Better Innovations

Better Living Through Innovation

  • Wellness
  • Health
  • Exercise
  • Therapy
    • Back Pain
  • Funny

5 Types of Heart Disease Explained

December 14, 2012 By Lauren Hill

Heart disease is a collective term for the more than 50 different diseases that can affect the heart. Diseases of the heart are the number one cause of death in America. It is therefore important to be informed about the types of heart disease that can occur and the symptoms and treatments associated with each one.

1. Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary Artery Disease affects more than 13 million people in the United States, and is the number one cause of death in America. It occurs when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries and causes blockages. These blockages restrict blood flow to the heart, preventing oxygen and other nutrients from reaching the heart and allowing it to pump properly.

As an individual ages, plaque builds up in the walls of his coronary arteries. Chemicals are released from this plaque that can promote healing, but they also make the blood vessel’s inner walls sticky. This can cause other substances traveling in the bloodstream to stick to the walls and cause blockages. These blockages can become so severe that they may totally stop the flow of blood from reaching the heart. If this happens, a heart attack occurs.

2. Congenital Heart Disease

Another common form of heart disease is congenital heart disease. This is not something that develops over time, but is a condition that an individual is born with. It is a defect in the heart that is present before birth. Symptoms of the disease may not appear until later in adulthood and include shortness of breath, especially when participating in strenuous exercises.

There are different types of congenital heart disease that affect different parts of the heart. Some of these include heart valve defects, atrial or ventricular defects and abnormalities in the heart muscle.

Congenital heart disease in an unborn fetus can be caused by numerous things including rubella, the use of drugs or smoking during pregnancy and Down Syndrome.

3. Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive Heart Failure is the number one reason why Americans 65 and older are hospitalized. Nearly 6 million Americans are affected by this condition. The term failure may be a bit of a misnomer in that the heart does not stop working completely. Rather, it pumps much more weakly than normal. Blood is moved through the body at a slower rate, causing pressure in the heart to increase. When this happens, the heart’s chambers may either stretch in order to hold more blood or become stiff and thickened. This can help to keep blood pumping through the body, but eventually the heart muscles will weaken and stop being able to pump efficiently.

When the heart is unable to pump efficiently, the kidneys may begin to retain the body’s fluid and salt. This fluid can build up in the body and cause it to become congested. This is why the disease is known as congestive heart failure.

4. Pulmonary Heart Disease

Pulmonary heart disease is something that affects the heart and lungs. The blood flow to the lungs is either not adequate or blocked completely. This results in pressure building on the lungs. Symptoms of this disease include shortness of breath, fainting and chest pain.

Pulmonary heart disease is often misdiagnosed, allowing the disease to progress to later stages where it is extremely difficult to treat. When caught early, there are treatments available that can give the patient a good prognosis.

5. Rheumatic Heart Disease

Rheumatic heart disease is the presence of abnormalities in the valves of the heart that are caused by rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever often causes the heart to become inflamed. This inflammation can lead to damage of the heart valves. The condition tends to worsen over time, especially if there are recurring episodes of rheumatic fever.

Rheumatic heart disease can drastically increase the heart’s workload, eventually leading to heart failure. It commonly involves atrial fibrillation which can lead to blood clots and stroke. This is why patients with this disease are often put on a regime of blood thinners.

Once an individual has been diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease, it is vitally important that he has regular physical examinations in order to monitor the condition of his heart. Since the disease tends to progress over time, eventually the patient will most likely require valve replacement surgery.

These are just 5 of the more than 50 types of heart disease that affect the heart. As with virtually every disease, early detection is important for improving the patient’s prognosis.

Lauren Hill writes for Cardiac Vascular & Thoracic Surgery Associates (CVTSA), a VA surgery group specializing in robotic, heart/ lung transplant and open heart surgeries. Take a look here and see how they can help you.

Is Your Heart Really in Perfect Condition?

May 4, 2011 By Steven Kirchhof

It’s easy to assume that if you’re in pretty good shape, work out regularly, and eat well, your heart is in great shape. You’ve never had a heart attack, and you may never have been grossly overweight in your entire life. Even without these symptoms, though, your heart may be struggling and trying to tell you so through other, seemingly unrelated symptoms. While you don’t need to run to the doctor every time you’re nauseous or feeling a little under the weather, it’s a good idea to know what signs of common heart problems are so that you can detect them and cut off heart problems in the bud.

