Heart disease is one of the core reasons of death in United States, about 1 of 4 people die due to heart disease. Alarming figures shared each year where people die because of heart disease. There is no discrimination when it comes to heart disease. It’s one of the major causes of death for several populations, including white people, Hispanics, and Black people. Almost half of Americans are at risk for heart disease, and the numbers are rising every day. On a bright side there are several types of heart disease which are preventable. The lifestyle we follow plays a vital role when it comes to heart disease.
What are the causes of heart disease? How can we prevent it before time? Can we decrease the risk with healthy lifestyle or we need to take medication?
Different types of heart disease
Heart disease consists of a wide range of cardiovascular problems. Several diseases and conditions fall under the category of heart disease. Types of heart disease include:
- Arrhythmia. An arrhythmia is a heart rhythm abnormality.
- Atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a hardening of the arteries.
- Cardiomyopathy. This condition causes the heart’s muscles to harden or grow weak.
- Congenital heart defects. Congenital heart defects are heart irregularities that are present at birth.
- Coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is caused by the buildup of plaque in the heart’s arteries. It’s sometimes called ischemic heart disease.
- Heart infections. Heart infections may be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
The term cardiovascular disease may be used to refer to heart conditions that specifically affect the blood vessels.
Symptoms of heart disease you should know
You should never ignore warning signs your body is giving! When we neglect those little sign/symptom’s we are actually risking our lives. Life is too precious to be taken for granted, know the symptom’s before it’s too late.
- The major cause of heart disease were symptoms like angina, or pain from the heart, are described as a crushing pain or heaviness in the center of the chest with radiation of the pain to the left-arm or jaw. Also, it can be related to shortness of breath sweating and nausea.
- Few people may have indigestion and nausea while others may have upper abdominal, shoulder, or back pain.
- Unstable angina is the term used to describe symptoms that occur at rest, waken the patient from sleep, and do not respond quickly to nitroglycerin or rest.
Some other common symptoms include:
- chest pain
- breathlessness
- heart palpitations
- nausea
- stomach pain
- sweating
- arm, jaw, back, or leg pain
- a choking sensation
- swollen ankles
- fatigue
- an irregular heartbeat
What causes heart disease?
Heart disease is a set of diseases and conditions that cause cardiovascular problems. Every type of heart disease is caused by something entirely unique to that condition. Atherosclerosis and CAD result from plaque buildup in the arteries. Other causes of heart disease are as below.
Arrhythmia causes
Causes of an abnormal heart beat include:
- diabetes
- CAD
- heart defects, including congenital heart defects
- medications, supplements, and herbal remedies
- high blood pressure (hypertension)
- excessive alcohol or caffeine use
- substance use disorders
- stress and anxiety
- existing heart damage or disease
Congenital heart defect causes
Mostly found in women, this heart disease occurs while a baby is still developing in the womb. Some heart defects may be serious and diagnosed and treated early. Some may also go undiagnosed for many years.
You might not know this but your heart’s structure can also change as you age. This can create a heart defect that may lead to complications and problems.
Cardiomyopathy causes
There are several types of cardiomyopathy exist. Each type is the result of a separate condition.
- Dilated cardiomyopathy. This cause is one of the unclear what causes this most common type of cardiomyopathy, which leads to a weakened heart. However, it may be the result of previous damage to the heart, such as the kind caused by drugs, infections, and heart attack. It might be caused due to inherited condition or result of uncontrolled blood pressure.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Another one is the type of heart disease which leads to a thicker heart muscle. It is usually inherited.
- Restrictive cardiomyopathy. What leads to this type of cardiomyopathy is still unknown; it results in rigid heart walls. The possible causes may include scar tissue buildup and a type of abnormal protein buildup known as amyloidosis.
How can I prevent heart disease?
What we should look for are ways of how to prevent heart disease? There is nothing fancy if you wish to lead a healthy life. Our lifestyle choices put a great impact on or health, we should be very certain about what are we eating after a certain age. Although some heart disease might also be inherited.
Set goals for healthy blood pressure and cholesterol numbers
Keep daily track of Having healthy blood pressure and cholesterol which ranges are some of the first steps you can take for a healthy heart. A healthy blood pressure is considered less than 120 systolic and 80 diastolic, which is often expressed as “120 over 80” or “120/80 mm Hg.” Higher numbers indicate that the heart is working too hard to pump blood.
An ideal cholesterol level will depend on your risk factors and heart health history. If you’re person with a high risk of heart disease, have diabetes, or have already had a heart attack, your target levels will be below those of people with low or average risk.
Manage stress levels
You might not be realizing this but managing stress can also lower your risk for heart disease. Never neglect chronic stress as a contributor to heart disease. Talk to a doctor if you’re more often overwhelmed, anxious, or are coping with stressful life events, such as moving, changing jobs, or going through a divorce.
Opting for a healthier lifestyle
It might not easy as it seems but eating healthy foods and exercising regularly is not that hard. Try to avoid foods high in saturated fat and salt. Usually doctors recommended on most days for a total of 2 hours and 30 minutes each week. Come up with a healthy routine plan and follow it every single day.
Try to avoid smoking, if you do try to leave it. The nicotine in cigarettes causes blood vessels to constrict, making it harder for oxygenated blood to circulate. This can lead to atherosclerosis.
