The heart is an organ located in the center of the chest, slightly towards the left of the breastbone. It is the hardest working muscle organ in the body that pumps about 2 ounces of blood in every heartbeat, pumping roughly 2500 gallons of blood throughout the body.
A Cardiovascular or “heart disease” in general refers to all negative, disorder, and unstable conditions affecting the said organ, blood vessel, and pressure with a wide range of requirements involved.
Generally, heart disease types vary but are caused by damage to atherosclerosis, or arteries form to build up fat. Even plaque buildup causes narrowed and closed blood vessels. Therefore, individuals affected by such a disease are prone to heart attack, chest pain, stroke, shortness of breath, and in simple, a negatively affected flow to life.
As this is prone to anybody of all sexes, and ages, subsequently, an assessment to review the conditions of one’s health is beneficial, especially when looking at cholesterol levels, consumption history, family medical record, and levels of blood pressure.
The death rates among Indians due to heart attacks have been increasing since 2014 and are reeling under the burden of cardiovascular diseases. Indians are 3-5 times at a higher risk of developing heart disease as compared to other countries and constitute a fifth of global deaths from heart disease.
While heart disease in India has increased significantly, there has been a decline in heart disease among Indians in other countries, indicating that it isn’t only genetics. There are various types of cardiovascular disease (heart and vessel), each with its symptoms and treatment. Some of the common types include
Coronary artery disease:
One of the common types, coronary arteries, are blood vessels that carry Co2 or oxygen to the blood, keeping the heart muscle pumping constantly. This disease is caused when plaque or fat is built up in the arteries, causing the routes to narrow and tighten, making it more difficult for blood to reach the muscle heart and causing pain and discomfort.
The symptom of coronary heart disease includes unusual breathing, discomfort, and tightening of the chest described almost as a dull ache. The complication has a heart attack, Angina, heart rhythm problem, and heart failure.
Arrhythmia:
An arrhythmia occurs when the heart beats excessively at a slower or higher pace or even at an uneven or irregular rhythm. The electrical system to communicate and send signals to the heart muscle to push the blood is a heartbeat. A beat at an average rate at a steady pace is between 60 and 100 times a minute called sinus rhythm.
The irregular flow of beats from the usual pattern is arrhythmia, Including several other kinds of the said disease.
What Causes This? A vast pool consists of damage to the heart due to other heart problems, aging, medication, stimulants, obesity, and other medical conditions. The triggers for this disease include fatigue, nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, emotional stress, drugs, etc.
Heart Failure:
As straightforward as the word dictates, the term is related to the Heart I inability to function. Simply when the pumping capacity and pressure are not enough to meet the blood and oxygen demands of the rest of the body as it is tasked to do, it will cause heart failure.
Cases include when the heart is not sending enough blood to the body with required pressure, or the heart itself cannot fill and store the needed blood, in some cases, both. The causes of heart failure include high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, excessive drinking, infection to the heart, other medical diseases, and Angina.
Symptoms include and vary on the heart but generally include less capability to perform physical activities, shortness of breath, nausea, fluid buildup, loss of appetite, and change in pulse rate.
Valvular disease:
Also known as a heart valve, is a condition that arises when the four valves in the heart that work together have a member that is not functioning correctly. The various problems are stenosis, which is when the valves do not open to provide blood flow as intended.
Also, when regurgitation takes place, the heart valve doesn’t close correctly, which promotes blood to leak, and when the valve leaflets show a bulge and go through a prolapse into the upper chamber. These symptoms include an abnormal sound heard called a heart murmur, shortness of breath, fatigue, neck pain, and swelling of feet, leg, and ankle.
In conclusion, there are many heart disease types such as Angina, cardiac arrest, cardiomyopathy, Rheumatic heart disease, and even takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a disease triggered by physical and emotional state and many others.
The function of a heart includes the flow of blood and pumping pressure for other organs and parts of the body, all either affecting each other when one is damaged. But considering the similarities by cause, it can be treated by lifestyle changes, medication, and surgical procedures.
