Causes and Treatment of Heart Diseases

Introduction

Our heart is one of the most important organs in the human body. Its duty is to pump blood and to take care of the respiratory activities. Heart disease is a common term used to describe a host of diseases that affects the human heart due to various reasons and causes. It is the same as cardiac disease and refers to the disorders experienced in the blood vessels and arteries in the heart. The World health organization has stated that heart diseases are the leading reasons for deaths in the European region. It is estimated that at least one fourth of the deaths in the region are due to heart diseases. The various disorders in the heart include accelerated heart beats, or sluggish heart beats, pre-mature heart beats and irregular heartbeats. Other disorders like septal defects are also common heart disorders which features holes in any other two chambers of the heart. Sometimes the blood flow in and out of the heart may also be blocked due to the presence of blocks in the arteries. However, all these disorders are severely dangerous as it can lead to fatality if not diagnosed and treated for in the initial stages.

Causes of heart diseases

Certain heart diseases may have been infected upon birth and are referred to as congenital heart diseases. The common causes for heart diseases include high blood pressure, excessive smoking, drinking, consumption of harmful drugs, high stress levels, consumption of diet supplements without proper prescriptions, etc. Although it is possible to have heart diseases due to natural reasons a unhealthy standard of living and damaging diet habits can also lead to quick damage of the heart. Stress is one of the leading factors that contribute to heart diseases as it exerts too much pressure on the heart making it pump excess levels of blood beyond its capacity. Further, inadequate breathing exercises also harm the respiratory duties of the heart making it difficult to sustain its health in the long run. Through smoking and drinking harmful toxins are also made to come in contact with the heart which makes it more vulnerable to diseases and heart attacks. Heart attack is more of a medical condition than a disease. The heart fails to function the way it has to function due to various reasons.

Symptoms of heart diseases

             







The common symptom of heart diseases is an acute chest pain. The pain can be instant or may linger around the region for a prolonged period of time making the patient suffer from immobility and physical inactivity. Further, breathing also becomes difficult as the heart is unable to function like before in taking in oxygen to supply energy to the body. Pumping of blood becomes slower as the heart activity is restricted. Other symptoms of heart disease include pain in the heart region, numbness in body parts, feeling of coldness even during adverse climatic conditions, narrowing of blood vessels, etc. It is quite difficult to identify a heart disease until it becomes sever up to the point of a heart attack, stroke or seizure. Shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, dizziness during climbing heights, fainting unexpectedly, etc. are the other common symptoms of heart diseases. Obesity or over weight can also be a reason for heart diseases as the heart is unable to handle the pressure to supply blood to all parts of body. Further, the presence of cholesterol and blocks in the arteries connected to the heart also lead to possible heart diseases. Constant coughing, changes in pace of heartbeat, skin rashes in unusual spots also lead to heart diseases.

Diagnosis of heart diseases

The various tests used to diagnose heart diseases include blood tests, x-ray, ECG (electrocardiogram) tests, holter monitoring, heart biopsy, cardiac catheterization, MRI scanning or imaging, etc. Blood tests provide accurate results about the levels of blood sugar and cholesterol which makes it easy to diagnose the stage of heart diseases. Chest x-rays show whether any physical damage have been inflicted upon the heart like holes, blocks or corrosion based on which further treatments can be made. Blocks can be identified with the help of angiogram tests which reveal where and to what extent blocks are causing trouble in blood flow. ECG tests show the normalcy with which the heart is functioning. Fast beating of the heart indicated high blood pressure or stress levels which can be bought down using appropriate treatments. The ECG is basically a noninvasive test which has electronic signals capture the heart beat into the paper printouts based on which the doctor can deduce if the patient’s heart is healthy or not. Sometimes a heart biopsy is done in order to obtain complete information about the heart’s health. In the process a tiny sample of the heart is subject to lab tests for getting a clear idea of its health and working.

Treatment of heart diseases

The treatment for heart disease may vary based on the intensity of the heart complication. Sometimes a mere change in the lifestyle may enable an individual to reclaim the lost health. In other cases extensive medical procedures may have to be administered in order to bring the heart back to normalcy. The common medications used for regaining the heart’s health are diuretics, beta blockers, angio-tensin converting enzyme, daily aspirin therapy, etc. Medical therapy that includes surgery and biopsy may also be required in order to achieve a complete healthy condition of the heart. Pacemakers and ICDs are also largely used in treatment of heart diseases. They aid in regulating the speed of the heartbeat and ensure that the patient is able to lead a healthy lifestyle although physical activity and highly stressful activities may be restricted. Open heart surgeries are required in case of physical defects in the heart. They are serious medical procedures and require extensive time to heal and recover. IN certain cases a heart implant may also be required which will replace the dysfunctional heart of the patient with the heart of deceased individual or donor.