9 COMMON TYPES OF HEART DISEASE YOU SHOULD KNOW
The illness of the heart is called heart disease or cardiovascular disease. Let’s quickly take a check on what the heart is.
The heart is a muscular organ made up of muscles the size of a fist. The heart is in the chest on the left-hand side behind the breastbone. The heart is known for pumping blood about 70 to 100 times a minute. The heartbeat is dependent on age and activities.
The heart with the blood vessels makes up the cardiovascular system which functions like a machine. Arteries, veins, and capillaries are the blood vessels in the cardiovascular system. They coordinate the distribution and exchange of blood in and outside the heart.
The heart has four chambers that regulate the exchange of blood. Blood enters the heart through the vein into the right atrium and moves into the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve. At this point, the right ventricle moves the blood through the pulmonary artery into the lungs for oxygen. The oxygenated blood moves into the left auricle through the pulmonary vein, and the exchange of blood with the left ventricle occurs through the bicuspid valve. The systemic aorta is the passage of blood from the left ventricle to a different part of the body.
TYPES OF HEART DISEASE
Several types of heart illness lead to the other if there’s no proper treatment.
CORONARY HEART DISEASE
It is a common type of heart disease that affects the arteries supplying blood to the heart. Arteries are affected due to blockage of the passage of blood by plaque. The plaque is mostly the buildup of cholesterol which is called arteriosclerosis. The lumen of the artery gets narrow and hardened.
Blood circulation into the heart is affected, obstructing the supply of oxygen and nutrients. The heart muscle gets weakened and can develop into complicated heart diseases. Coronary heart disease interferes with the beating and efficiency of the heart, and the risk factors for coronary heart disease include viral infections, excessive alcohol intake, and drugs. Early treatment averted the worst.
ARRHYTHMIA
Arrhythmia is an abnormal or irregular beating of the heart. It is also known as dysrhythmia. It can be too slow or too fast. Arrhythmia is the interference in the electrical impulses of the heart. The heart contains nodes that coordinate impulses.
Arrhythmia has four different types concerning the heartbeat. They include:
Tachycardia: this is a fast or rapid heartbeat that occurs at the rate of 90 beats per minute.
Bradycardia: it is a slow beating of the heart at a rate of 50 beats per minute.
Premature contractions: this is an early heartbeat that can be from any source in the heart, more like an ectopic reaction.
Atrial fibrillation: it is an irregular heartbeat of the cardiac atria leading to twitching of the heart’s muscular wall.
CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS
This heart disease occurs right from birth. It is the obstruction or defects in the structural development of the heart. It is rare and diagnosed in 6 out of 80 babies. It has three types.
Atypical heart valves: the valves’ failure to open is a deviation from the normal form of the heart.
Septal defects: it’s the presence of a hole between the lower or upper chamber of the heart.
Atresia: the absence of one of the valves.
It is a critical heart disease that requires immediate treatment, often caused by genetic formation and influences during pregnancy. It can be inherited.
DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY
Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle. Expansion of the heart chamber to its maximum limit reduces the heart’s efficiency. Blood will not be well circulated. The common causes are toxins, heart failure, arrhythmia, diabetes, obesity, infections, and genetics.
The dilated Chambers of the heart weaken the heart. Other related symptoms are blood clotting and heart failure. It is hereditary and usually in adults of age 20 to 60 years of age.
HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY
It is a genetic heart disease that can be inherited. It thickens the heart wall and causes harder contractions. The difficulty arises in the pumping in and out of blood, which gradually worsens into another heart disease.
It is mostly found in active individuals like athletes around age 35. It interferes with impulse generation in the heart resulting in irregular impulses. Immediate treatment should be provided. It can be transferred from parents to children.
HEART FAILURE
It is silent heart disease, a gradual illness of the heart. The specialty of heart failure is that the heart does not stop working. It is the failure to maintain blood circulation caused by congestion and edema in the heart tissues. The common symptoms of heart failure are the abnormal contraction and relaxation of the heart and obstruction of circulation.
