Heart Attack - Warning Signs & Prevention

Approximately 1.5 million people suffer from heart attack in the United States each year, with a third of those resulting in death. About 50% of those deaths will happen within one hour of the onset of symptoms, therefore, it is important that everyone recognizes the signs in order that sufferers can get to a hospital as soon as possible to avoid death and limit damage to the heart.

Normally oxygen will be carried by the blood flowing through the arteries and into the heart to feed the heart muscles. A heart attack can occur if part of the heart muscle dies/is damaged due to not receiving enough oxygen. Most are caused by blockages due to plaque build-up inside the arteries or to hardening of the artery walls.

How do I know if I'm having a heart attack?

The most common symptom of heart attack, which should never be ignored, is a feeling of pressure/heaviness on the chest. If you feel as if someone is sitting on your chest, it lasts for more than a few minutes and does not go away when you sit or lie down, then you need to dial 9-1-1 immediately. Another possible symptom is pain, which spreads across your back, neck, jaw, shoulders and arms. This may be accompanied by feeling dizzy, nauseous and/or short of breath. There could also be a sudden feeling of extreme fatigue. Sometimes you may feel as if you have heartburn - it can be hard to distinguish between a severe case of heartburn and a heart attack.

The symptoms experienced by men and women can be similar; however, women have reported other symptoms in addition to or instead of the more typical symptoms and these include: difficulty breathing and flu-like symptoms (fatigue, sweaty skin and weakness).

What to do?

If you are in any doubt, call 9-1-1 immediately... better to be safe than sorry! Unless you are in a remote location, do not attempt to drive yourself to the emergency room. If you're not allergic to aspirin, then chew one while you wait for the ambulance arriving.

Whether or not someone survives a heart attack and how well they survive it is dependent upon how quickly they get treatment, how much damage there has been and where the damage is.

Risk Factors

The most common risk factors for a heart attack are:

Age - about 85% of people who die of a heart attack are over the age of 65.SmokingHigh blood pressureHigh cholesterolFamily historyDiabetesObesityStressLack of exerciseAtherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)

How to avoid having a heart attack?

Discuss your risk factors with your doctor and he/she will be able to advise you on how to reduce the risk of heart attack. This advice will include: eating a healthy diet (which will help lower blood pressure and cholesterol); getting plenty of exercise; if you are overweight, then he/she will advise you on the best ways to lose weight; if you're a smoker - stop; if you have hypertension, then make sure you control your blood pressure; and if you have diabetes, you need to control your blood sugar levels.

Your doctor may also want to consider putting you on a course of aspirin as this prevents clots from forming and blocking the arteries.

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Causes of Coronary Heart Disease

Many people believe eating high cholesterol foods which are solid at room temperature will cause this fat to wind up in your blood and stick to your arteries, theorizing that since saturated fats are solid outside your body, they will be solid inside your body too. In actuality, atherosclerotic plaque accumulates behind the layer of the artery, not in it, and the cholesterol and fat within it is engulfed in white blood cells. It is now thought that the root cause behind coronary heart disease is inflammation, not lipids and that this form of heart disease is degenerative, not infiltrative.

Atherosclerosis is largely driven by the degeneration of lipids which infiltrate the blood vessel and thereby cause inflammation. This is the process in which fatty deposits build up in the inner lining of arteries. In addition, there is also research that indicates an infection - possibly one caused by a bacteria or a virus - might contribute to or even cause atherosclerosis.

The main determinant of plaque rupture according to the current scientific literature is the balance between collagen degradation and collagen synthesis. Collagen synthesis requires vitamin C. Atherosclerosis itself probably diminishes the quality of life by impeding blood flow and blood vessel function, but it clearly does not inexorably lead to heart attacks. The reason why atherosclerosis produces heart attacks in humans might be that humans do not get enough vitamin C.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is one of the acute phase proteins that increase during systemic inflammation. Testing CRP levels in the blood may be helpful in determining cardiovascular disease risk.

Current Treatments/Preventions

Allopathic medicine considers high blood cholesterol levels to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease, and prescribes statin drugs to lower blood cholesterol levels. Statin drugs work by blocking the action of the liver enzyme that is responsible for producing cholesterol. This can cause a host of problems, since your body needs cholesterol to perform certain vital functions. In fact, lowering one type of cholesterol, HDL, can be bad for your heart.

The most common statin side effects include headache, difficulty sleeping, flushing of the skin, muscle aches, tenderness, or weakness, drowsiness/weakness, dizziness, nausea and/or vomiting, abdominal cramping and/or pain, bloating and/or gas, diarrhea, constipation, rash, cognitive problems and peripheral neuropathy, pain or numbness in the extremities like fingers and toes, irregular heartbeats, elevated blood glucose, tendon problems and myositis, which is inflammation of the muscles or other, more serious muscle conditions such as myalgias. Statin drugs may also predispose many people to serious muscle and kidney problems, potentially deadly heart arrhythmias and a host of other health problems.

Statins cause this long list of side effects because they cause injury to the mitochondria. They generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used as a source of cells' chemical energy. With injured mitochondria, the body produces less energy and more "free radicals" are produced which cause many of the conditions listed above.

