Thursday, March 21, 2013

Heart Disease: A Basic Know How

Diseased conditions related to heart's structure and its functioning falls under the category of heart diseases. There are a bunch of abnormalities that can occur in this vital organ of human body.

Types of heart diseases:

  • Coronary artery disease: Arteriosclerosis (narrowing) and atherosclerosis (hardening) of arteries

  • Cardiomyopathy: Diseased condition of heart muscles

  • Congenital heart disease: Abnormality in heart since birth

  • Arrhythmia: Erratic or irregular heartbeat

  • Valvular diseases: Defects in the heart valves

  • Heart failure: Inability of the heart to sufficiently pump the blood in and out of it

  • Myocardial infarction or heart attack
Symptoms
Even though there are a variety of heart diseases but upsetting symptoms for most of them remain similar and silent to a large extent in many cases. Some of them can range from,
  • Shortness of breath on exertion

  • Palpitation (beating or pounding of heart very fast)

  • Sweating and feeling of nausea

  • Discomfort or tightness in the chest

  • Weakness

  • During a heart attack, dull pain radiating towards the jaw, back and left hand
Causes and risk factors
There are several causes and risk factors which makes a person susceptible towards heart diseases. They can be divided in three categories,Modifiable
  • Lack of physical movement

  • Obesity or weight more than required

  • Smoking or use of tobacco
Non modifiable
  • Men are generally at greater risk than women

  • Hereditary

  • Risk of getting a heart disease increases with age

  • High blood pressure and blood cholesterol

  • Diabetes

Contributing risk factors
  • Stress

  • Alcohol

  • Sex hormones

  • Contraceptive pills

Diagnosis
It is essential to recognise the symptoms of heart disease ASAP and get medical attention fast to reach a good prognosis. Tests and procedures to make the diagnosis are as follows:Lab tests:
  • Elaborate blood tests to check cell count, cholesterol, triglycerides, and presence of a certain enzymes that is released in blood when heart muscles die due to ischemia (in heart attack)

Diagnostic Tests:
  • Chest x-ray

  • Echocardiography and stress Test

  • Holter monitoring

  • Echocardiogram

  • Cardiac CT Scan and MRI Scan
Diagnostic procedures:
  • Cardiac catheterisation

  • Heart bypass

Treatment

  • Medicines: Patient is given medication to bring down and maintain the blood pressure. Regular daily dose of aspirin, a blood thinning medicines is usually prescribed. Statins or fibrates (cholesterol lowering medications) are also given.

  • Angioplasty: An invasive procedure to reopen the blocked artery. Sometimes stents are placed to keep the artery remain open.

  • Bypass surgery: A vein from the body of the patient is used to bypass the blocked segment of the artery and normal blood flow is restored.

  • Valve repair or replacement: Damaged valve is surgically replaced.

  • In arrhythmic diseases, pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are placed.

Prevention
This is the key. Regular preventive screening tests can save your heart, literally!!
In today's time, heart ailments are the biggest killer and interestingly, are highly preventable also if timely diagnosis is made. This will require regular preventive health screening, starting early in life.
Indus Health Plus, the leading specialist in preventive health check-up offer several health check-up packages aiming at early prevention for timely diagnosis.
Apart from going for regular checkups, other measures to stay away from heart diseases can be,
  • Lifestyle modification by eating right and limiting stress

  • Manage and control high blood pressure and diabetes

  • Exercising 30 minutes is a MUST

  • Quit smoking and follow a healthy diet

  • Lose extra weight

About the Author

Indus Health Plus Pvt. Ltd. is a pioneering company actively promoting preventive health care in India since 2000. Its mission is to generate awareness on preventive health check up and make it available, accessible and affordable for all. More than 3.1 lakh families have benefitted and precious lives saved due to timely health check-ups facilitated by Indus Health Plus. To know more please click here or call 020 6647 2500

No comments:

Post a Comment