Heart failure may develop from other heart problems like high blood pressure, arrhythmia, and coronary heart disease.
The body swells up due to salt and water accumulation. Individuals can also experience difficulty in breathing.
HEART ATTACK
Heart attack is otherwise known as myocardial infarction. It is a serious heart disease that requires immediate attention and occlusion of the coronary artery.
It alters the flow of blood and damages the heart muscles. It causes impairment of venous and arterial blood supply.
AORTIC STENOSIS
The valves at the entrance of the pulmonary trunk that receives blood from the right ventricle are hardened and fused. The difficulty arises with blood pumping into the aorta.
This disease can be a congenital valve problem or mechanical actions. It could be a scarring or calcium deposit on the valve. Alongside heart disease, the different parts of the body experience little blood supply.
STROKE
A stroke is a blockage of blood flow. It is a common heart disease with high reported cases globally. It interferes with cerebral circulation leading to brain damage and causing the death of brain cells due to the unavailability of nutrients. It could be a result of a burst or blocked artery. Stroke is one of the contributing diseases to disability.
TREATMENTS
Treatment varies with individuals. There are three effective methods of treatment.
- Healthy lifestyle
- Medications
- Surgery
Medications: drugs prescribed are to correct a few mild cardiovascular diseases. Some of these drugs include anticoagulants (warfarin, oral dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban- to prevent blood clots), antiplatelet therapus (aspirin- prevent blood clots), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (Lisinopril- treat heart failure and high blood pressure), angiotensin II receptor blocker (losartan to control blood pressure), and so on.
It is advisable to visit the doctor before using any heart medication.
Surgery: surgery works when medications are not effective. The surgery treatments include coronary artery bypass surgery, coronary angiography, valve replacement, repair surgery, device implantation, laser treatment, and maze surgery. These surgeries are methods to remove blockages and correct irregular heartbeats and impulses.
TIPS TO FEND OFF HEART DISEASE
Prevention is better than cure is a healthy statement to consider. Here are a few guidelines that help to get rid of heart diseases.
- Eat healthy foods
- Stay active with regular exercise, avoid a sedentary lifestyle
- Watch your weight
- Avoid smoking and watch your alcohol intake
- Ensure you sleep regularly
- Stay hygienic
- Manage your stress
- Medical check-ups
COMMON TYPES OF HEART DISEASE FAQs
What is heart disease?
Heart disease is a deviation in the functionality of the cardiovascular system. It obstructs the actions of blood vessels, valves, and nodes that regulate blood circulation to the body. It can worsen. Most times, it is associated with other medical conditions in the body.
What are the types of heart disease?
There are several types. They include congenital heart defects, arrhythmia, coronary heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, heart failure, heart attack, aortic stenosis, hypertension, and stroke. Some of these heart diseases develop linked to another heart disease or another medical condition in the body.
What are the symptoms of heart disease?
There are various warning signs of heart disease, but not all types of heart disease have symptoms. These symptoms include chest pain, difficulty breathing, heart palpitation, choking sensation, fatigue, nausea, swelling, abdominal pain, irregular heartbeats, leg and hand pain, lightheadedness, and swollen ankles. Treatment is advisable if there are any signs or symptoms of heart disease.
What are the causes of heart disease?
The causes of heart disease include the unavailability of nutrients and oxygen to the heart, unhealthy diet, overweight, family history of heart disease, stress, obesity, diabetes, high level of bad cholesterol, age, sedentary lifestyle, sleep apnea, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, and a disturbed sleeping pattern.
What are the treatments for heart disease?
The treatments recommended for treating heart disease are three types. They include medication to prevent blood clots and high blood pressure HBP, undergoing surgery when drugs seem ineffective to remove blockages and replace valves, and living a healthy lifestyle. These three strategic treatments are effective.
What are heart disease preventions?
Preventing heart disease is not much of a task but a beneficial decision. Here are prevention tips for heart disease: eat healthy meals, regular exercise, weight management, quit smoking, moderate alcohol intake, sleep regularly, stay hygienic, have medical check-ups, and stress management. Following these tips promise good heart health.
