What Are The Types Of Heart Disease?

Heart disease is an umbrella term for multiple forms of heart issues and chronic diseases. Cardiovascular diseases focus primarily on diseases or problems caused by buildup in the blood vessels. The most common types are:

Heart Failure, or congestive heart failure, is when the heart pumps weaken and no longer deliver enough blood and oxygen to the body’s cells. Heart failure is extremely common, with one in five Americans developing it in their lifetime. The disease is incurable, but manageable. According to the American Heart Association, symptoms include:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Constant wheezing or coughing
  • Excess swelling in the feet, ankles, legs, or abdomen
  • Tiredness and fatigue
  • Nausea and lack of appetite
  • Confusion, impaired thinking, or memory loss
  • Increased heart rates (palpitations)

Arrhythmia is the change in the normal rhythm of the heartbeats. The heartbeat can either be irregular, erratic, or too slow. Arrhythmia can either be brief and harmless or continuous and life threatening. Continuous arrhythmia can cause the heart to pump less effectively. According to the American Heart Association, symptoms can include:

  • Fatigue and dizziness
  • Lightheadedness
  • Fainting or near-fainting spells
  • Rapid heartbeats or pounding
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • In extreme cases, collapsing and sudden cardiac arrest

Heart Valve Problems, or MVP, are caused by issues with the heart valves. Heart valves, along with the heart chamber, move and circulate the blood in the heart. MVP can include stenosis, when the valve does not open enough to allow the blood to flow through; regurgitation, when the valves don’t fully close and allow for blood to leak through; and mitral valve prolapse, when two valve flaps of the mitral valve do not close properly and allow small amounts of blood to leak, which causes heart murmurs. According to the American Heart Association, symptoms include:

  • Chest pain
  • Lightheadedness
  • Fatigue
  • Sensation of feeling the heartbeat
  • Shortness of breath with activity or when lying flat

How To Help Prevent Heart Disease

Most heart disease prevention steps are simply keys to a healthy lifestyle. Key factors to follow are:

  • Eating a healthy, well balanced diet. This means eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, especially greens, whole grains, fish, and lean meats. Foods high in sugar, saturated and trans fat, salt, and cholesterol should be consumed sparingly and in moderation.  
  • Staying physically active by exercising at least two or more days per week.
  • Avoiding smoking and secondhand smoke
  • Knowing family history, particularly, what health problems run in your family.

Along with eating healthy and exercising, prevention tactics for each age group should, according to the American Heart Association, include:  

50s

  • Learning the symptoms and signs of a heart attack and stroke.
  • Following treatment plans for any current chronic diseases you may have, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc.

60s and over

  • Beginning to receive the Ankle-Brachial Index Test, which tests for peripheral artery disease, or PAD, a cardiovascular disease where the leg arteries build up plaque.

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