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Heart disease refers to any condition which affects the heart and disrupts it from pumping blood. They are also known as cardiovascular diseases or coronary Heart disease. The main cause of heart disease is improper functioning of the heart.
What is Heart Disease?
Heart Disease includes a wide range of conditions that affects the heart such as blood vessel disease, coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, heart attacks, heart muscle disease, infection in the heart, etc. The severity of the heart disease depends on the individual and symptoms. Based on these two factors the treatment is decided. Heart Diseases are of many types as follows:
Rheumatic heart disease
This disease is most commonly found in children. Acute rheumatic fever is an inflammatory condition affecting the joints, heart, and central nervous system. The most prevalent rheumatic fever side effect is heart valve damage. Due to the inflammation generated by rheumatic disease, the pericardium (outside sac) and endocardium (inner lining) may be injured.
This usually begins with strep throat and later on, it develops into a fever which can be prevented by taking antibiotics or penicillin.
Symptom of Rheumatic heart disease
- Pain in the chest
- Excessive tiredness
- The heart skips a beat
- The sensation of a thud in the chest
- Ankles swollen
- Fainting
Treatment of Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Having antibiotics for strep throat and fever
- Medicines helping in thinning the blood to prevent heart stroke
- For repairing heart valves - Surgery
Valvular Heart Disease
When valves of the heart (aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid valves) get damaged due to age or any other reason, it results in valvular heart disease.
The valves of the heart ensure that the blood is flowing in the right direction with the right speed. But due to valvular heart disease, the valves get thinner, hard and sometimes even blocked because of which the rate and speed of the heart changes.
Symptoms of Valvular Heart Disease
It is difficult to find the symptoms of this disease as it is very sudden and advances slowly while the heart adjusts to it. The general symptoms are as follows:
- Anxiousness
- Excessive tiredness
- Irregular heartbeats
- Pain in the chest
Treatment of Valvular Heart Disease
- Antibiotic therapy
- Anticoagulant medications
- Balloon dilatation
Hypertensive Heart Disease
The main cause of this disease is hypertension. Hypertensive heart disease is most common among adults due to high stress levels or workload. It causes harm to the heart and blood arteries by overburdening them. Some of the conditions that arise due to Hypertensive heart disease are as follows.
Aneurysm: Aneurysm is an arterial bulging or swelling. Aneurysm may be silent and does not show any symptoms, but it can cause major problems, even death if left untreated. Aneurysm can occur in any section of the body, including the brain, nervous system, and other organs.
Atherosclerosis: This is a disorder in which plaques build up on the inside walls of arteries, making them hard and thick. As a result, blood flow in the system is restricted. Atherosclerosis can strike at any time and in any portion of the body. Coronary artery disease occurs when atherosclerosis develops in the heart. If this happens in the legs, it's a sign of peripheral artery disease.
High blood pressure: When the blood pressure increases it results in heart failure, renal failure, etc.
Cerebrovascular disease
In this disease, the circulation of the blood to the brain is affected. Atherosclerosis is generally the main reason for this disease. As already mentioned, Atherosclerosis is a disorder in which fat deposits build up in the walls of arteries, making them stiff and thick.
Cause of Cerebrovascular Disease
The basic or primary causes of cardiovascular heart disease are:
- Atherosclerosis
- Embolism
- Low-fat conditions
- Aneurysms
Hypertension, smoking, diabetes, lifestyle changes and obesity are all risk factors.
Treatment of Cerebrovascular Disease
It consists of many factors like lifestyle changes, medications, and surgery (vascular surgery/ endovascular surgery)
Inflammatory heart disease
Inflammation of the pericardium is the major cause of this disease. The following are the main causes of Inflammatory Heart Disease:
- Infection caused by bacteria or fungi
- Myocarditis and heart attack
- As a result of chest radiation therapy
- Immune-suppressing drugs are commonly used
- Cancer, leukaemia, TB, kidney failure, and other disorders
Symptoms of Inflammatory Heart Disease
The symptoms of inflammatory heart disease are:
- Breathing problems when lying down
- Chest pain
- Anxiety
- Excessive tiredness
- Dry cough
Treatment of Inflammatory Heart Disease
To treat Inflammatory heart diseases, antibiotics medication are used and for severe cases, surgery or long term medication is prescribed. The aim of the treatment is to-
- Reduce the inflammatory process in the short term.
- Streptococcal infection eradication
- Prevent sickness from spreading further.
- Protect the heart against the effects of carditis.
Ischemic heart disease
This disease is caused due to less supply of oxygen to the myocardium (muscle of the heart). It is a wide range of heart diseases and is also known as coronary artery heart disease.
Angina
When the supply of blood to the heart is less it results in Angina. Because blood carries oxygen throughout the body, depriving the heart of oxygen will result in death. Angina begins as a pain in the chest that spreads to the left arm, shoulder, and jaw. It happens as a result of shortness of breath and sweating.
