Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world. While heart disease can be deadly, it’s also preventable in most people. By adopting healthy lifestyle habits early, you can potentially live longer with a healthier heart.

There are different conditions that can be referred to as heart disease. It is normally including blood vessel diseases such as coronary artery disease, heart rhythm problem and heart defects in which the person can be born with it. When we are talking about this disorder the term is often used interchangeably with cardiovascular disease.

What is the term “heart disease”?

Generally, we can say that this disorder refers to a group of conditions that can affect the structure and natural functions of the heart and there are so many roots as its causes. Types of heart disease include:

• Arrhythmia. An arrhythmia is a heart rhythm abnormality.
• Atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a hardening of the arteries.
• Cardiomyopathy. This condition causes the heart’s muscles to harden or grow weak.
• Congenital heart defects. Congenital heart defects are heart irregularities that are present at birth.
• Coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is caused by the buildup of plaque in the heart’s arteries. It’s sometimes called ischemic heart disease.
• Heart infections. Heart infections may be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites.

Different causes for heart diseases

There are different and various elements which can cause heart problems that here we name some:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol levels
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure during the pregnancy
• Sleep apnea
• Unhealthy diets
• Smoking
• Too much alcohol
• Too much stress
• Recreational usage of drugs
• Birth control or hormone replacement therapy
• Indigenous heritage
• Personal circumstances

Symptoms

You should know that not all the problems come with clear signs. Sometimes there are no symptoms at all and some of them even don’t happen in your chest. This is especially important if you are overweight, concerned with diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. The symptoms may include:

• Chest discomfort

One of the most common signs of heart disease is chest discomfort. If your arteries are blocked or you are going to have a heart attack, you may feel a mixture of pain, tightness or pressure in your chest. This feeling may not last more than a few moments but it may happen during your relaxation time or while you are doing physical activities.

• Heartburn or Stomach Pain

Another symptom of heart disease is heartburn, nausea or indigestion. Some people may have these kinds of signs during a heart attack. It’s better to know that women are likely to show this kind of signs than men. Of course, there are so many other reasons for stomach pain which have nothing to do with your heart but you should still be careful.

• Pain which is spreading in your arm

There is another classic symptom for heart attack which happens on the left side of the body specially in arms. It is said that this kind of pain normally starts from the chest and moves outward in your arm and left the side of the body.

• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded

There are lots of problems which can cause the loss of your balance at the moment. Maybe you didn’t sleep or drinking well but it can also mean that your blood pressure is dropped because your heart isn’t able to pump it in a right way.

• Fluttering heart or racing heartbeat

Atrial flutter (AFL) is a type of abnormal heart rate, or arrhythmia. It occurs when the upper chambers of your heart beat too fast. When the chambers in the top of your heart (atria) beat faster than the bottom ones (ventricles), it causes your heart rhythm to be out of sync.

• Slow pulse
• Fainting spells

Symptoms of heart disease in women

Women often experience different signs and symptoms of heart disease than men, specifically with regards to CAD and other cardiovascular diseases. In fact, a 2003 study looked at the symptoms most often seen in women who’d experienced a heart attack. The top symptoms didn’t include “classic” heart attack symptoms such as chest pain and tingling. Instead, the study reported that women were more likely to say they experienced anxiety, sleep disturbances, and unusual or unexplained fatigue.

Common heart disease symptoms in women include:

• dizziness
• paleness
• shortness of breath or shallow breathing
• lightheadedness
• fainting or passing out
• anxiety
• nausea
• vomiting
• jaw pain
• neck pain
• back pain
• indigestion or gaslike pain in the chest and stomach
• cold sweats

Risk factors:

There are many risk factors for heart disease. Some are controllable, and others aren’t.  Some of these controllable risk factors include:

• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” cholesterol
• smoking
• obesity
• physical inactivity

People with diabetes may also be at higher risk for heart disease because high blood glucose levels increase the risk of:

• angina
• heart attack
• stroke
• CAD

Other risk factors for heart disease that you can’t control include:

• family history
• ethnicity
• sex: women are more in danger
• ag: the older one get, the higher the risk is.

Prevention

Some risk factors for heart disease can’t be controlled, like your family history, for example. But it’s still important to lower your chance of developing heart disease by decreasing the risk factors that you can control. Some of the things you can do are:

• Aim for healthy blood pressure and cholesterol numbers
• Find ways to manage stress
• Avoid foods high in saturated fat and salt
• 30 to 60 minutes of exercise per day
• Quit smoking

Treatment

Heart disease treatment largely depends on the type of heart disease you have as well as how far it has advanced. Treatment for heart disease falls into three main categories:

Lifestyle changes

• Follow a low-sodium, low-fat diet that’s rich in fruits and vegetables
• Getting regular exercise
• Quitting tobacco

Medications

Your doctor can prescribe a medication that can either cure or control your heart disease. Medications may also be prescribed to slow or stop the risk of complications.

Surgery or invasive procedures

In some cases of heart disease, surgery or a medical procedure is necessary to treat the condition and prevent worsening symptoms.

 

In brief…

There are so many reasons which can cause heart disease but among all age, smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress and using drugs are the most important one. Also, there are so many symptoms which even some of them are not related and can be hidden during your disorder. We are highly recommending you visit the doctor and checkup if you have another one in your close relatives who has this problem. Chest discomfort, pain in the left side of the body and feeling dizzy are some of the most common symptoms of these diseases.