“Understanding the Far-Reaching Impact of Heart Disease: Types and Effects”

Heart disease is very widespread. Heart disease is not one disease, but a group of conditions that affect the body in different ways. Heart disease can cause problems such as heart attacks and strokes, and is the most common cause of death in the United States and other major developed countries.

Effects of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

Coronary heart disease, also called coronary artery disease, is the most common type of heart disease. This condition causes plaque (fat deposits) to build up in the arteries of the heart. At first, you don’t know you have plaque, but over time, your artery narrows, like a blockage in a pipe. Eventually, blood flow to the heart muscle is restricted.

Reduced blood flow can deprive the heart of the oxygen it needs, resulting in chest pain called angina pectoris, especially during exercise or heavy labor. Such pain can also affect the pumping of the heart, depriving the rest of the body of oxygen. When you lack oxygen, your cells don’t work properly, which can make you short of breath or feel more tired than usual. A heart attack occurs when plaque breaks off and completely blocks an artery.

CHD can affect women and men differently. Men are more likely to suffer from severe chest pain. Women may feel tight or pressured in their breasts, but they may also feel uncomfortable, such as when they cannot eat properly. Women are often more likely to feel tired, short of breath, and feel nauseous, which may be because women tend to have clogged small arteries in the heart.

Effects of Heart Valve Disease

The valves that guide blood through the heart are flaps that open and close with each heartbeat. Three problems can occur in the heart valves.

Symptoms include obstruction in which blood cannot flow properly, symptoms of regurgitation of blood, and stenosis in which valves become thick, hard, or stick together, resulting in less blood passing through.

Some people do not have any symptoms for years, while others suddenly develop symptoms. Either way, the symptoms often get worse, and the main symptom is hearing a heart murmur, a buzzing or shaking sound between heartbeats. Problems with the valves can cause the heart to beat faster and cause blood flow problems.

Effects of arrhythmias with irregular beats

You may experience a feeling that your heart is beating too fast or skipping a beat. It is caused by a change in heart rhythm called an arrhythmia. The heartbeat is controlled by brief electrical impulses, and minor changes in these electrical impulses are usually not a problem. However, more serious arrhythmias can cause the heart to malfunction and cause serious problems.

When an arrhythmia occurs, not enough oxygen is supplied to the organs and muscles, causing chest pain, dizziness, and fainting. Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common form of arrhythmia. It is a condition in which the upper part of the heart, the atria, occasionally contracts very rapidly and causes the heart rate to rise rapidly with gelatinous shivering. The more often fibrillation occurs, the greater the risk of stroke or death.

Effects of cardiomyopathy, in which the heart enlarges

Cardiomyopathy is a disease in which the heart muscle becomes thicker, stiffer, or larger than usual. Over time, the heart can weaken, making it more difficult to pump blood and maintain a regular rhythm. The most common type is called dilated cardiomyopathy and occurs in the left ventricle. As cardiomyopathy worsens, the heart’s pumping function does not work properly and blood begins to accumulate in the heart.

When the heart muscle thickens, blood flow may be restricted, resulting in oxygen starvation. This can lead to problems such as dizziness, fainting, and shortness of breath. Also, the heart rhythm is easily disrupted. As a result, the kidneys can respond to the reduced blood volume by retaining more water and salt than usual, which can eventually lead to swelling of the legs, ankles, feet and organs.

Heart infection due to viral or bacterial invasion

As with other parts of the body, germs such as bacteria and viruses can infect the heart, which is considered a form of heart disease. Infections sometimes come on slowly or quickly, some go away on their own, but some are life-threatening if not treated.

Heart infection symptoms depend on where the infection is located. If the sac around the heart is infected, there may be swelling that causes chest pain. When a heart valve is replaced and becomes infected, bacteria can build up in the area and shed off, causing problems to other organs in the body.

congenital heart defects

Congenital heart defects are heart defects that are present at birth and affect the way blood flows through the heart. Congenital heart defects occur when the heart walls, valves or blood vessels do not develop in the correct way before birth. Some defects are easily corrected, but other problems, such as valve defects, may require long-term treatment.

It usually doesn’t cause pain, but without regular blood flow, the body doesn’t get the oxygen it needs. This can cause bluish skin, shortness of breath, and a feeling of tiredness. A defect in the heart can cause heart failure, in which the heart beats faster and becomes too weak to pump blood properly, which can lead to arrhythmias, difficulty breathing, and problems with fluid in the lungs.