As they block the production of cholesterol in the body, statins also block the production of much of the body's coenzyme Q10 (Co-Q10), a compound important to the process of making energy within mitochondria and also to stopping free radical damage. In addition, statins reduce the very blood cholesterol that is needed to carry Co-Q10 and other fat-soluble antioxidants throughout the body.

"The loss of coenzyme Q10 leads to loss of cell energy and increased free radicals which, in turn, can further damage mitochondrial DNA," Dr. Golomb explained in the press statement. She added that statins may cause additional mitochondrial problems over time, leading to new adverse effects the longer a person takes the drugs. Hypertension and diabetes are independently linked to higher rates of mitochondrial problems and associated with a higher risk of statin complications, too.

Natural Prevention

In addition to the list of adverse health effects of statin drugs listed above, the main danger people face when they start cholesterol lowering medicationis thinking that they need do nothing else except take the pills.

Instead of taking statin drugs, there are many natural ways to lower blood cholesterol levels. You can positively affect your cholesterol through diet, exercise and lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking. The most important step you can take is to make these lifestyle changes permanent, not just a short term fix until the numbers look good.

Exercise is a very effective means of lowering cholesterol and other forms of heart disease. Any form of aerobic exercise, such as walking, running, bicycling and swimming can help lower heart diseaserisk. To be most effective, practice some form of exercise for 30 minutes at least 5 days a week.

Exercise is also beneficial for increasing shear stress. Since the average shear stress over time seems to be the critical factor, exercise might help prevent atherosclerosis by decreasing the permeability of the endothelium and increasing nitric oxide production in those areas of the blood vessels where the resting level of shear stress is insufficient for protection.

If you weigh more than you should, losing weight can significantly decrease your cholesterol level. Research suggests that being overweight disrupts the normal metabolism of dietary fat. So even though you may be eating less fat, you may not see a difference in your cholesterol profile until you shed excess weight.

Learn the difference between unhealthy saturated and trans fats, and healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Peanut butter, avocados, olive oil, and most nuts are mostly monounsaturated fat. Research has shown that monounsaturated fat can help lower LDL and triglycerides (another type of blood fat) while raising HDL. It's a much healthier choice than saturated fat, found primarily in animal products -- meats, butter, full-fat milk and cheese. Saturated fat can elevate your cholesterol level more than anything else you might eat.

Also included in the good fats category are the omega-3 fatty acids, found in abundance in fish such as mackerel, albacore tuna, and salmon. Be sure to only eat wild caught fish, as farm raised fish are lacking in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s appear to lower levels of VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) and triglycerides. Studies have shown that when people cut back on saturated fat and consumed more fish oil, their LDL dropped.

Eating lots of soluble fiber will lower cholesterol by binding with cholesterol-containing bile acids in the intestines and escorting them out of the body. Eating about 15 g of soluble fiber a day can lower LDL cholesterol by 5 to 10 percent. Fruit and vegetables contain high fiber content and almost no cholesterol at all. Fruit and veggies are also good for overall health, promote digestive health and are low in calories.

One kind of soluble fiber, pectin, not only lowers cholesterol but also helps curb overeating by slowing the digestive process. Eat apples and other pectin-rich fruits to eat less, lose weight, and naturally control your cholesterol. Also, foods high in fiber tend to be low in saturated fat and cholesterol, as well as calories.

Other foods which help to lower cholesterol naturally include garlic, flax seed, green tea, oats and nuts. Analyze your diet to identify nutritional gaps. A natural, plant based multivitamin/mineral supplement can fill in these nutritional gaps and may even lower your risk for heart disease and stroke. Be sure to eat plenty of foods rich in vitamin C or take a vitamin C supplement, to prevent atherosclerosis.

As much as possible, reduce stress in your life because stressand the emotions it triggers (tension, anxiety, anger, depression) in turn trigger the release of chemicals that constrict arteries, reduce blood flow to the heart, raise blood pressure, and elevate your heart rate. These changes, in combination with uncontrolled cholesterol, can put you on course for a heart attack. Also, when you're tense and anxious, you're less likely to stick to the lifestyle habits that help lower cholesterol in the first place.

This article on heart disease risk factors and prevention methods was written to help you determine your best course for a long life with a healthy heart.

Author: Mary Ann MacKay
Mary Ann MacKay promotes health education on her website http://www.healthwellnessconnection.com.

What are the Causes of Coronary Heart Disease? Warning signs are the things that we need to know to prevent more serious complications like heart attack, and stroke. A heart attack occurs when the part of the heart muscle is damaged or dies because they don't receive the required oxygen. Oxygen is carried to the heart by arteries (blood vessels). Heart attacks are usually caused by blockage in the arteries. Heart disease can also be caused by a blood clot that get stuck in a narrow part of an artery to the heart. This usually from where the atherosclerosis has made an artery more narrow. We can notice if we will be having a heart attack by using this guidelines like feeling of pressure or crushing pain in the chest, sometimes with sweating, nausea and vomiting. The feeling of pain that extends from the chest and radiates into the jaw, left arm or left shoulder. Feeling of tightness in the chest and shortness of breath that last for more than a couple of seconds.

