Heart Disease: Causes and Symptoms | Risk factors
Symptoms | Causes | Risk factors | Prevention | Self-care | Treatment
Heart disease is one of the most common cause of death nowadays. Heart disease is a problem that affects the heart.
Heart disease symptoms
The following features indicate heart disease:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Pain
- Patience
- Weakness or coldness in the legs or arms
- Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen or back
- Heart disease can be present in patients even when they show no physical symptoms.
A common cause of heart disease
Common causes of heart disease are as follows:
- Congenital heart defects
- Cardiovascular disorders
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Excessive consumption of alcohol or caffeine
Other causes of heart disease
Other causes of heart disease include:
- Drug abuse
- Stress
- Use of over-the-counter medications
- Taking dietary supplements
- Use of herbal remedies
- Valvular heart disease
Risk factors for heart disease
The following factors can increase the risk of heart disease:
- Aging
- Being male
- Family history
- Smoking
- Improper diet
- High blood pressure
- High blood cholesterol levels
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity
- Stress
- Poor sanitation
To prevent heart disease
Yes, it is possible to prevent heart disease. It can be prevented by doing the following:
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid tobacco use
- Exercise for 30 minutes most days of the week
- Eat a heart-healthy diet
- To maintain a healthy bodyweight
- Get enough quality sleep
- Manage stress
- Get regular health check-ups
Laboratory tests and procedures
- Laboratory tests and procedures used to diagnose heart disease include:
- Electrocardiogram: The electrical impulses produced by the heart
- Blood test: To test for the presence of certain enzymes
- Chest X-ray: To check the size of the heart and its blood vessels
- Echocardiogram: Provide video images of the heart
- Coronary Catheterization: Occurs in areas of obstruction
- Exercise stress test: To measure how the heart and blood vessels work
- Cardiac Computed Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): To diagnose heart diseases
Medicine for the diagnosis of heart disease
Patients should visit the following specialists if they have symptoms of heart disease:
- Cardiologist
More problems of heart disease if left untreated
Yes, heart disease can become complicated if left untreated. Below is a list of complications and problems that can occur if heart disease is not treated:
- Stroke
- Aneurysm
- Heart failure
- Heart attack
- Sudden heart attack
- Peripheral artery disease
Treatment process on heart disease
The following methods are used to treat heart disease:
- Coronary Angioplasty and Stenting: Unblock an artery in the heart
- Coronary artery bypass surgery: allow blood flow to the heart to bypass the narrowed segment
Self-care for heart disease
The following self-care or lifestyle changes may help treat or manage heart disease:
- Avoid smoking: Helps improve heart health
- Regulate blood pressure and cholesterol levels: Reduces the chances of heart disease
- Get regular medical check-ups: Check for and help manage debilitating conditions like hypertension, high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Exercise regularly: Helps improve heart muscle function after a heart attack
- Maintain a healthy weight: Excess weight affects the heart and can contribute to other diseases
- Eat a heart-healthy diet: Keep the heart healthy
- Manage Diabetes: Keep blood-sugar levels at more desirable levels
- Control stress: Reduce stress in your daily activities
Alternative medicine for the treatment of heart disease
The following alternative medicine and therapies are known to aid in the treatment or management of heart disease:
- Chiropractic Therapy: Helps with stress management during treatment
- Deep-breathing exercises and meditation: Helps manage stress