Heart disease is a category of illnesses that affects the regular functionality of the heart that can start from different causes. These diseases cause damage the different muscles and blood vessels connected to the heart and affects its ability to work properly. Since the 1900’s, cardiac disease has been recorded as the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Wales and Canada. Cardiac disease is responsible for killing someone every 34 seconds in America and over 60 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disfunction. There are many individuals who are uneducated about its causes, symptoms and ways of preventing it affecting you and your family.
There are several category of cardiac disease which all have the same type of symptoms and treatment methods. Ischaemic Heart Disease affects the heart by minimizing the blood circulation to the cardiac muscle. Ischaemic Heart Disease displays symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, swelling of the legs and can also reduce an individuals ability to exercise.
Coronary Heart Disease is a disease that causes the artery and the blood vessels leading to the heart to tighten. This takes place as a result of plaque accumulation made up from fatty material, scar tissues and calcium. These vessels transport precious blood and oxygen to other vital organs so when they become obstructed the cardiac muscle is not properly fed with enough blood to perform its usual function. Warning signs include severe chest pain, heart attacks and even cardiac arrest. There are particular factors that maximizes the possibility of developing Coronary Heart Disease. Obesity, High blood pressure, Diabetes, smoking, high stress level, insufficient physical activity, high cholesterol level and in some women menopause.
A valvular Heart Disease is any disease which affects one or more of the valves in the heart. This illness can either be contract from birth or it can be attained over the course of a person’s life. If the disease does not turn out to be severe then medications are available to correct the ailment, but if it becomes critical then an operation will have to take place in order to either repair the valve or replace it. Valvular heart disease can be caused from rheumatic fever, hypereosinophilic syndrome, bacterial infection and cancer, just to name some.
Hypertensive Heart Disease includes any problems that cause high blood pressure. Symptoms of hypertension include, bloating, irregular pulse rate, fatigue, unexpected weight gain, frequent urination at nights, shortness of breath. Cardiovascular disease affects the cardiovascular system by causing damage to the arteries and veins.
Other forms of these diseases are Inflammatory heart disease which inflames the heart’s surrounding tissues, Cardiomyopathy which deteriorates the muscles of the heart, and congestive heart failure which occurs when the heart is unable to provide sufficient amounts of blood throughout the body to fulfill its needs. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle which includes regular exercise, upkeeping a nutritious diet and eliminating bad habits such as smoking, can lower the chances of someone developing cardiac disease. Various treatments can also be used to monitor the functions of the heart and sometimes depending on how devastating the damage is, surgery may be required.