Definition of Heart Disease
Heart disease is a condition when the heart is disturbed. Some types of heart disease, including :
- Coronary heart disease, is a heart disease that occurs due to narrowing of blood vessels in the heart.
- Congenital heart disease, a heart problem found since infancy, the most common is heart valve leakage.
- Heart infection (endocarditis), is an infection of the inner lining of the heart.
- Heart failure, is a failure of the heart muscle to pump blood adequately throughout the body.
- Arrhythmia, is a heart rhythm disorder that causes abnormal heart beats.
Symptoms of Heart Disease
Some symptoms of heart disease, including :
- Coronary heart disease, the main symptom is chest pain, which can be accompanied by shortness of breath, pain that radiates to the left arm, or to the jaw.
- Congenital heart disease, symptoms can be in the form of tightness and look blue when crying or suckling, swelling around the eyes and legs, and body weight does not increase.
- Heart infection (endocarditis), the symptoms of fever, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, swelling in the abdomen or legs, and coughing.
- Heart failure, symptoms in the form of shortness of breath that gets heavier when on the move, shortness of breath that gets heavier when lying down, swollen legs, and an enlarged abdomen.
- Arrhythmia, symptoms that can occur in the form of heart palpitations, discomfort in the chest, shortness of breath, sensation of floating, even unconscious.
Causes and Risk Factors for Heart Disease
The causes and risk factors for heart disease depend on the type of disorder, including :
- Coronary heart disease, caused by narrowing of blood vessels in the heart. Some risk factors, including unhealthy lifestyles, such as eating foods high in carbohydrates or fats, obesity, rarely doing physical activity, and smoking habits.
- Congenital heart disease, until now not known with certainty the cause. Some risk factors, including mothers infected with rubella during pregnancy, mothers taking certain drugs during pregnancy, or the presence of gene abnormalities.
- Heart infections (endocarditis), generally caused by viruses or bacteria. The most common bacterium found as a cause is bacterial infection of Streptococcus beta hemolyticus group A.
- Heart failure, generally caused by coronary heart disease, infection, or abnormalities of the heart valves.
- Arrhythmia, generally caused by congenital abnormalities, the presence of heart muscle that dies from coronary heart disease, excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption, stress, or the side effects of certain drugs.
Diagnosis of Heart Disease
The doctor will diagnose heart disease by beginning a complete medical interview, which is followed by a thorough physical examination, and supporting examinations if needed. Some of the supporting examinations include :
- Electrocardiogram (EKG), which is an examination to see the flow of electricity and heart rhythm. This examination is done by attaching several leads (shaped like a pin) to the patient's body. ECG is the most common examination performed on those suspected of having heart problems.
- Echocardiography, which is an examination to see the inside of the heart, the function of the heart pump, and the function of the heart valves. This examination is mainly carried out on those suspected of having heart failure, congenital heart disease, and heart valve abnormalities.
- Treadmill test, which is a heart rhythm examination that is done while the patient is doing physical activity (treadmill). This examination is generally done to detect early coronary heart disease.
- Angiography, which is a heart examination that is done by inserting a device that functions as a camera into the heart's blood vessels to see the blockage in the heart's blood vessels.
Prevention of Heart Disease