Don't ever ignore the pain or discomfort, get help immediately if you think that you are having heart problems or a heart attack. If ever that you are having heart disease like heart attack, call for an health care provider.

While waiting for the medical team, chew one regular tablet of aspirin but do not take it if you have allergy with it. In the hospital they might give the patient a "clot busters" this is the one use to reopen the arteries very fast. IV line will be placed in the left arm for the medications. An electrocardiogram will also be performed and they will give the client an oxygen and watch the heart rate and rhythm on the monitor.

It is very important to be aware about the risk factors and causes of coronary heart disease. These are smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol level, high blood pressure, family history of heart disease, race like African Americans. Hardening of he arteries or atherosclerosis, lack of exercise, stress, obesity and sex wherein the male is more at risk in having heart disease. Heart diseases can be avoided by cessation of smoking, eating a healthy diet, controlling the blood sugar for diabetes patients, exercising, losing weight for those who are overweight and controlling the blood pressure for hypertensive.

Here are the list of signs that should not be ignored:

- Angina- This is the feeling of pain that appears with exertion, tightness, pressure, stress and it usually disappears with rest. The location where the client usually felt it is in the chest, throat, upper abdomen and arms.
- Shortness Of Breath- difficulty in breathing, this occur whether you are exerting yourself, at rest or asleep.
- Edema- this is the swelling of the ankles, usually occurs at the end of the day.
- Palpitations- forceful, rapid, or irregular heartbeat
- Fatigue- A decreased in ability to exercise and easily to be tired.
- Fainting- sudden loss of consciousness or light headedness.

The Causes of Coronary Heart Disease are many fold. Keep yourself fit and eat a healthy diet and help yourself avoid the signs of heart failure.

Charles Wainwright is an acknowledged expert in the field of Heart Health. He focuses especially on the effects of cholesterol on diseases of the heart and cardiovascular system including high blood pressure, strokes, coronary heart disease and heart attacks. For more information please visit the Causes of Coronary Heart Disease and the Signs of Heart Failure.

Beside cancer, heart disease kills more than 2,000 Americans everyday. Approximately 60 million Americans have heart disease.

I. Causes of Heart Diseases

There are many causes of heart diseases. Most of heart diseases are caused by high blood pressure contributes to hardening of the arteries. High levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) build up in the arteries as a result of uncontrolled diet with high levels of saturated fat and trans fat. All these add to the formation of atherosclerosis lesions and eventually arterial blockage or anything that serves to damage the inner lining of blood vessels and impedes the transportation of oxygen and nutrition to the heart can be defined as a risk of heart disease.

II Symptoms of Heart diseases

Here are some early indication of heart disease symptoms:

1. Leg cramps during walking

Leg cramps during exercise might be caused by dehydration. It is important to drink a lot of fluid during exercise. Leg cramps occur when the muscle suddenly and forcefully contracts. The most common muscles to contract in this manner are muscles that cross two joints. Leg cramps during walking might be an indication of heart disease caused by arteries in your leg being clogged up by cholesterol in result of not enough oxygen being delivered to the cells in your leg.

2. Chest pain

Chest pain is caused by blood vessels in the heart temporarily being blocked up. It is also caused by inadequate oxygen supply to the heart muscle or coronary . The persistence of chest pain would be an early indication of heart diseases.

3. Shortness of breath

Shortness of breath (dyspnea) is the major symptom of the left ventricular insufficiency. People with shortness of breath are four times more likely to die from a heart disease related cause than individuals without any symptoms.

4. Headaches

People see sparkling zigzag lines or loss of vision before a migraine attack may be at particular risk of future cardiovascular problems. Generally headaches do not cause heart diseases but a sudden, explosive onset of great pain might be.

5. Dizziness

Dizziness can have many causes including low blood count, low iron in the blood stream and other blood disorders, dehydration, and viral illnesses. Since there are many different conditions that can produce these symptoms, anybody experiencing episodes of severe headaches or dizziness ought to be checked by your doctor.

6. Palpitations

Palpitations is an extremely common symptom of heart disease. Palpitations are skips in the heart beats and irregular heart beats.

7. Loss of consciousness

It is a common symptom, most people pass out at least once in their lives. However, sometimes loss of consciousness indicates a dangerous or even life-threatening condition such as heart disease so when loss of consciousness occurs it is important to figure out the cause.

There are many more symptoms such as fatigue, memory defects, and changes in skin tone and temperature.

III. Types of Heart Diseases

The heart is a four chambered, hollow muscle and double acting pump that is located in the chest between the lungs. Heart diseases caused by high blood pressure contributes to hardening of the arteries. High levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) build up in the arteries as a result of uncontrolled diet with high levels of saturated fat and trans fat. All these add to the formation of atherosclerosis lesions and eventually arterial blockage.

There are some major types of heart diseases:

1. Type of heart disease affecting heart chambers

As we mention in the previous article, the heart is a four chambered hollow muscle and double acting pump that is located in the chest between the lungs. Heart diseases caused by high blood pressure contributes to hardening of the arteries. High levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) build up in the arteries as a result of uncontrolled diet with high levels of saturated fat and trans fat. All these add to the formation of atherosclerosis lesions and eventually arterial blockage.