Causes of Ischemic Heart Disease
- Smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol levels are all risk factors.
- This condition may also be caused by genetic and inherited causes.
- Hypertension
- Stress is a risk factor as well
Treatment of Ischemic Heart Disease
Ischemic Heart disease is mostly treated by the use of medication. Organic nitrates are a type of nitrate that helps to relax the smooth muscles of the heart.
- Beta-blockers are drugs that help the heart function less and consume more oxygen.
- Aspirin is a drug that lowers the risk of angina.
- Calcium channel blockers work by inhibiting beta receptors to lower total coronary flow.
Things to remember
- Heart disease refers to any condition which affects the heart and disrupts it from pumping blood.
- Heart disease is known as cardiovascular disease or coronary Heart disease.
- The main cause of heart disease is improper functioning of the heart.
- The main types of heart disease are -
- Rheumatic heart disease.
- Valvular heart disease
- Hypertensive heart disease
- Cerebrovascular disease
- Inflammatory heart disease
- Ischemic Heart Disease
Sample question
What is the major risk factor for coronary artery disease? (2 marks)
Ans. Even in people who do not have heart disease, obesity is a risk factor for heart failure. There are two basic theories. First, obese people have more blood in their bodies, which makes the heart work harder and can contribute to heart failure over time. The heart's muscular size grows as it works harder, a condition known as ventricular hypertrophy. Second, obesity is linked to sleep apnea, which causes lung issues as well as high blood pressure, both of which can contribute to heart failure in the long run.
Ques. What does irregular heartbeat or abnormal heartbeat mean? (2 marks)
Ans. An erratic heartbeat is referred to as an arrhythmia. A person's heart may beat too quickly, too slowly, too early, or with an irregular rhythm if they have this disorder. When the electrical signals that coordinate heartbeats malfunction, arrhythmias occur. A racing or fluttering heart is one example of an irregular heartbeat.
Ques. What is Myocardial infarction? (2 marks)
Ans. A myocardial infarction (MI), often known as a heart attack, happens when blood supply to a region of the heart is reduced or stopped, resulting in damage to the heart muscle. Chest pain or discomfort is the most prevalent symptom, which might spread to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, or jaw. It usually happens in the centre or left side of the chest and lasts for several minutes. The discomfort may feel like heartburn at times.
Ques. What occurs when a person has cardiac failure? (2 marks)
Ans. The cardiac output is unable to satisfy the need for blood in the body
Explanation - When the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should, it causes heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure. When this happens, blood can back up in the lungs and fluid can build up, causing shortness of breath
Ques. What does The term "sudden cardiac arrest" mean? (2 marks)
Ans. The term "sudden cardiac arrest" refers to when the heart suddenly stops beating. The blood supply to essential organs, including the brain, is cut off when a person has a sudden cardiac arrest.
Ques. Is heart disease an irreversible condition? (2 marks)
Ans. Heart disease is potentially reversible by attending to risk factors like cholesterol, blood pressure, and smoking. Several studies have shown, for example, that aggressive lowering of blood cholesterol with LDL levels below 100 can open up blocked coronary arteries at least partially. LDL cholesterol is the “bad” cholesterol component.
Ques. How important is diabetes as a risk factor? (2 marks)
Ans. The importance of diabetes is often underestimated. Studies have shown that if a patient has diabetes, their risk of a heart attack is increased five-fold above a patient who does not have diabetes. In addition, treating blood pressure and cholesterol in diabetic patients can dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease. For that reason, it is very important that patients with diabetes have their blood pressure and cholesterol values checked frequently and are treated appropriately.
Ques. What's the Link Between Smoking and Heart Disease? (2 marks)
Ans. About 30% of deaths from heart disease are directly related to cigarette smoking. Smoking is a major cause of atherosclerosis.
Among other things, the nicotine in smoke causes:
- Less oxygen to the heart
- Higher blood pressure and heart rate
- More blood clotting
- Damage to cells that line coronary arteries and other blood vessels
Ques. What is Cholesterol? (2 marks)
Ans. Cholesterol is a soft, waxy material made in the liver. It’s in foods such as egg yolks, milk fat, organ meats, and shellfish.
High cholesterol levels can be lowered by eating foods low in saturated fats, sugar, and calories.
Ques. Can stress cause heart disease? (2 marks)
Ans. Stress can increase the risk of heart disease, although we still do not know how this happens. A sudden physical or emotional stress can certainly lead to an episode of angina or even a heart attack.
Ques. What are the symptoms of heart disease? (2 marks)
Ans. Sometimes heart diseases do not show any symptoms. Some of the commonly found symptoms are:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Palpitations
- Chest discomfort and/or pain
- Chest heaviness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Pain that radiates to the jaw, arm, or throat
Ques. What happens if Heart disease is left untreated? (2 marks)
Ans. If a heart disease is not treated, it can cause severe angina, heart failure with shortness of breath on even mild activities. The risk of death is increased.
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