Heart disease
Cardiovascular disease is the world’s leading cause of death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It is responsible for the death of about 17.5 million people a year, about one-third of the world’s deaths, and despite its prevalence and severity, most cardiovascular diseases can be avoided. Avoid some bad health practices, such as smoking, obesity, drinking alcohol, and not exercising.
The most prominent heart disease
The heart is one of the most important organs of the body, it pumps blood and connects to all cells of the body, and any part of it, whether the coronary arteries or valves or the muscle itself is vulnerable to infection, so there are countless diseases may affect the heart, but some of them are important because of the abundance Or the number of deaths caused by them. The most prominent of these diseases are as follows:
- Coronary artery disease: These arteries are responsible for supplying the heart with its needs, and the diseases that afflict the most common heart disease, causing the deaths of about 7.4 million people in the world in 2015. Coronary atherosclerosis is the most prominent of these diseases, which result from the formation of a mass of fat and platelets and other substances In the coronary artery, causing a reduction in blood flow to tissues and organs, causing a heart attack, angina, or myocardial infarction.
- Valvular heart disease: The four heart valves regulate blood flow in the heart. These valves are the aortic valve, the pulmonary valve, the mitral valve, and the three tricuspid valves. Each valve is opened at the right time It is worth mentioning that there are many causes of heart valve diseases, such as rheumatic fever, infections and connective tissue diseases.
- Arrhythmias: A healthy heart is less likely to have these disorders and is more likely to have coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, congenital heart defects, heart valves, diabetes or alcohol and caffeine. , Or smoking.
- Cardiomyopathy: This is caused by myocardial infarction and is divided into several sections, each of which is caused by the most common is dilation cardiomyopathy, which usually has no known cause, and also type hypertensive cardiomyopathy (English: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) , And restrictive myocardialopathy.
- Other diseases may affect the heart: Such as congenital deformities of the heart and inflammation of the heart tissue.
Symptoms of heart disease
Although there are many heart diseases, symptoms and signs may be similar.
Symptoms of coronary artery disease
Angina is often described as a feeling of pain, pressure, heaviness, or burning in the chest, and may be accompanied by a feeling of pain in the shoulder, arm, jaw, or Neck or back, in addition to shortness of breath, feeling of heartbeat or palpitations, frequent sweating, nausea, dizziness, or general fatigue. In the event of a heart attack, the patient may experience the same symptoms associated with angina, May last longer, ie, for half an hour or more, nor do they disappear in comfort or in eating Drugs, some may suffer a heart attack without feeling any symptoms, especially those with diabetes.
Symptoms of arrhythmias
The patient may feel palpitations, skip some heartbeat, or may experience blows to the chest, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and general fatigue.
Symptoms of heart valve diseases
It may be the feeling of shortness of breath especially when the patient’s daily activities or when lying down, or may suffer from the weight or pressure on the chest when doing any activity or when the weather is cold, and may feel dizziness or general fatigue, in addition to palpitations and accelerated heart rate.
Symptoms of myocardial infarction
The patient may feel shortness of breath, especially when exerting or lying down, as well as increasing body weight quickly, as well as suffering from cough accompanied by white pigmentation, feeling weak, fatigue, dizziness, swelling of the ankles, feet or abdomen, Or irregular heartbeat.
Symptoms of myocardial infarction
It may be accompanied by a feeling of pain or pressure in the chest, a feeling of palpitations, general fatigue, as well as symptoms associated with myocardial insufficiency.
Congenital malformations of the heart
Adults may feel shortness of breath, reduced exercise ability, and symptoms associated with heart failure. In children, they may develop skin discoloration, nails, and lips, as well as increased breathing speed, malnutrition, difficulty gaining weight, They may develop frequent lung infections.
Factors may increase the chance of heart disease
The presence of some factors may increase the possibility of heart disease as follows:
- Age: An increased chance of narrowing the arteries and weakening of the heart muscle increases with age.
- Sex: Men are more likely to develop heart disease than women.
- Genetics: There is a family history of heart disease, especially if a parent is infected at an early age.
- Smoking: Smoking is the leading cause of atherosclerosis; nicotine narrows arteries while carbon monoxide destroys its lining.
- Suffering from other medical conditions: Most notably high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
- Obesity: Overweight and lack of exercise, as well as excessive intake of foods high in fat, salt, or sugar increases the chance of heart disease.
- Other factors: Anxiety and tension, as well as lack of interest in personal hygiene and cleanliness of teeth.