Heart Valve Disease

Heart valve disease is an overarching name for a bunch of different problems that can occur with the heart valves. Sometimes, minor heart valve problems can cause a host of symptoms, and major heart valve issues can cause no symptoms at all. It’s funny that way. But, if you’re experiencing several of these symptoms on a regular basis, you may need to check with your doctor to see if you may have a heart valve problem.

  • Weakness or dizziness on a regular basis
  • Pressure or discomfort in your chest, especially during activity or when first heading out into the cold
  • Palpitations, including a rapid heart rhythm, irregular heartbeat, or skipped heartbeats
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty catching your breath, particularly with exercise or when lying flat on your back

Heart Muscle Disease

The disease of the heart muscle, called cardiomyopathy, is surprisingly common, and many people go through their entire life without noticing it, really. If you do have symptoms of cardiomyopathy, they might include some of the following:

  • Swelling in your feet and legs
  • Frequent fatigue and tiredness
  • Fainting
  • Heart palpitations, which might leave you with a fluttering feeling in the heart
  • Chest pain or pressure, particularly when exercising, when resting, or after meals

Coronary Disease

Sometimes, certain coronary diseases are actually hidden. Patients may have symptoms of coronary disease but not have any seeable blockages on X-rays and angiograms. This hidden killer is more common in women, and it can eventually cause heart attacks. Basically, women often get fatty deposits on the coronary arteries as well as other, smaller blood vessels leading to the heart. The buildup can cause oxygen to get blocked off from the heart, even when the blood vessels look relatively clear. Symptoms of this problem may include:

  • Chest pain, pressure, or discomfort
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue

The Statistics

Heart disease is the leading killer of women over the age of twenty-five in the United States. In 2003, heart problems caused about 910,600 deaths of men and women alike. Even though overall death rates from coronary disease are declining because doctors are getting better at treating the problem, the onus is still on patients to do what it takes to keep their hearts in good shape.

If you think you might have a heart problem, see your doctor right away, since, as you can see, the symptoms for many common heart issues are similar. Even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms, though, you should be proactive in helping your heart stay healthy, since you can’t be healthy in general unless you have a healthy heart. Here are some of the main things you can do to keep your heart in tip-top shape:

  • Maintain a healthy weight. You don’t have to look like a runway model to have a healthy heart, but studies have certainly proven that keeping a weight that’s healthy for your height and build is key to having a healthy heart.
  • Stay in shape. This is actually different from maintaining a healthy weight. Your weight can be controlled by diet alone, but to stay in shape, you need to exercise. Shoot for at least thirty minutes to an hour of cardiovascular exercise each day to keep your heart muscle in good shape.
  • Keep your cholesterol low. Again, even if you maintain a healthy weight, high cholesterol can be an issue. To keep your cholesterol low, enjoy meat in smaller portions, and make sure your dinner plate always features vegetables and whole grains.
  • Stop smoking. In one study, a female smoker had a heart disease risk of a woman about ninety pounds over her weight! Obviously, smoking is a huge cause of heart problems, and the sooner you quit, the better.
  • Control diabetes. Just like you can have high cholesterol and be in good shape, you can have diabetes and be in good shape, too. Keeping diabetes under control will keep your heart in better shape. Talk to your doctor about what, exactly, you can be doing to keep your diabetes in check through diet, exercise, and, possibly, medication.

Abigail Hall is a writer at CreditDonkey, a credit card comparison website for families. On the weekends, Abigail loves to mountain bike and explore the wilderness. On the weekdays, Abigail writes about cash back credit cards.

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on Google+Follow Us on TwitterFollow Us on YouTubeFollow Us on RSS
Fast, Free Shipping On All Orders!

Popular Posts

  • Review: Weider X-Factor Home Gym – Door Mounted
  • Comparison Review: Comparing PowerLung with…
  • Best Before Bed Snacks To Keep You Lean
  • Motivational Health, Wellness, and Fitness Quotes
  • Review: DPL Therapy System – Deep Penetrating…
  • DPL Nuve Handheld Light Therapy System Review
  • Needak vs. Reboundair Rebounders – Comparison

About Us

Blog Archive

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

Disclosure

Contact Us