Health Care: Heart disease

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Overview</h2>
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Many forms of heart disease can be prevented or treated with healthy lifestyle choices.<br />
<h2>
Symptoms</h2>
Heart disease symptoms depend on what type of heart disease you have.<br />
<h3>
Symptoms of heart disease in your blood vessels (atherosclerotic disease)</h3>
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.<br />
Symptoms can include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure and chest discomfort (angina)</li>
<li>Shortness of breath</li>
<li>Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in your legs or arms if the blood vessels in those parts of your body are narrowed</li>
<li>Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen or back</li>
</ul>
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.<br />
<h3>
Heart disease symptoms caused by abnormal heartbeats (heart arrhythmias)</h3>
A
 heart arrhythmia is an abnormal heartbeat. Your heart may beat too 
quickly, too slowly or irregularly. Heart arrhythmia symptoms can 
include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Fluttering in your chest</li>
<li>Racing heartbeat (tachycardia)</li>
<li>Slow heartbeat (bradycardia)</li>
<li>Chest pain or discomfort</li>
<li>Shortness of breath</li>
<li>Lightheadedness</li>
<li>Dizziness</li>
<li>Fainting (syncope) or near fainting</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Heart disease symptoms caused by heart defects</h3>
Serious
 congenital heart defects — defects you're born with — usually become 
evident soon after birth. Heart defect symptoms in children could 
include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Pale gray or blue skin color (cyanosis)</li>
<li>Swelling in the legs, abdomen or areas around the eyes</li>
<li>In an infant, shortness of breath during feedings, leading to poor weight gain</li>
</ul>
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:<br />
<ul>
<li>Easily getting short of breath during exercise or activity</li>
<li>Easily tiring during exercise or activity</li>
<li>Swelling in the hands, ankles or feet</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Heart disease symptoms caused by weak heart muscle (dilated cardiomyopathy)</h3>
In early stages of cardiomyopathy, you may have no symptoms. As the condition worsens, symptoms may include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Breathlessness with exertion or at rest</li>
<li>Swelling of the legs, ankles and feet</li>
<li>Fatigue</li>
<li>Irregular heartbeats that feel rapid, pounding or fluttering</li>
<li>Dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Heart disease symptoms caused by heart infections</h3>
Endocarditis
 is an infection that affects the inner membrane that separates the 
chambers and valves of the heart (endocardium). Heart infection symptoms
 can include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Fever</li>
<li>Shortness of breath</li>
<li>Weakness or fatigue</li>
<li>Swelling in your legs or abdomen</li>
<li>Changes in your heart rhythm</li>
<li>Dry or persistent cough</li>
<li>Skin rashes or unusual spots</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Heart disease symptoms caused by valvular heart disease</h3>
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).<br />
Depending on which valve isn't working properly, valvular heart disease symptoms generally include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Fatigue</li>
<li>Shortness of breath</li>
<li>Irregular heartbeat</li>
<li>Swollen feet or ankles</li>
<li>Chest pain</li>
<li>Fainting (syncope)</li>
</ul>
<h3>
When to see a doctor</h3>
Seek emergency medical care if you have these heart disease symptoms:<br />
<ul>
<li>Chest pain</li>
<li>Shortness of breath</li>
<li>Fainting</li>
</ul>
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.<br />
If you think you may have heart disease, based on new signs or symptoms you're having, make an appointment to see your doctor.<br />
<h2>
Causes</h2>
<h3>
How the heart works</h3>
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.<br />
<ul>
<li>The right side of the heart, comprising the right atrium and 
ventricle, collects and pumps blood to the lungs through the pulmonary 
arteries.</li>
<li>The lungs refresh the blood with a new supply of oxygen. The lungs also breathe out carbon dioxide, a waste product.</li>
<li>Oxygen-rich blood then enters the left side of the heart, comprising the left atrium and ventricle.</li>
<li>The left side of the heart pumps blood through the aorta to supply tissues throughout the body with oxygen and nutrients.</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Heart valves</h3>
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:<br />
<ul>
<li>Tricuspid</li>
<li>Mitral</li>
<li>Pulmonary</li>
<li>Aortic</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Heartbeats<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/multimedia/blueprints-to-your-heart-infographic/ifg-20405630" id="et-internalPromo-9AD2CE9D"></a></h3>
A beating heart contracts and relaxes in a continuous cycle.<br />
<ul>
<li>During contraction (systole), your ventricles contract, forcing blood into the vessels to your lungs and body.</li>
<li>During relaxation (diastole), the ventricles are filled with blood coming from the upper chambers (left and right atria).</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Electrical system</h3>