In this article, we will discuss heart disease affecting the heart chambers.

Heart failure is caused by the heart not pumping as much blood as it should and so the body does not get as much blood and oxygen that it needs. The malfunctioning of the heart chambers are due to damage caused by narrowed or blocked arteries leading to the muscle of your heart.

There are 4 heart chambers as follow:

* The right atrium

* The left atrium

* The right ventricle

* The left ventricle.

Heart diseases affect the heart chambers include:

A. Congestive heart failure

Heart failure is caused by the heart not pumping as much blood as it should and so the body does not get as much blood and oxygen that it needs. The malfunctioning of the heart chambers are due to damage caused by narrowed or blocked arteries leading to the muscle of your heart.

a) Diastolic dysfunction:

The contraction function is normal but there's impaired relaxation of the heart, impairing its ability to fill with blood causing the blood returning to the heart to accumulate in the lungs or veins.

b) Systolic dysfunction:

The relaxing function is normal but there's impaired contraction of the heart causing the heart to not pump out as much blood that is returned to it as it normally does as a result of more blood remaining in the lower chambers of the heart.

B. Pulmonary heart disease

Pulmonary heart disease is caused by an enlarged right ventricle. It is known as heart disease resulting from a lung disorder where the blood flowing into the lungs is slowed or blocked causing increased lung pressure. The right side of the heart has to pump harder to push against the increased pressure and this can lead to enlargement of the right ventricle.

2. Heart Disease affecting heart muscles

In the case of heart diseases affecting heart muscles, the heart muscles are stiff, increasing the amount of pressure required to expand for blood to flow into the heart or the narrowing of the passage as a result of obstructing blood flow out of the heart.

Heart diseases affecting heart muscles include:

A. Cardiomyopathy

Heart muscle becomes inflamed and doesn't work as well as it should. There may be multiple causes such as high blood pressure, heart valve disease, artery diseases or congenital heart defects.

a) Dilated cardiomyopathy

The heart cavity is enlarged and stretched. Blood flows more slowly through an enlarged heart, causing formation of blood clots as a result of clots sticking to the inner lining of the heart, breaking off the right ventricle into the pulmonary circulation in the lung or being dislodged and carried into the body's circulation to form emboli .

b) Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

The wall between the two ventricles becomes enlarged, obstructing the blood flow from the left ventricle. Sometimes the thickened wall distorts one leaflet of the mitral valve, causing it to leak. The symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy include shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting and angina pectoris.

c) Restrictive cardiomyopathy

The ventricles becomes excessively rigid, so it's harder for the ventricles to fill with blood between heartbeats. The symptoms of restrictive cardiomyopathy include shortness of breath, swollen hands and feet.

B. Myocarditis Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscles or the weaken of the heart muscles. The symptoms of myocarditis include fever, chest pains, congestive heart failure and palpitation.

3. Heart disease affecting heart valves

Heart diseases affecting heart valves occur when the mitral valve in the heart narrows, causing the heart to work harder to pump blood from the left atrium into the ventricle.

Here are some types of heart disease affecting heart valves:

a. Mitral Stenosis

Mitral Stenosis is a heart valve disorder that involves a narrowing or blockage of the opening of the mitral valve causing the volume and pressure of blood in the left atrium increases.

b. Mitral valves regurgitation

Mitral regurgitation is the heart disease in which your heart's mitral valve doesn't close tightly causing the blood to be unable to move through the heart efficiently. Symptoms of mitral valve regurgitation are fatigue and shortness of breath.

c. Mitral valves prolapse

In mitral valve prolapse, one or both leaflets of the valve are too large resulting in uneven closure of the valve during each heartbeat. Symptoms of mitral valves prolapse are palpitation, shortness of breath, dizzy, fatigue and chest pains.

d. Aortic Stenosis

With aging, protein collagen of the valve leaflets are destroyed and calcium is deposited on the leaflets causing scarring, thickening, and stenosis of the valve therefore increasing the wear and tear on the valve leaflets resulting in the symptoms and heart problems of aortic stenosis.

e. Aortic regurgitation

Aortic regurgitation is the leaking of the aortic valve of the heart that causes blood to flow in the reverse direction during ventricular diastole, from the aorta into the left ventricle. Symptoms of aortic regurgitation include fatigue or weakness, shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitation and irregular heart beats.

f. Tricuspid stenosis

Tricuspid stenosis is the narrowing of the orifice of the tricuspid valve of the heart causing increased resistance to blood flow through the valve. Symptoms of tricuspid stenosis include fatigue, enlarged liver, abdominal swelling, neck discomfort and leg and ankle swelling.

g. Tricuspid regurgitation.

Tricuspid regurgitation is the failure of the right ventricular causing blood to leak back through the tricuspid valve from the right ventricle into the right atrium of the heart. Symptoms of tricuspid regurgitation include leg and ankle swelling and swelling in the abdomen.

