are usually caused by plaque. This plaque builds up on the damaged arteries. The buildup of plaque on the coronary arteries may start in childhood.

Over time, plaque can harden and then break. The hardened plaque narrows the coronary arteries and reduces the supply of oxygen-rich blood flow to the heart. This can cause chest pain or discomfort called angina.

When the plaque breaks, pieces of blood called platelets stick to the injury site. Platelets may clump together to form blood clots.

Blood clots can further narrow the coronary arteries and worsen angina. If the clot becomes large enough, it can completely block the coronary arteries and cause a heart attack.

Other causes include incomplete heart development, infection, or the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart that is not well supplied.

Heart disease risk factors

Here are some factors that can increase your chances of developing heart disease are:

• Increasing age can cause damage or narrowing of the blood vessels of the heart.
• Men are at a higher risk of developing this disease. Women are at increased risk after menopause.
• Having a father or mother with cardiovascular disease.
• Have a habit of smoking so that the heart blood vessels become inflamed due to cigarette chemicals.
• Bad lifestyle, such as high consumption of salt, fat and cholesterol. Besides that, they are also lazy to exercise and do not prevent proper hygiene so they are prone to infection.
• There are certain health problems, such as diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), and high cholesterol levels, as well as constant stress.

Heart disease complications

People with heart disease need immediate treatment because this disease can cause complications that can lead to death.

Some of the common complications of heart disease include:

Heart failure

One of the common complications of heart disease is heart failure. This condition occurs when your heart can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs.

Heart failure can result from many forms of cardiovascular disease, including heart defects, heart valve disease, heart infections, or cardiomyopathy.

Heart attack

Blood that clots blocks blood flow to the blood vessels that supply the heart, causing a heart attack.

This condition can damage or destroy part of the heart muscle. One type of cardiovascular disease, namely atherosclerosis, can cause heart attacks.

Stroke

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease can also lead to ischemic stroke, which occurs when the arteries to your brain become narrowed or blocked so that too little blood reaches your brain.

Aneurysm

A serious complicating condition that can occur anywhere in your body. An aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of your artery. If the aneurysm leaks, you may experience life-threatening internal bleeding.

Peripheral artery disease (PAP)

Atherosclerosis can also lead to peripheral artery disease. When you have peripheral artery disease, the lower part of your body (usually your legs) doesn't receive enough blood flow.

Sudden cardiac arrest

Sudden cardiac arrest is a sudden, unexpected disruption of heart function, breathing, and consciousness, often caused by an arrhythmia.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a medical emergency. If not treated immediately, it will be fatal, resulting in sudden cardiac death.

Medicine & treatment of heart disease

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

Your doctor will diagnose coronary heart disease based on your and your family's medical history, your risk factors, a physical exam, and results from tests and surgery.

There is no single test that can diagnose coronary heart disease. If your doctor thinks you have coronary heart disease, he or she may recommend one or more of the medical tests.

In addition to blood tests and chest x-rays, tests to diagnose heart disease can include:

• Electrocardiogram (EKG).
• Holter Monitoring.
• Echocardiogram.
• Cardiac catheterization.
• Computerized tomography (CT) scan of the heart.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the heart.

What are the treatment options for heart disease?

Heart disease treatment varies based on the condition. For example, if you have a heart infection, you may be given antibiotics. In general, treatment for heart disease usually includes:

• Lifestyle changes

These include eating a low-fat, low-sodium diet, exercising moderately, at least 30 minutes on several days of the week, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol intake.

• Take medicine from a doctor

If lifestyle changes are not enough, your doctor may prescribe medication to control your heart disease. The type of medication will depend on the type of cardiovascular disease.

There are various types of heart disease drugs. For example, the drug heparin is used to prevent complications after a heart attack; high blood pressure medications, such as ACE inhibitors, diuretics, Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), beta blockers, aldosterone, and inotropes; to aspirin and statins, which are cholesterol-lowering drugs.

• Medical or surgical procedures

If medication is not enough, your doctor may recommend certain procedures or surgeries. This medical procedure is performed depending on the type of cardiovascular disease and the extent of damage to your heart.

For example, angioplasty, which is the process of placing a heart stent (ring), which is a small, flexible tube that is inserted into an artery to increase blood flow. However, not all patients need to undergo a heart sting procedure.

It could also be coronary artery bypass surgery, which is surgery done by moving blood vessels in one area to another to increase blood flow to the heart.

Can heart disease be cured?

Cardiovascular disease cannot be cured. That means, someone who is diagnosed with this disease, will continue to have this disease throughout life. Even so, researchers continue to carry out further research to find answers to whether heart disease can be cured or not.

Reporting from the Cleveland Clinic website, recently a study is developing stem cell therapy to cure heart disease.

In this therapy, the cells in the heart that are damaged will be stimulated to regenerate (recovery from damage). The trick is to reduce cell damage by releasing local hormones.

It's just that, the tissue that has been repaired is not completely getting better, it becomes a burden on the heart. The work of the heart will be heavier and this can increase the risk of heart failure due to disruption of electrical activity in the heart.

In addition, new drugs are being developed to lower cholesterol levels. However, no drug has yet been successful in removing the plaques that form along the arteries.

Home remedies for heart disease

The following changes can help those of you who want to improve your heart health:

• Stop smoking and stay away from cigarette smoke in the vicinity.
• Control other health conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
• Eat heart-healthy foods, which are low in salt and saturated fat.
• Maintain a healthy weight and consult further if a heart disease patient wishes to fast.
• Reduce and manage stress.

Prevention of heart disease

Although not treatable, heart disease is preventable. Preventive measures for heart disease that you can take to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease include:

• Exercise regularly

Exercise can help improve heart fitness, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and maintain a healthy body weight. You can exercise for at least 30-45 minutes a day.

• Watch your food intake

Avoid or limit foods that can increase your blood cholesterol, foods high in salt, and sugar. Conversely, multiply the consumption of fibrous foods from fruits, vegetables, wheat, and nuts.

• Avoid stress

In order to prevent cardiovascular disease that is triggered by chronic stress, you must be smart about managing your emotions. If the stress you feel is excessive, you can tell someone, either a close person or a professional counselor.

• Stop smoking and cut down on alcohol

If you are a smoker, you should start working on quitting smoking. Smoking can increase blood pressure and damage blood vessels. You should also avoid cigarette smoke and drink alcohol.

• Routine blood and cholesterol checks

Routinely checking blood pressure and cholesterol every day can prevent cardiovascular disease. In general, blood pressure is considered normal when it shows a number below 120/80 mmHg.

When your systolic (top number) number is between 120-139, or if your diastolic (bottom number) is 80-89, this means you have “prehypertension”.

Meanwhile, total good cholesterol levels in the blood are less than 200 mg / dl. Usually your cholesterol is rated high when it reaches 240 mg / dl or more.

• Take heart disease medications regularly

Sometimes, lifestyle changes alone are not enough to prevent this disease. You may need to take heart disease medications, which include drugs to lower blood pressure or cholesterol to reduce your risk of heart attack.