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.<br />
<ul>
<li>Electrical impulses begin high in the right atrium and travel 
through specialized pathways to the ventricles, delivering the signal 
for the heart to pump.</li>
<li>The conduction system keeps your heart beating in a coordinated and normal rhythm, which keeps blood circulating.</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Various heart disease causes</h3>
The causes of heart disease vary by type of heart disease.<br />
<h3>
Causes of cardiovascular disease</h3>
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<h3>
Causes of heart arrhythmia</h3>
Common causes of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) or conditions that can lead to arrhythmias include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Heart defects you're born with (congenital heart defects)</li>
<li>Coronary artery disease</li>
<li>High blood pressure</li>
<li>Diabetes</li>
<li>Smoking</li>
<li>Excessive use of alcohol or caffeine</li>
<li>Drug abuse</li>
<li>Stress</li>
<li>Some over-the-counter medications, prescription medications, dietary supplements and herbal remedies</li>
<li>Valvular heart disease</li>
</ul>
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<h3>
Causes of congenital heart defects</h3>
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.<br />
<br />
Heart defects can also develop in adults. As you age, your heart's structure can change, causing a heart defect.<br />
<h3>
Causes of cardiomyopathy</h3>
The cause of cardiomyopathy, a thickening or enlarging of the heart muscle, may depend on the type:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Dilated cardiomyopathy.</b> 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.</li>
<li><b>Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.</b> 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.</li>
<li><b>Restrictive cardiomyopathy.</b> 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.</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Causes of heart infection</h3>
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:<br />
<ul>
<li>Bacteria</li>
<li>Viruses</li>
<li>Parasites</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Causes of valvular heart disease</h3>
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:<br />
<ul>
<li>Rheumatic fever</li>
<li>Infections (infectious endocarditis)</li>
<li>Connective tissue disorders</li>
</ul>
<h2>
Risk factors</h2>
Risk factors for developing heart disease include:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Age.</b> Aging increases your risk of damaged and narrowed arteries and weakened or thickened heart muscle.</li>
<li><b>Sex.</b> Men are generally at greater risk of heart disease. However, women's risk increases after menopause.</li>
<li><b>Family history.</b> 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).</li>
<li><b>Smoking.</b> 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.</li>
<li><b>Certain chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy for cancer.</b> Some chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapies may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.</li>
<li><b>Poor diet.</b> A diet that's high in fat, salt, sugar and cholesterol can contribute to the development of heart disease.</li>
<li><b>High blood pressure.</b> Uncontrolled high blood 
pressure can result in hardening and thickening of your arteries, 
narrowing the vessels through which blood flows.</li>
<li><b>High blood cholesterol levels.</b> High levels of cholesterol in your blood can increase the risk of formation of plaques and atherosclerosis.</li>
<li><b>Diabetes.</b> Diabetes increases your risk of heart
 disease. Both conditions share similar risk factors, such as obesity 
and high blood pressure.
    </li>
<li><b>Obesity.</b> Excess weight typically worsens other risk factors.</li>
<li><b>Physical inactivity.</b> Lack of exercise also is associated with many forms of heart disease and some of its other risk factors, as well.</li>
<li><b>Stress.</b> Unrelieved stress may damage your arteries and worsen other risk factors for heart disease.</li>
<li><b>Poor hygiene.</b> 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.</li>
</ul>
<h2>
Complications</h2>
Complications of heart disease include:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Heart failure.</b> 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.</li>
<li><b>Heart attack.</b>  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.</li>
<li><b>Stroke.</b>  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.</li>
<li><b>Aneurysm.</b>  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.</li>
<li><b>Peripheral artery disease.</b>  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).</li>
<li><b>Sudden cardiac arrest.</b>  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.</li>
</ul>
<h2>
Prevention</h2>
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:<br />
<ul>
<li>Quit smoking</li>
<li>Control other health conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes</li>
<li>Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week</li>
<li>Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat</li>
<li>Maintain a healthy weight</li>
<li>Reduce and manage stress</li>
<li>Practice good hygiene</li>
</ul>
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Overview Heart disease describes a range of conditions that affect your heart. Diseases under the heart disease umbrella include ... Read More »

Heart disease - Symptoms and causes