4. Heart disease affecting coronary arteries and coronary veins

The malfunctioning of the heart may be due to damage caused by narrowed or blocked arteries leading to the muscle of your heart as well as blood backing up in the veins. Types of heart disease that affect the coronary arteries and veins include:

A. Angina pectoris

Angina pectoris occurs when the heart muscle doesn't get as much blood oxygen as it needs. Here are 3 types of angina pectoris:

a) Stable angina

Stable angina is chest pain or discomfort that typically occurs with activity or stress due to oxygen deficiency in the blood muscles and usually follows a predictable pattern. Symptom of stable angina include chest pain, tightness, pressure, indigestion feeling and pain in the upper neck and arm.

b) Unstable angina

Unstable angina is caused by blockage of the blood flow to the heart. Without blood and the oxygen, part of the heart starts to die. Symptoms of unstable angina include pain spread down the left shoulder and arm to the back, jaw, neck, or right arm, discomfort of chest and chest pressure.

c) Variant angina also known as coronary artery spasm

Caused by the narrowing of the coronary arteries. This is caused by the contraction of the smooth muscle tissue in the vessel walls. Symptoms of variant angina include increasing of heart rate, pressure and chest pain.

B. Heart attacks known as myocardial infarction or MI

Heart attacks caused by plaque rupture with thrombus formation in a coronary vessel, resulting in an acute reduction of blood supply to a portion of the myocardium. Symptoms of MI include a squeezing sensation of the chest, sweating, nausea and vomiting, upper back pain and arm pain.

C. Heart disease also known as coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease

Caused by arteries hardening and narrowing, cutting off blood flow to the heart muscle and resulting in heart attack. Symptoms of heart disease include shortness of breath, chest pains on exertion, palpitation, dizziness and fainting.

D. Atherosclerosis or hardening of arteries

Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and to other parts of your body. Atherosclerosis is caused by plaques that rupture in result of blood clots that block blood flow or break off and travel to another part of the body. Atherosclerosis has no symptom or warning sign.

E. Silent ischemia.

Ischemia is a condition in which the blood flow is restricted to a part of the body caused by narrowing of heart arteries. Silent ischemia means people have ischemia without pain. There is also no warning sign before heart attack.

5. Heart disease affecting heart lining

Rheumatic heart disease results from inflammation of the heart lining when too much fluid builds up in the lungs leading to pulmonary congestion. It is due to failure of the heart to remove fluid from the lung circulation resulting in shortness of breath, coughing up blood, pale skin and excessive sweating. Heart disease resulting from inflammation of either the endocardium or pericardium is called heart disease affecting heart lining.

Endocardium is the inner layer of the heart. It consists of epithelial tissue and connective tissue. Pericardium is the fluid filled sac that surrounds the heart and the proximal ends of the aorta, vena vava and the pulmonary artery.

a. Endocarditis

Endocarditis, which is an inflammation of the endocardium is caused by bacteria entering the bloodstream and settling on the inside of the heart, usually on the heart valves that consists of epithelial tissue and connective tissue. It is the most common heart disease in people who have a damaged, diseased, or artificial heart valve. Symptoms of endocarditis include fever, chilling, fatigue, aching joint muscles, night sweats, shortness of breath, change in temperature and a persistent cough.

b. Pericardium

Pericarditis is the inflammation of the pericardium. It is caused by infection of the pericardium which is the thin, tough bag-like membrane surrounding the heart. The pericardium also prevents the heart from over expanding when blood volume increases. Symptoms of pericarditis include chest pain, mild fever, weakness, fatigue, coughing, hiccups, and muscle aches.

6. Heart disease affecting electrical system

The electrical system within the heart is responsible for ensuring the heart beats correctly so that blood can be transported to the cells throughout our body. Any malfunction of the electrical system in the heart causes a fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat. The electrical system within the heart is responsible for ensuring that the heart beats correctly so that blood can be transported throughout our the body. Any malfunction of the electrical system in the heart malfunction can cause a fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat.

Types of heart disease that affect the electrical system are known as arrhythmias. They can cause the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or irregularly. These types of heart disease include:

a. Sinus tachycardia

Sinus tachycardia occurs when the sinus rhythm is faster than 100 beats per minute therefore it increases myocardial oxygen demand and reduces coronary blood flow, thus precipitating an ischemia heart or valvular disease.

b. Sinus bradycardia

Sinus bradycardia occurs when a decrease of cardiac output results in regular but unusually slow heart beat less than 60 beats per minute. Symptoms of sinus bradycardia includes a feeling of weightlessness of the head, dizziness, low blood pressure, vertigo, and syncope.

c. Atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heart rhythm that starts in the upper parts (atria) of the heart causing irregular beating between the atria and the lower parts (ventricles) of the heart. The lower parts may beat fast and without a regular rhythm. Symptoms of atrial fibrillation include dizziness, light-headedness, shortness of breath, chest pain and irregular heart beat.

d. Atrial flutter

Atrial flutter is an abnormal heart rhythm that occurs in the atria of the heart causing abnormalities and diseases of the heart. Symptoms of atrial flutter includes shortness of breath, chest pains, anxiety and palpitation.

