All You Need To Know About HeartDiseases And Other Factors.

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Overview

Heart disease describes a range of conditions that

affect your heart. Diseases under the heart

disease umbrella include blood vessel diseases,

such as coronary artery disease; heart rhythm

problems (arrhythmias); and heart defects you're

born with (congenital heart defects), among

others.

The term "heart disease" is often used

interchangeably with the term "cardiovascular

disease." Cardiovascular disease generally refers

to conditions that involve narrowed or blocked

blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack,

chest pain (angina) or stroke.

Other heart

conditions, such as those that affect your heart's

muscle, valves or rhythm, also are considered

forms of heart disease.

Many forms of heart disease can be prevented or

treated with healthy lifestyle choices.

Symptoms

Heart disease symptoms depend on what type of

heart disease you have.

Symptoms of heart disease in your blood

vessels (atherosclerotic disease)

Cardiovascular disease symptoms may be

different for men and women.

For instance, men

are more likely to have chest pain; women are

more likely to have other symptoms along with

chest discomfort, such as shortness of breath,

nausea and extreme fatigue.

Symptoms can include:

Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure

and chest discomfort (angina)

Shortness of breath

Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in

your legs or arms if the blood vessels in

those parts of your body are narrowed

Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper

abdomen or back

You might not be diagnosed with cardiovascular

disease until you have a heart attack, angina,

stroke or heart failure.

It's important to watch for

cardiovascular symptoms and discuss concerns

with your doctor. Cardiovascular disease can

sometimes be found early with regular evaluations.

Heart disease symptoms caused by

abnormal heartbeats (heart arrhythmias)

A heart arrhythmia is an abnormal heartbeat.

Your

heart may beat too quickly, too slowly or

irregularly.

Heart arrhythmia symptoms can

include:

Fluttering in your chest

Racing heartbeat (tachycardia)

Slow heartbeat (bradycardia)

Chest pain or discomfort

Shortness of breath

Lightheadedness

Dizziness

Fainting (syncope) or near fainting

Heart disease symptoms caused by heart

defects

Serious congenital heart defects — defects you're

born with — usually become evident soon after

birth. Heart defect symptoms in children could

include:

Pale gray or blue skin color (cyanosis)

Swelling in the legs, abdomen or areas

around the eyes

In an infant, shortness of breath during

feedings, leading to poor weight gain

Less serious congenital heart defects are often not

diagnosed until later in childhood or during

adulthood. Signs and symptoms of congenital

heart defects that usually aren't immediately life-

threatening include:

Easily getting short of breath during

exercise or activity

Easily tiring during exercise or activity

Swelling in the hands, ankles or feet

Heart disease symptoms caused by weak

heart muscle (dilated cardiomyopathy)

In early stages of cardiomyopathy, you may have

no symptoms. As the condition worsens,

symptoms may include:

Breathlessness with exertion or at rest

Swelling of the legs, ankles and feet

Fatigue

Irregular heartbeats that feel rapid, pounding

or fluttering

Dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting

Heart disease symptoms caused by heart

infections

Endocarditis is an infection that affects the inner

membrane that separates the chambers and

valves of the heart (endocardium).

Heart infection

symptoms can include:

Fever

Shortness of breath

Weakness or fatigue

Swelling in your legs or abdomen

Changes in your heart rhythm

Dry or persistent cough

Skin rashes or unusual spots

Heart disease symptoms caused by valvular

heart disease

The heart has four valves — the aortic, mitral,

pulmonary and tricuspid valves — that open and

close to direct blood flow through your heart.

Valves may be damaged by a variety of conditions

leading to narrowing (stenosis), leaking

(regurgitation or insufficiency) or improper closing

(prolapse).

Depending on which valve isn't working properly,

valvular heart disease symptoms generally

include:

Fatigue

Shortness of breath

Irregular heartbeat

Swollen feet or ankles

Chest pain

Fainting (syncope)

When to see a doctor

Seek emergency medical care if you have these

heart disease symptoms:

Chest pain

Shortness of breath

Fainting

Heart disease is easier to treat when detected

early, so talk to your doctor about your concerns

regarding your heart health. If you're concerned

about developing heart disease, talk to your

doctor about steps you can take to reduce your

heart disease risk. This is especially important if

you have a family history of heart disease.

If you think you may have heart disease, based on

new signs or symptoms you're having, make an

appointment to see your doctor.

