Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It affects over one million Americans each year and kills more than a million people worldwide. Heart disease can be caused by many factors, including diet, smoking, lack of exercise and stress. Heart disease needs to be treated early or else it may turn into something worse like stroke or heart attack later on down the road.
What is heart disease?
Heart disease is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood through the body. It can be caused by heart muscle damage, heart valves that do not work properly, or other problems with your circulation system. Heart attack and stroke are two of the most common types of heart attack (or myocardial infarction), but there are other less severe forms as well.
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People who have been diagnosed with one type of cardiovascular disease may also experience changes in their pulse rate or breathing pattern as they age, according to Mayo Clinic’s website on cardiovascular health issues like high cholesterol levels and diabetes mellitus (diabetes).
What causes heart disease?
There are many factors that can lead to heart disease, including:
- Overweight and obesity, which can be caused by eating too much or being inactive.
- Smoking cigarettes or cigars.
- High blood pressure (hypertension). This is when the force of blood against your arteries is too high for your body’s needs. It may be caused by a number of things, including genetics or lifestyle choices like smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol excessively. The good news is that it’s very treatable with medication if you have hypertension that is mild enough not to cause symptoms yet severe enough for you not be able to avoid treatment.* High cholesterol levels in the blood (hypercholesterolemia). These increase risk for coronary artery disease.* Family history of heart disease.* Diabetes mellitus type II
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Symptoms of heart disease
- Breathlessness
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing
- Fatigue, weakness or exhaustion
How can I prevent heart disease?
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Exercise regularly.
- Avoid smoking, which is a major cause of heart disease and stroke.
- Have a healthy weight for your height and age, so that you don’t put yourself at risk for cardiovascular disease later in life.
What happens if I have a blocked artery?
If you have a blocked artery, you may feel chest pain. You can also have a heart attack.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide. Heart attacks are sudden events that occur when blood flow to your heart is restricted or interrupted by narrowing or blockage of arteries (veins). Although rare, they are typically caused by atherosclerosis (hardening) of one or more coronary arteries.
Treatment for blocked arteries
Treatment for blocked arteries
- The first step in treatment for blocked arteries is to take a medical history, including your family history of heart disease. This information will help determine whether you are at risk for having or developing an abnormal heart condition. If you have other risk factors that may be contributing to your current symptoms, these can also be assessed during this visit. Your doctor will ask about the medications you’re taking and any other medications prescribed by other providers that might affect your blood flow (such as birth control pills). Your doctor will review any recent reading on blood pressure and cholesterol levels so they can determine what changes need to be made in order get them under control as well as where they’re headed if left unchecked over time!
Your doctor may want you on aspirin therapy (“ASA”) or another type of blood thinner like warfarin (Coumadin) immediately.”ASA” stands for acetylsalicylic acid; this is an anti-inflammatory drug which reduces platelet aggregation when taken orally every day after meals until there’s been enough time since last dose
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It’s important to get the right treatment for your specific type of blocked artery.
If you have a blockage in an artery, it’s important to get the right treatment for your specific type of blocked artery. You may need to have surgery, angioplasty and stent placement or heart bypass surgery. If you’re unsure about your diagnosis or type of heart disease, talk with your doctor about what could be causing your symptoms.
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It’s also important that you follow up with a doctor who specialises in treating this condition so they can keep track of any changes in their condition over time and adjust treatment accordingly if necessary.
Conclusion
We hope that by now you’ve got a clearer picture of what heart disease is, the different risk factors that contribute to the development of this condition, and how you can reduce your chances of developing it. If you have any questions or concerns about your own health situation, we encourage you to talk with a doctor about it. You can also find local support groups in your area if needed!
