Heart disease or cardiovascular disease can encompass many variations of medical issues with the heart and have several subcategories. Many of the problems associated with this disease will have the options for treatment that can offer some relief.
Diseases of the heart can have silent symptoms and can go unnoticed until it is too late. Women are one of the main statistical fatal sufferers of heart attacks and this has brought new awareness to the study of afflictions with heart issues. Women will suffer a variety of symptoms that are not related to the known facts of how men suffer from heart issues and this has had serious consequences. New studies are now being performed to target women more closely in their research and to hopefully help fight the leading cause of death in women.
The Top Five Contributors of Cardiovascular Diseases:
1.) Heart Failure
This is also known as congestive heart failure and occurs when the heart becomes to weak to pump blood to the rest of the body. The name can be misleading as this is not a term for failure of the heart or that the heart is about to stop. The term implies that it is simply not working up to par. It can lead to complete failure or a heart attack if it is not managed and there are several treatment options available.
2.) Arrhythmia
This is an unusual heartbeat or heart rate that is not a part of a functioning normal heart rhythm. Unusual rhythms can be caused by various factors such as diet, heart health and nervous disorders. This can be a disease that can often go undetected. While not serious and very treatable, arrhythmia can cause stress to the heart. It may not be life-threatening, but can cause other heart health related issues that could become a serious problem.
3.) Congenital Heart Disease
This is a very broad term that can afflict various symptoms of the heart and its functions. Congenital diseases are those that are caused before birth and when affecting the heart will determine how it is formed with variable abnormalities.
4.) Peripheral Vascular Disease
Arteriosclerosis of the arteries affects the blood flow to the legs and feet. The vessels will begin to harden and shrink which lessens the amount of blood being delivered. This can cause severe tissue and nerve damage. There are various medications that can help with this disease and some lifestyle changes are also effective.
5.) Coronary Heart Disease
A disease that results in narrowing of the cardiovascular arteries delivering blood to the heart and the cause of heart attacks. This is the number one killer of men and women. It is important to pay attention to any symptoms you may have related to a heart attack.
Some of the major contributors to this disease are diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and birth defects. Many of these causes can be determined by lifestyle choices while others may be genetic disturbances. It is favorable to have regular check-ups for heart health and to know your family history for cardiovascular disease to be preventative and successfully stop unnecessary heart health issues.