Causes

How the heart works

Your heart is a pump.

It's a

muscular organ about the size

of your fist, situated slightly left

of center in your chest. Your

heart is divided into the right

and the left side. The division

prevents oxygen-rich blood from

mixing with oxygen-poor blood.

Oxygen-poor blood returns to

the heart after circulating

through your body.

The right side of the heart, comprising the

right atrium and ventricle, collects and

pumps blood to the lungs through the

pulmonary arteries.

The lungs refresh the blood with a new

supply of oxygen. The lungs also breathe

out carbon dioxide, a waste product.

Oxygen-rich blood then enters the left side

of the heart, comprising the left atrium and

ventricle.

The left side of the heart pumps blood

through the aorta to supply tissues

throughout the body with oxygen and

nutrients.

Heart valves

Four valves within your heart keep your blood

moving the right way by opening only one way

and only when they need to.

To function properly,

the valve must be formed properly, must open all

the way and must close tightly so there's no

leakage.

The four valves are:

Tricuspid

Mitral

Pulmonary

Aortic

Heartbeats

A beating heart contracts and relaxes in a

continuous cycle.

During contraction (systole), your ventricles

contract, forcing blood into the vessels to

your lungs and body.

During relaxation (diastole), the ventricles

are filled with blood coming from the upper

chambers (left and right atria).

Electrical system

Your heart's electrical wiring keeps it beating,

which controls the continuous exchange of

oxygen-rich blood with oxygen-poor blood. This

exchange keeps you alive.

Electrical impulses begin high in the right

atrium and travel through specialized

pathways to the ventricles, delivering the

signal for the heart to pump.

The conduction system keeps your heart

beating in a coordinated and normal

rhythm, which keeps blood circulating.

Various heart disease causes

The causes of heart disease vary by type of heart

disease.

Causes of cardiovascular disease

While cardiovascular disease

can refer to different heart or

blood vessel problems, the

term is often used to mean

damage to your heart or blood

vessels by atherosclerosis (ath-

ur-o-skluh-ROE-sis), a buildup

of fatty plaques in your arteries.

Plaque buildup thickens and

stiffens artery walls, which can inhibit blood flow

through your arteries to your organs and tissues.

Atherosclerosis is also the most common cause

of cardiovascular disease. It can be caused by

correctable problems, such as an unhealthy diet,

lack of exercise, being overweight and smoking.

Causes of heart arrhythmia

Common causes of abnormal heart rhythms

(arrhythmias) or conditions that can lead to

arrhythmias include:

Heart defects you're born with (congenital

heart defects)

Coronary artery disease

High blood pressure

Diabetes

Smoking

Excessive use of alcohol or caffeine

Drug abuse

Stress

Some over-the-counter medications,

prescription medications, dietary

supplements and herbal remedies

Valvular heart disease

In a healthy person with a normal, healthy heart,

it's unlikely for a fatal arrhythmia to develop

without some outside trigger, such as an electrical

shock or the use of illegal drugs.

That's primarily

because a healthy person's heart is free from any

abnormal conditions that cause an arrhythmia,

such as an area of scarred tissue.

However, in a heart that's diseased or deformed,

the heart's electrical impulses may not properly

start or travel through the heart, making

arrhythmias more likely to develop.

Causes of congenital heart defects

Congenital heart defects usually develop while a

baby is in the womb.

Heart defects can develop

as the heart develops, about a month after

conception, changing the flow of blood in the

heart. Some medical conditions, medications and

genes may play a role in causing heart defects.

Heart defects can also develop in adults. As you

age, your heart's structure can change, causing a

heart defect.

Causes of cardiomyopathy

The cause of cardiomyopathy, a thickening or

enlarging of the heart muscle, may depend on the

type:

Dilated cardiomyopathy.

The cause of this

most common type of cardiomyopathy

often is unknown. It may be caused by

reduced blood flow to the heart (ischemic

heart disease) resulting from damage after

a heart attack, infections, toxins and certain

drugs. It may also be inherited from a

parent. It usually enlarges (dilates) the left

ventricle.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

This type, in

which the heart muscle becomes

abnormally thick, usually is inherited. It can

also develop over time because of high

blood pressure or aging.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy.