e. Supraventricular tachycardia

Supraventricular tachycardia is described as rapid heart rate originating above the ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart causing a rapid pulse of 140-250 beats per minute. Symptoms of supraventricular tachycardia include palpitations, light-headedness, and chest pains.

f. Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia is described as an occasional rapid heart rate. Symptoms can come on suddenly and may go away without treatment. They can last a few minutes or 1-2 days.

g. Ventricular tachycardia

Ventricular tachycardia is described as a fast heart rhythm that originates in one of the ventricles of the heart . This is a potentially life-threatening arrhythmia because it may lead to ventricular fibrillation and/or sudden death. Symptoms of ventricular tachycardia include light headedness, dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath and chest pains.

h.Ventricular fibrillation

Ventricular fibrillation is a condition in which the heart's electrical activity becomes disordered causing the heart's lower chambers to contract in a rapid, unsynchronized way resulting in little heart pumps or no blood at all, resulting in death if left untreated after in 5 minutes.

There are many heart diseases affecting electrical system such as premature arterial contractions, wolf parkinson, etc.

7. Congenital heart disease

There are several heart diseases that people are born with. Congenital heart diseases are caused by a persistence in the fetal connection between arterial and venous circulation. Congenital heart diseases affect any part of the heart such as heart muscle, valves, and blood vessels. Congenital heart disease refers to a problem with the heart's structure and function due to abnormal heart development before birth.Every year over 30,000 babies are born with some type of congenital heart defect in US alone. Congenital heart disease is responsible for more deaths in the first year of life than any other birth defects. Some congenital heart diseases can be treated with medication alone, while others require one or more surgeries.

The causes of congenital heart diseases of newborns at birth may be in result from poorly controlled blood sugar levels in women having diabetes during pregnancy, some hereditary factors that play a role in congenital heart disease, excessive intake of alcohol and side affects of some drugs during pregnancy.

Congenital heart disease is often divided into two types: cyanotic which is caused by a lack of oxygen and non-cyanotic.

A. Cyanotic

Cyanosis is a blue coloration of the skin due to a lack of oxygen generated in blood vessels near the skin surface. It occurs when the oxygen level in the arterial blood falls below 85-90%.

The below lists are the most common of cyanotic congenital heart diseases:

a)Tetralogy of fallot

Tetralogy of fallot is a condition of several congenital defects that occur when the heart does not develop normally. It is the most common cynaotic heart defect and a common cause of blue baby syndrome.

b)Transportation of the great vessels

Transportation of the great vessels is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease. Transposition of the great vessels is a congenital heart defect in which the 2 major vessels that carry blood away from the aorta and the pulmonary artery of the heart are switched. Symptoms of transportation of the great vessels include blueness of the skin, shortness of breath and poor feeding.

c)Tricuspid atresia

In tricuspid atresia there is no tricuspid valve so no blood can flow from the right atrium to the right ventricle. Symptoms of tricuspid atresia include blue tinge to the skin and lips, shortness of breath, slow growth and poor feeding.

d)Total anomalous pulmonary venous return

Total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR) is a rare congenital heart defect that causes cyanosis or blueness. Symptoms of total anomalous pulmonary venous return include poor feeding, poor growth, respiratory infections and blue skin.

e)Truncus arteriosus

Truncus arteriosus is characterized by a large ventricular septal defect over which a large, single great vessel arises. Symptoms of truncus arteriosus include blue coloring of the skin, poor feeding, poor growth and shortness of breath.

B. Non-cyanotic

Non-cyanotic heart defects are more common because of higher survival rates.

The below lists are the most common of non-cyanotic congenital heart diseases:

a)Ventricular septal defect

Ventricular septal defect is a hole in the wall between the right and left ventricles of the heart causing right and left ventricles to work harder, pumping a greater volume of blood than they normally would in result of failure of the left ventricle. Symptoms of ventricular septal defect include very fast heartbeats, sweating, poor feeding, poor weight gain and pallor.

b)Atrial septal defect

Atrial septal defect is a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of your heart causing freshly oxygenated blood to flow from the left upper chamber of the heart into the right upper chamber of the heart. Symptoms of atrial septal defect include shortness of breath, fatigue and heart palpitations or skipped beats.

c)Coarctation of aorta

Coarctation of aorta is a narrowing of the aorta between the upper-body artery branches and the branches to the lower body causing your heart to pump harder to force blood through the narrow part of your aorta. Symptoms of coarctation of aorta include pale skin, shortness of breath and heavy sweating.

There are many more types of non-cyanotic such as pulmonic stenosis, patent ductus arteriorus, and atrioventricular cana. These problems may occur alone or together. Most congenital heart diseases occur as an isolated defect and is not associated with other diseases.

