Kinds Of Heart Diseases
Read about the kinds of heart diseases. The human heart is undoubtedly one of the most important organs in the human body, not only because it gives us the ability to love and form meaningful relationships, but also because it is responsible for pumping blood throughout the circulatory system. It is essentially the muscle keeping us alive. Unfortunately, many things can go wrong with the heart’s proper functioning, which could result to several kinds of heart diseases. It can be something that is passed on to us through genetics; it can be the result of bad eating habits or lack of exercise; or it can simply be the unfortunate result of a viral infection. The list below sums up the most common kinds of heart diseases:
The deadliest of all the kinds of heart diseases is coronary heart disease: coronary disease rightfully deserves to be on top of this list as it is one of the leading causes of death in a global level. When fat and other waste products build up in the coronary arteries (the arteries that supply the heart with oxygen and nutrients), they create a blockage that obstructs normal blood flow to the heart. In time, those blockages attract more and more waste products making the arteries smaller and more rigid (atherosclerosis), and the heart even more oxygen and nutrient-deprived. Unless the condition is treated, the heart’s pumping ability will become weak, or the artery might fail completely, thusly resulting in certain death.
Arrythmia: Another heart disease is arrythmia, or irregular heart beating. It can be the case that the heart functions in a lower, or in a higher pace, a condition called bradycardia and tachycardia respectively. People diagnosed with arrhythmia sometimes use a medical pacemaker to help them regulate the pace of their heartbeat. Arrythmia, however, is one of those kinds of heart diseases that a person might have without even knowing it. Skipping a beat, or having an extra one just for a second, is something that would probably go unnoticed. But, if it was to last longer, symptoms would include chest pain, fatigue, dizziness, or even fainting. Such a situation could prove fatal and anyone experiencing such symptoms should seek for medical help immediately.
Myocarditis and pericarditis: are two kinds of heart diseases that are usually caused by a viral infection. Myocarditis refers to the inflammation of the heart muscle itself, while pericarditis refers to an infection to the protective tissue that surrounds it, namely the pericardium. Such a condition can severely decrease the heart’s pumping ability and cause serious problems.
Cardiomegaly: from the greek words ‘cardia’, which means heart, and ‘megaly’, which means large, is a medical condition where the heart has become enlarged beyond its normal size. It can be considered both as a heart disease itself and as a strong indicator for other kinds of heart diseases. Coronary disease, myocarditis, hypertension, alcohol and drug abuse, obesity, etc are all conditions that can cause the enlargement of the heart. Because the heart is not supplied with enough blood, it is forced to grow bigger in order to balance out the lack of oxygen and nutrients, and be able to supply the rest of the body with blood. Once again, the problem is that the heart becomes more and more strained so as to achieve normal everyday functioning.
It is true that a person may have cardiomegaly and not experience any problems in his life. Still, cardiomegaly is more than often an indicator that something in our cardiovascular system is not functioning properly and it demands medical attention.
Congenital heart disease: last but not least, a medical condition can always be the result of an abnormality of the heart that is present at birth. Either genetic or environmental factors, before or during pregnancy, can cause chromosomal abnormalities, which in turn can cause what we call a congenital heart disease. Such defects in the structure of the heart do not require treatment in some cases, while medication or surgery may be the only solution in others.
Needless to say, of course, that in kinds of heart diseases, there are many factors that may contribute in a negative or a positive way. A person’s age, weight, smoking and drinking habits, heredity, the amount of exercise one gets or the lack of it, etc., are all factors which may prove fatal or lifesaving respectively. A heart failure might be the outcome of an accumulated strain on the heart’s pumping function, or a sudden outburst without warning caused by stress and other temporal factors.
Fortunately, all the aforementioned kinds of heart diseases can be diagnosed in time through electrocardiagrams, ultrasounds of the heart, x-rays, and other medical tests. One thing is for sure, however: the matters of our heart are never to be taken lightly, and they demand our full engagement.