Heart Disease
Print This Post
1.11 If only a small portion of heart muscle dies during the heart attack, you may not notice anything other than some chest pain. But if a more substantial portion of the heart is stricken, you will certainly feel the pain and probably experience difficulty in breathing, some sweating and fatigue. If a large enough chunk of heart muscle dies, you will probably go along with it.
1.12 Heart Attack Symptoms – Chest pain, either intense or subtle behind the breastbone is the commonest of symptoms and pain may radiate to the arms, neck, teeth or jaw, shoulder, back or abdomen. But in some cases the victim may not have any pain at all. Other common symptoms include heaviness over both arms, nausea and vomiting, profuse sweating, feeling of weakness and shortness of breath that occurs suddenly but may or may not be accompanied by pain. Whenever any of these symptoms is noticed, one should contact the nearest doctor or hospital.
What is Heart Failure?
1.13 The primary job of the heart is to pump oxygen-rich blood to the tissues and organs of the body. But when the heart is sick or weak, it can’t do so effectively. As a result, the blood pools in the veins and lungs resulting in a host of problems. In medical parlance, heart failure is said to be present when the sick or weak heart is not able to pump enough blood to meet the requirements of the body. Heart failure is a serious illness at any time. Therefore, the very mention of such a diagnosis by the doctor gives rise to a great deal of understandable alarm. Contrary to popular belief, heart failure does not indicate “stoppage” of the heartbeat. Many a times, this term is confounded by heart attack, which actually is a completely diverse condition. Usually heart failure develops gradually over time.
1.14 Heart Failure Symptoms – The usual symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath (some patients may be woken up at night, when short of breath), cough (sometimes with frothy sputum), palpitations, swelling in the legs, feeling weak and tired, loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, confusion or impaired memory etc. People with mild heart failure, or those in the early stages, may get these symptoms only when they exercise or exert themselves. As heart failure gets worse, symptoms can occur during everyday tasks or even when just sitting quietly. Of course, a number of other conditions may mimic heart failure which is why a doctor needs to be consulted at the earliest.
1.15 Heart Failure Causes – There is no single cause of heart failure, although certain heart conditions seem to play a role. Coronary artery disease, diabetes, renal failure and hypertension are conditions often linked to heart failure. Infections or diseases that affect the heart’s muscle or valves may also cause heart failure. Severe anaemia, alcoholism, an over-active thyroid and certain genetic conditions can also play a role.
1.16 In all stages of heart failure, simple lifestyle changes can make a big difference in reducing or even reversing the symptoms of heart failure. Nutritious diet, exercise, reducing excess weight, controlling blood sugar and blood pressure and avoiding smoking and alcohol are few such options.