8. Other Types of Heart Diseases

In this article, we will discuss other types of heart diseases that can affect any part of the heart including the following:

*A cardiac tumor can be either malignant or benign

A) Benign tumors

a. Myxoma

Myxoma is a cardiac benign tumor. It is the most common tumor inside of cavities of the heart and most of them occur in the left atrium of the heart obstructing the normal flow of blood within the chambers of the heart. Symptoms of Myxoma include paroxysmal dyspnea, weight loss, feverhemoptysis, lightheadedness and sudden death.

b. Rhabdomyomas

Most of rhabdomyomas occur in children or infants and are associated with tuberous sclerosis. It develops in the myocardium or the endocardium and accounts for about one out of every five tumors that originate in the heart causing obstruction of blood flow, valvular insufficiency, and cardiac arrhythmias. Symptoms of rhabdomyomas include palpitations, chest pains, shortness of breath, and nausea.

c. Fibromas

Fibromas develop in the myocardium or the endocardium. These tumors are composed of fibrous or connective tissue and tend to occur on the valves of the heart and may be related to inflammation. Other than seeing or feeling the fibroma, there are no usual symptoms.

d. Teratomas of the pericardium

It is often attached to the base of the great vessels, usually occuring in infants. They are rarer than cysts or lipomas, usually causes no symptoms.

B) Malignant tumors

Malignant tumors that originated elsewhere in the body and spread to the heart are more common than ones that originate in the heart. Malignant heart tumors can originate from any heart tissue. They occur mostly in children.

a. Angiosarcomas

Angiosarcomas account for about a third of all malignant heart tumors and usually start on the right side of the heart. The cause of angiosarcomas is usually unknown and symptoms of angiosarcomas differ according to the location of the tumour. Often symptoms of the disease are not apparent until the tumour is well advanced.

b. Fibrosarcomas

Fibrosarcomas occur as a soft-tissue mass or as a primary or secondary bone tumor. The 2 main types of fibrosarcoma of bone are

i) Primary fibrosarcoma is a fibroblastic malignancy that produces variable amounts of collagen

ii) Secondary fibrosarcoma of bone arises from a preexisting lesion or after radiotherapy to an area of bone or soft tissue. Symptoms of fibrosarcomas include broken bone, pain, swelling, lump found under skin or bone, frequent urination and urinary obstruction.

c. Rhabdomyosarcomas

Rhabdomyosarcomas are a cancer made up of cells that normally develop into skeletal muscles of the body and are also more common in children. They usually have some type of chromosome abnormality in the cells of the tumor, which are responsible for the tumor formation. Symptoms of rhabdomyosarcomas include bleeding from the nose, vagina, rectum, throat and tingling, numbness, and pain.

d.) Liposarcomas

Liposarcoma normally appears as a slowly enlarging, painless, nonulcerated submucosal mass in a middle-aged person. Symptoms include palpation, weakness, limitation of motion weight loss, fatigue, and lassitude.

*Sudden cardiac death

The victim may or may not have diagnosis of heart diseases, and the death is totally unexpected. Sudden cardiac death is a result from abrupt loss of heart function. The cause of sudden cardiac dealth might be a result of coronary heart disease.

* Hypertensive heart disease

Hypertensive heart disease are caused by high blood pressure that increases the work load of the heart. Overtime the muscles of the heart become thick in result of an enlarged left ventricle and decreased blood pump from the heart. Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, swelling in the feet, ankles, or abdomen, fatigue, irregular pulse, nausea and frequent urination at night.

IV. Heart Diseases- Prevention and Treatment

Anything that serves to damage the inner lining of blood vessels and impedes the transportation of oxygen and nutrition to the heart can be defined as a risk of heart disease.

Unhealthy diet is a major cause of heart diseases resulting in the buildup of cholesterol and fat in the inner wall of arteries that narrows the arteries, impedes the circulation and eventually causes heart attacks.

1. Prevention and Treatment of Heart Disease with Diet

To prevent heart diseases, your daily diet should contain:

a) Fiber

Fiber can be soluble or insoluble. As we mentioned in a previous article, soluble fiber can lower your LDL and raise your HDL cholesterol while insoluble fiber has no effect on cholesterol but promotes regular bowel movements. The intake of fatty foods causes the liver to release bile into the intestines to break down the fat.

b) Reduce intake of saturated fat and trans fat

We know that saturated and trans fat are toxins causing cholesterol to build up in the arteries damaging the arterial wall and narrows the arterial passage in result of poor circulation and oxygen transportation to our body in result of high blood pressure as the heart has to work harder than normal in order to provide enough nutrition to the body`s cells. Eventually, the heart will fail and result in heart diseases. It is recommended that you reduce the intake of animal fat and increase the intake of cold water fish which is the best sources of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that can help your cholesterol levels as well as lowering your blood pressure.

c). Diet high in complex carbohydrates

Vegetables, fruits, some beans and grains contain high amounts of plant pigments known as flavonoids that provide healthy protection against heart diseases. Unfortunately study shows that diets high in complex carbohydrate may increase the release of too much insulin to respond to carbohydrates in the diet. The type and amount of carbohydrate foods may need individual monitoring.

d). Drink half of your body weight of water or juices in ounces

If you weigh 160 pounds then you are require to drink 80 ounces of water or juices to prevent the cells in our body to become dehydrated. Maintaining normal function of our body's cells is a healthy way to normalize high blood pressure.

