Heart Disease - Fatal as Ever

People are now suffering from various diseases because of many possible factors such as lifestyle, contaminated environment, congenital traits or hereditary attributes.  Stroke and Diabetes have affected a number of individuals old and young.  HIV and AIDS have become the primary viral infection that can be transmitted from one person to another and the illness is actively spreading.  But the number one cause of death is still... HEART DISEASE.



Also known as cardiovascular ailment, heart disease is a disorder affecting both the heart and blood vessels. It is the worst health scourge, the leading cause of death not only in the Philippines but in the world as well. The most frequent cause of death from cardiovascular disease are as follows:

Coronary artery disease, brought on by obstructions that develop in the coronary vessels nourishing the heart muscle. These fatty blockages impair adequate delivery of oxygen-laden blood to the heart muscle cells. This blockade is the result of atherosclerosis, the thickening and hardening of the arteries.

The fat carried in the bloodstream piles up on the inner wall of the arteries like rust in a pipe. As more and more fatty substances including cholesterol, accumulate, the once smooth wall gets thicker, rougher and harder, and the blood passageway becomes narrower. Eventually, blood flow may be obstructed to cause the heart muscle cells to send out distress signals. People with this disease experience chest pains that strike when the heart fails to get enough blood or it may be a full-blown heart attack. When blood starves, heart tissue dies. Heart disease has been labeled the 20th-century epidemic or the "black plague of affluence."

Proper diet

and 

exercise

Heart attacks hit males hardest. The frequency of heart attacks begins to build rapidly among men between the ages of 30 and 40 but it is almost unknown in women of the same age group. The incidence of heart attacks increases with age.  The peak years for male heart attacks are in the 55 to 59-age bracket. The percentage of deaths from first heart attacks, however is higher among men in their forties than those in their sixties. Presumably because the younger men do not have as well-developed collateral circulation to protect them.

Hypertensive heart disease is an impairment of heart-pumping function stemming from persistent high blood pressure. Untreated, elevated pressure makes the heart work harder, causing it to enlarge and sometimes to fail. It can also lead to serious damage to the kidneys and acceleration of the vessel-clogging process responsible for most heart attacks and strokes. Hypertension is the most common of the cardiovascular diseases.

Rheumatic heart disease is the left-over scars of rheumatic fever attack. It is a complication in which the heart valves are damaged. Such damage is not readily noticeable. It can disrupt normal blood flow through the heart.

Congenital heart disease includes the collection of heart and major blood vessel deformities that exist at birth. The defect may affect various structures in the heart including the valves, veins leading to the heart. The child is not growing normally with this defect and often has a little hope of full life. The disease is accompanied by difficulty in breathing and heart murmur.

The term blue baby refers to the infant born with a heart impairment that prevents blood from getting enough oxygen. Since blood low in oxygen is dark bluish red, it imparts a blue tinge to the skin and lips. Some defects can be traced to maternal virus infection such as German measles during the first three months of pregnancy when the fetus heart is growing rapidly. Certain drugs, vitamin deficiencies or excessive exposure to radiations are among other environmental factors known to be associated with such defects.

SYMPTOMS OF HAVING A HEART DISEASE:

• A feeling of strangulation
• A prolonged, oppressive pain or unusual discomfort in the center of the chest that may radiate to the left shoulder and down the left arm
• Abnormal perspiring
• Sudden, intense shortness of breath
• Nausea or vomiting (Because of this symptoms, an attack is sometimes taken for indigestion; usually, coronary pains are more severe.)
• Occasionally, loss of consciousness

TREATMENT AND PREVENTION:
Knowing these warning signals and taking proper steps may make the difference between life and death. Time is crucial.  Most deaths occur in the initial hours after attack. Seek help immediately. Do not ignore chest pain or discomfort. Control blood pressure and cholesterol level by maintaining a proper and healthy diet. Exercise regularly. Don't smoke. This is the single best lifestyle change you can make.

Remember these:
Prevention is better than cure.
Health is wealth.

An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.
Seven days without exercise make one weak.

Reference: Medical and Health Encyclopedia