♥ Types Of Cardiovascular Disease
Many people dread diseases afflicting the heart. However not everyone is not aware about clear and simplified explanation of cardiovascular diseases? These constitute all the diseases that affect the heart and the circulation system. The major ones include coronary heart disease, angina, heart attack, congenital heart disease and stroke. These diseases are closely related and most people do not fully understand how they differ and how they are linked. A breakdown of these diseases provides meaningful insights.
1- Coronary heart disease
Coronary heart disease (CHD) occurs when the coronary arteries, which supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle, get narrowed by a slow buildup of fatty material within their walls. The fatty material is referred to as atheroma. This buildup gradually narrows the arteries and limits the amount of oxygen that reaches the heart. This condition is referred to as coronary heart disease and shows numerous symptoms including shortness of breath, fatigue and angina.
2- Angina
As you ponder on what are cardiovascular diseases? From the preceding, the relationship between this Angina and CHD is obvious. It refers to the pain or discomfort that a patient of CHD feels in the chest when the arteries become so narrow that they cannot deliver enough oxygen to the heart. Angina is usually characterized by heaviness or tightness in the patient’s chest. This pain may spread to the arms, jaw, neck, and stomach or back as well. Some patients experience shortness of breath as well.
3- Heart failure
This occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood around the body. This may be due to damage to your heart muscle as a result of a heart attack, or consuming too much alcohol or recreational drugs. Heart failure can also be caused by cardiomyopathy which is a disease of the heart muscle. A patient with heart failure normally has shortness of breath and swollen legs and lower back areas.
4- Congenital heart disease
The term congenital means that this condition is present at birth. There is a wide range of birth defects that adversely affect how the heart works. Some of the congenital heart defects are simple and have no obvious symptoms while others are complex and have severe symptoms that are life-threatening.
While some of these problems result in death unless immediately addressed through surgical intervention, others will cause varying degrees of disability. Their correction might end up requiring more than one operation.
5- Rheumatic heart disease
Rheumatic heart disease is a group of acute and chronic heart disorders that can be caused by rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is a disease that affects the connective tissues of the heart, brain or skin. Although anyone can get rheumatic fever, it mostly occurs in children aged between 5 and 15 years. If rheumatic heart disease is identified in childhood, the child may require daily antibiotics until he reaches the age of 25 or 30 to reduce the risk of recurrence and also avoid infections of the heart valves.
6- Stroke
A stroke is the results when blood supply to the brain is cut off leading damage of brain cells. There are two common types of stroke hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. The first type happens when a blood vessel bursts and leads to bleeding in the brain. This hemorrhage damages brain tissue and starves some brain cells of oxygen and blood. The second type, ischemic stroke is occasioned by a blockage of the artery that supplies blood to the brain, a blood clot is a perfect example of a cause of such a blockage.
7- Ischemic heart disease
Another term used for this condition is Coronary Artery Disease. It hinders the supply of blood to the heart. This can be as a result of blocking of the blood vessels due to cholesterol deposits on their walls.
8- Heart valve disease
This occurs when one or more of the heart valves that make sure blood flows in one direction get damaged. This affects the flow of blood in the heart and can put extra strain to the heart.
♥ How To Prevent Cardiovascular Disease?
Most of the deaths caused by cardiovascular disease are premature and can be prevented. The best way to prevent cardiovascular diseases is by understanding their risks as well as the treatment options. Here are some useful tips:
1- Limit your calories
Consuming more calories than your body is able to burn leads to obesity. Obesity increases the risk of all cardiovascular conditions. Limit your food portions and reduce the amounts of sugar in your diet.
2- Stay physically active
Walking for two miles every day is great for your health. In addition to burning calories, exercise also activates genes that benefit your health in many other ways.
3- Reduce stress
Stress is a contributor to cardiovascular disease that if not checked, can lead to a heart attack or sudden death. Some of the ways to reduce stress include adequate sleep, regular exercise and staying away from people who make you angry.
4- If you smoke, quit
Some of the adverse effects of nicotine include narrowing and restricting of blood vessels. In a nutshell, nicotine has the same effect on your blood vessels that diabetes has.
5- Reduce your alcohol intake
Too much alcohol intake causes a rise in your blood pressure which can lead to a stroke or a heart attack and this increase in blood pressure can also be as a result of the weight gain caused by excessive drinking.