2. Prevention and Treatment of Heart Disease with natural remedies

Beside foods and herbs, nutritional supplements also play an important role in preventing heart diseases and stroke. Here are some nutritional supplements which have proven record in treating heart diseases:

a. L-Arginine

L-Arginine helps to increase the production of nitric oxide in our body, this has an anti-angina and anti-stress effect upon the arteries enabling the muscles in the arterial walls to relax. L-Arginine also helps to prevent the build up of plaque on the arterial walls. L- Arginne taken either orally or intravenously has been found to prevent and reverse atherosclerosis, improving the functional status of heart failure and increasing blood flow in heart disease patients.

b. L- Carnitine

L-Carnitine working with vitamin E will help the body to recover quickly from fatigue. L-Carnitine helps the body convert fatty acids into energy, which is used primarily for muscular activities throughout the body. When working with vitamin E, L-carnitine will help the body to recover quickly from fatigue and combat heart diseases.

c. Lecithin

Lecithin supplies the body with needed inositol, choline and phosphatidyl choline that help to maintain healthy arteries. Lecithin also helps to reduce plaque in the arteries, lower blood pressure and ameliorate angina pectoris.

d. Niacin

Niacin a B3 vitamin, helps decreases blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides which may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. Niacin can only be taken under medical supervision because of it's side effects.

e. Selenium

Selenium deficiency will cause increase in high blood pressure.

f. Taurine

Taurine is an amino acid that acts as an antioxidant helping to fortify cardiac contraction and enhance the outflow of blood from the heart. Intake of taurine will reduce the risk of congestive heart failure and arteriosclerosis.

g. Calcium and potassium

Calcium and potassium deficiency may result in heart palpitation.

h. Magnesium

Magnesium helps to improve blood circulation by permitting the muscles in the arterial wall to rest.

i. Lutein

Lutein is one of the carotenoids, yellow and orange pigments found in many fruits and vegetables. Lutein supplementation has already been proven in helping prevent muscular degeneration, the most common cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly. Study shows that increased dietary intake of lutein may protect against the development of early atherosclerosis. It also helps explain why diets rich in fruits and vegetables are associated with reduced risk of heart diseases.

j. Flax seeds

Flax seeds contain high amounts of alpha-linoenic acid that helps to lower high blood pressure and the risk of stroke. Eating too much flax seeds will cause gas to build up if you are not used to it.

k. Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba helps to to make blood less sticky and prevents blood clotting and stroke. Unlike aspirin, Ginkgo biloba will not cause upset stomach and internal bleeding. Also, Ginkgo biloba can improve blood circulation. Be sure not to take Ginkgo seeds because they are toxic and can cause seizures.

l. Cayenne

Cayenne stimulates blood flow, and strengthens the heart's metabolism. It also helps to improve blood circulation as well as the digestive and immune systems. Cayenne contains high amounts of beta-carotene, cobalt, essential fatty acids, niacin and zinc that helps circulatory stimulation, blood purification, detoxification and fatigue.

I hope this information will help. If you need more information of the above subject, please visit my home page at:

Kyle J. Norton

[http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com/]

http://healtharticles-heartdiseases.blogspot.com/

All rights reserved. Any reproducing of this article must have all the links intact.

I have been studying natural remedies for disease prevention for over 20 years and working as a financial consultant since 1990

Heart attack, also known as myocardial infarction, is a serious and deadly health issue. It occurs when a blood clot blocks the coronary artery causing the death of heart muscle. This blockage stops the supply of blood and oxygen to heart and further leads to severe chest pain and chest pressure sensation. Nausea, vomiting, sweating, and tightness in the chest are other signs of a heart attack.

Arteries carry blood from heart to other parts of the body. If there is any kind of damage or problem with the arteries, the blood flow in the body will directly be affected. If the supply of blood is restricted for more than 20 to 40 minutes, an irreversible death of heart muscle occurs and if the time span of restricted supply further increases, it can even lead to death.

Medically, there are many treatments for heart attack in this highly advanced and technological era but prevention is always better than cure. The heart disease has the worst effects on human life, hence it is very important to take precautionary measures and prevent the occurrence of any health issues.

Here are certain preventive measures for a heart attack:

? To control cholesterol level is the best preventive measure for a heart attack.
? Saturated and fried foods should be avoided.
? Intake of oil should also be restricted.
? Eat more of fruits and raw vegetables. Fruits like oranges, grapes, and pomegranate are the best options.
? Eat more of fiber rich foods like cereals, apricot, pears, oranges, bran, whole wheat, whole grains, dried beans, dates, berries, and spinach.
? People who eat non-vegetarian foods, fish and poultry are best options with low cholesterol content.
? Yolk of the egg, beef, and port contains high level of cholesterol and hence should be avoided. These can be eaten occasionally.
? Smoking should be completely restricted.
? Drinking too much of coffee also results in heart diseases. It should be consumed occasionally and not as a daily habit.
? Soya bean should be taken in high amount as a preventive measure.
? A control on diabetes and high blood pressure is also important. High level of sugar and excessive mental or emotional stress often becomes a cause of severe heart attack.
? Dairy products go a long way to solve various health issues. Regular consumption in the right amount helps combat many heart diseases.
? Mediation and regular exercise or walking for at least 30 to 45 minutes is beneficial.

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