Define Heart Disease

Heart disease includes a variety of problems that affects the heart muscle and vessels. This can include hardening of the arteries, narrowing of the arteries, irregular heart rhythm and blood pressure issues. There are different types of heart disease and diagnosis and treatment is based on the type and severity. Both men and women can be affected by this disease and risk factors can be based on lifestyle choices as well as genetics.

Types of Heart Disease

• Coronary heart disease is most common and is a main contributing factor to heart attacks. With this form of heart disease the arteries of the heart are narrowed and hardened, which prevents proper blood flow from occurring.

  Heart failure occurs when other parts of the body do not receive proper blood flow because of insufficient pumping of the heart. This not only leads to heart failure, but failure of the other organs as well.

  Arrythmias, or irregular heart beats, can be something that a person is born with. However it can also develop with age or because of poor heart health. Arrythmias are considered a form of heart disease because irregular heart beats can affect the efficiency of the heart.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of heart disease can vary, but typically include breathlessness with little or no activity, swelling in feet, hands or legs, high blood pressure, high cholesterol (as determined by a blood test), fatigue or rapid weight gain or weight loss. Any or all of these symptoms, especially with a rapid onset, can be an indication of heart disease. Also, pain in the abdomen or chest can indicate a fluid buildup , which is a symptom of heart disease.

Contributing Factors

• A number of things can contribute to the development of heart disease. Lifestyle choices such as smoking or drinking can greatly speed up the process of heart disease because of the toxic effect they both have on the heart and body. Eating unhealthily or eating foods high in fat and cholesterol can clog arteries, which prevents the heart from functioning properly. This can also lead to stroke or heart attack.

Prevention/Solution

• While some people are predisposed to developing heart disease because of family history, others can make conscious choices that will affect their chances for developing this disease. Following a healthy diet, staying active, not drinking or smoking and monitoring blood pressure are the best options for prevention.

Warning Signs

• Heart disease is a serious condition that can cause a heart attack, stroke or even death. There are a number of signs that can precede a major health event. Pain in one or both arms, numbness in one or both sides of the body, breaking out in a cold sweat, severe headache with rapid onset, heart flutters and vomitting can be warning signs of a heart attack or stroke.