This least

common type of cardiomyopathy, which

causes the heart muscle to become rigid

and less elastic, can occur for no known

reason. Or it may be caused by diseases,

such as connective tissue disorders,

excessive iron buildup in your body

(hemochromatosis), the buildup of

abnormal proteins (amyloidosis) or by

some cancer treatments.

Causes of heart infection

A heart infection, such as endocarditis, is caused

when an irritant, such as a bacterium, virus or

chemical, reaches your heart muscle.

The most

common causes of heart infection include:

Bacteria

Viruses

Parasites

Causes of valvular heart disease

There are many causes of diseases of your heart

valves. You may be born with valvular disease, or

the valves may be damaged by conditions such

as:

Rheumatic fever

Infections (infectious endocarditis)

Connective tissue disorders

Risk factors

Risk factors for developing heart disease include:

Age. Aging increases your risk of damaged

and narrowed arteries and weakened or

thickened heart muscle.

Sex. Men are generally at greater risk of

heart disease. However, women's risk

increases after menopause.

Family history. A family history of heart

disease increases your risk of coronary

artery disease, especially if a parent

developed it at an early age (before age 55

for a male relative, such as your brother or

father, and 65 for a female relative, such as

your mother or sister).

Smoking. Nicotine constricts your blood

vessels, and carbon monoxide can damage

their inner lining, making them more

susceptible to atherosclerosis. Heart

attacks are more common in smokers than

in nonsmokers.

Certain chemotherapy drugs and radiation

therapy for cancer. Some chemotherapy

drugs and radiation therapies may increase

the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Poor diet. A diet that's high in fat, salt,

sugar and cholesterol can contribute to the

development of heart disease.

High blood pressure. Uncontrolled high

blood pressure can result in hardening and

thickening of your arteries, narrowing the

vessels through which blood flows.

High blood cholesterol levels. High levels

of cholesterol in your blood can increase

the risk of formation of plaques and

atherosclerosis.

Diabetes. Diabetes increases your risk of

heart disease. Both conditions share similar

risk factors, such as obesity and high blood

pressure.

Obesity. Excess weight typically worsens

other risk factors.

Physical inactivity. Lack of exercise also is

associated with many forms of heart

disease and some of its other risk factors,

as well.

Stress. Unrelieved stress may damage your

arteries and worsen other risk factors for

heart disease.

Poor hygiene. Not regularly washing your

hands and not establishing other habits that

can help prevent viral or bacterial infections

can put you at risk of heart infections,

especially if you already have an underlying

heart condition. Poor dental health also

may contribute to heart disease.

Complications

Complications of heart disease include:

Heart failure. One of the most common

complications of heart disease, heart failure

occurs when your heart can't pump enough

blood to meet your body's needs. Heart

failure can result from many forms of heart

disease, including heart defects,

cardiovascular disease, valvular heart

disease, heart infections or cardiomyopathy.

Heart attack. A blood clot blocking the

blood flow through a blood vessel that

feeds the heart causes a heart attack,

possibly damaging or destroying a part of

the heart muscle. Atherosclerosis can

cause a heart attack.

Stroke. The risk factors that lead to

cardiovascular disease also can lead to an

ischemic stroke, which happens when the

arteries to your brain are narrowed or

blocked so that too little blood reaches

your brain. A stroke is a medical

emergency — brain tissue begins to die

within just a few minutes of a stroke.

Aneurysm. A serious complication that can

occur anywhere in your body, an aneurysm

is a bulge in the wall of your artery.

If an

aneurysm bursts, you may face life-

threatening internal bleeding.

Peripheral artery disease.

Atherosclerosis

also can lead to peripheral artery disease.

When you develop peripheral artery disease,

your extremities — usually your legs — don't

receive enough blood flow. This causes

symptoms, most notably leg pain when

walking (claudication).

Sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac

arrest is the sudden, unexpected loss of

heart function, breathing and

consciousness, often caused by an

arrhythmia. Sudden cardiac arrest is a

medical emergency.

If not treated

immediately, it is fatal, resulting in sudden

cardiac death.

Prevention

Certain types of heart disease, such as heart

defects, can't be prevented.

However, you can

help prevent many other types of heart disease by

making the same lifestyle changes that can

improve your heart disease, such as:

Quit smoking

Control other health conditions, such as

high blood pressure, high cholesterol and

diabetes

Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most

days of the week

Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated

fat

Maintain a healthy weight

Reduce and manage stress

Practice good hygiene

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