The heart is a complex muscle with many parts and functions that can be damaged by lifestyle, poor oral health, and neglect of the symptoms that indicate problems. One of the most neglected heart functions is blood pressure. This heart disease is known as the silent killer.
Causes of Heart Disease
Among the most serious heart disease causes is a cardiovascular disease which describes many types of damage to the heart and blood vessels. Often called atherosclerosis, the cause is fatty substances called plaques that attach to the walls of the arteries constricting the flow of blood. This condition affects the arteries ability to carry oxygen and nutrients from the heart to other parts of the body. Atherosclerosis is the most frequent cause of cardiovascular disease, and its most often caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. The major risk factors involved in atherosclerosis are a diet rich in fats, poor exercise habits, obesity, and smoking.
High blood pressure in the arteries will likely result in the artery and vessel walls becoming thick and stiff. The result is a restricted blood flow to organs and tissues that could result in kidney failure, among other problems. This heart disease is described as arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Damaged arteries are one of the major heart disease causes. Among other problems are heart arrhythmias which are the presence of abnormal heart rhythms. The development of arrhythmias result from several factors beginning with congenital heart defects that a person is born with. Other factors known to cause arrhythmias are: coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, too much alcohol or caffeine, stress, and some medications. Among heart disease causes, arrhythmias have no known cause.
Cardiomyopathy is a thickening or enlarging of the heart muscle and it is also among the unknown heart disease causes. This is one of the heart diseases can result in the heart not be able to handle the blood properly between heartbeats. This heart disease requires skilled diagnosis. Heart infections can cause heart diseases and they result from a number of bacteria entering the body's bloodstream. Bacteria can enter the bloodstream through daily activities and lifestyle events. Poor oral health is a serious cause of heart problems. Viruses contracted through sexually transmitted infections can make their way to the heart muscle and cause an infection. The heart is susceptible to infections caused by used needles, and inflammatory diseases that can spread to the heart causing an infection. Infections are among the preventable heart disease causes.
Symptoms of Heart Disease
Chest pain with shortness of breath is one of the signs of heart disease. The textbook description of the pain of angina is described as a heavy weight on the chest accompanied by pain behind the breastbone and possibly jaw pain and arm pain. The pain is often associated with the symptoms of shortness of breath and sweating. However, the lack of chest pain, but the presences of other upper body pain, nausea, heartburn or upper abdominal pain are reasons to seek medical help immediately. Heart problems may not cause diabetics and women to manifest classic symptoms, but they may feel an overall sense of abnormal fatigue and malaise.
The inability to walk or climb stairs without feeling out of breath is a sign of problems. Any change in the tolerance of exercise should also be discussed with a doctor immediately. The signs of heart disease can be easy to overlook, but they should not be ignored. Any sign of an infection, particularly in an older person, should be brought to the doctor's attention because a number of problems, including heart problems, can be prevented with early diagnosis.
Treatment of Heart Disease
Medical technology in treating heart disease has advanced to the point where problems are no longer the number one cause of death in America. The range of Statin medications available to lower cholesterol has been an amazing treatment for reducing the artery-damaging plaque. The use of minimally invasive stints to open up arteries without surgery is an effective treatment for heart problems relating to arteries. Balloon angioplasty is a method of opening clogged arteries by inserting a device in the artery that inflates the artery to keep it open. Angiogenesis involves injecting medications into the vein or directly into the heart that causes the heart to grow new blood vessels.
Heart problems that were untreatable can in some cases form new blood vessels to take the place of the damaged or clogged vessels. Perhaps the best treatment plan is to change bad lifestyle habits and adopt new habits such as exercise, losing weight, smoking cessation, and regular medical checkups. However, seek medical consultation if any troublesome symptoms of heart problems appear.
