Angina Pectoris is the medical condition that refers to chest pain. It is due to the insufficient amount of oxygen supply to the heart. The accumulated fatty plaques or blood clots that obstruct the coronary artery (artery that supplies blood to the heart) are the main reasons for the occurrence of this condition. Below are the important facts of angina pectoris. The cause of Angina Pectoris is due to insufficient amount of oxygen to the cardiac muscle. Predisposing factors related to chest pain are activities (too much exertion), climate (extreme cold weather), eating pattern (heavy meals), and stress (emotional conflict and anxiety). Sometimes, chest pain can occur even the person is at rest. The quality of pain associated with angina pectoris is commonly described as squeezing, vise-like heavy, pressing and tightness of the chest. Other times, the person suffering from this condition complains of burning sensation at the chest area (heartburn). The locations of pa

Frequent and acute Rheumatic Fever (RF) is considered as a systemic form of heart disease. It usually occurs during childhood period. The disease itself develops after sore throat (streptococcal infection). On the other hand, Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) refers to the condition which includes the signs and symptoms of RF and swelling of the heart (inflammation of inner, middle and outer part of the heart). This condition usually occurs if there is problem with the vein and artery. Commonly, RF can affect children ages 5 to 15 and the condition is considered as a lifelong disease. The treatment goals for this type of heart disease includes: People who have RF or RHD need to have stable vital signs. The rate and the rhythm of the heart should remain within normal limits; If infection subsided, they need to increase the level of their daily activities; Anyone who is suffering from this condition should be free from pain; and They need to verbalize their understanding wi

Physical examination for people with heart diseases is very important. It provides baseline data for medical doctor to properly evaluate the current condition(*health status) of the person. Moreover, it is highly recommended that people ages 40 and above needs to have annual check-up. This is to monitor the overall state of well-being. Disease of the heart is the leading cause of death to elderly people. That is why they need to undergo series of tests to check the status of their heart. Below are the possible physical evaluation done by the doctors to assess the heart condition.  Body Mass Index (BMI*)   The BMI refers to the weight of the person in relation to its height. It provides an acceptable estimation of the body fats. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, a BMI of lesser than 18.5 is described as underweight. People with BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 are considered normal. Those who have 24 to 29.9 are considered as overweight and people who ha

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition that occurs when the heart fails to initiate its ability to pump blood. There are two types of CHF, the left side heart failure and the right side heart failure. It is considered as one of the most common form of heart diseases which requires medical attention. However, there are some simple ways that are feasible to treat this condition. These include self-care or home management recommendations. When someone is diagnosed with congestive heart failure, they are usually in need of qualified cardiologist. People with CHF can do several things at home that enhance their comfort and minimize the risk of worsening the condition. As a matter of fact, the more they become active in performing their daily routines, the better they can overcome the severity of their condition. Modifying the lifestyle practices will mark a better influence. This will not only make them become better but it enhances their opportunity to live a longer

Cardiology doctors see the effects of a poorly restrained heart everyday. While some heart problems can not be prevented, such as congenital defects of the heart, serious problems of the heart can often be prevented or improved greatly by a regular exercise program. New studies have shown that even moderate exercise done regularly can improve the function and health of the heart. Good cardiac exercise is not pumping iron at the gym. In order to reap benefits of the heart, you need to elevate your heart rate through cardiovascular exercise, such as fast walking, riding a bicycle or jumping rope, and maintain the elevated heart rate level for a period of time. The heart is a muscle just like any other, but it works differently. Pumping iron will not strengthen the heart muscle as it does the biceps and quads. The only way to strengthen the heart muscle is through cardiovascular exercise. Cardiology specialists recommend a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes of ex

Mostly patients have symptoms prior to an real heart attack – generally a “tightness” behind the breastbone, which mainly is caused by an increase in heart rate. The coronary arteries fill in between heart beats therefore anything which increases your heart rate will reduce the time your coronary arteries have to provide blood flow to the heart muscle- the myocardium. Once the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen it becomes irritable leading to palpitations and, if not relieved, death of the muscle. Surrounding the dead muscle is a variable sized area of heart muscle at risk of dying because of inadequate oxygen supply – this condition is known as myocardial ischemia. The heart rate is under the control of the autonomic nervous systems, which, in the case of the heart, is driven by adrenaline the so-called “flight or fight” hormone. Adrenaline acts at various sites of the body – On the sinus node in the heart which controls rate to increase heart rate – On the bro

Chest pain causes concern in the patient as it is mostly related to an heart attack or severe pain and people are nowadays knowledgeable of the serious consequences of the symptom. However not all times is a chest pain necessarily originating from or caused by diseases of the heart. There are plenty of other structures in the thoracic cavity and a systematic approach is needed to arrive at the correct diagnosis or in other words to find out the ?real culprit? causing the chest pain. Of special importance is the issue of chest pain in women, as this group is less liable to get heart disease till menopause. Estrogen is said to confer a protective effect and prevents the development of atherosclerosis. Myocardial infarction or Coronary artery disease (CAD) is very rare in menstruating women. As menopause approaches and estrogen levels go down, the probability of development of CAD catches up with those in men. Even then, there are lots of young to middle

* Keep your blood pressure low.  In HF(Heart failure), the release of hormones causes the blood vessels to constrict or tighten. Therefore the heart must work hard to pump blood through the constricted vessels. It is important to keep your blood pressure as low as possible, so that your heart can pump effectively without extra stress. * Monitor your own symptoms.  Check for changes in your fluid status by weighing yourself daily and checking for swelling. Call your doctor if you have unexplained weight gain (3 pounds in one day or 5 pounds in one week) or if you have increased swelling. * Maintain fluid balance.  Your doctor may ask you to keep a record of the amount of fluids you drink or eat and how often you go to the bathroom. Remember, the more fluid you carry in your blood vessels, the harder your heart must work to pump excess fluid through your body. Limiting your fluid intake to less than 2 liters per day will help decrease the workload o

Symptoms include: Not feeling comfort, pressure, heaviness, or pain in the chest, arm, or below the breastbone. Not feeling comfort radiating at the back, jaw, throat, or arm. Fullness, indigestion, or choking feeling (similar to heartburn). Sweating, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness. Feeling very weak,anxiety, or shortness of breath. Fast or irregular heartbeats. During a heart attack, symptoms generally last 30 minutes or longer and are not relieved by rest or taking oral medications. Early symptoms may start as a mild discomfort that increases to severe pain. Few people have a heart attack without having any symptoms, which is known as a “silent” myocardial infarction (MI). It happens more often in people with diabetes than others. If you discover you are having a heart attack, DO NOT DELAY. Call for emergency help.Fast treatment of a heart attack is very essential to lessen the amount of damage to your heart.

The American Heart Association (AHA) identified four basic categories for heart diseases. Primarily, it is based on the effectiveness of the pharmaceutical and natural treatment that helps reduce or eliminate the mortality and morbidity rates of heart diseases. People with categories 1 and 2 risk factors can reduce their risk for having heart diseases through preventive measures. These precautionary measures include modification of diet (eating patterns), losing weight, managing of blood pressure (normal BP), and avoidance of addictive activities (smoking and alcohol intake). Additionally, there are the 4 categories that were established by AHA to help assess and evaluate an individual who is at risk for developing heart diseases:  Category 1 In this category, the major factors along with proper medical interventions are proven to reduce the risk of the person to suffer from heart diseases. These risk factors include: High serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) leve

The most important way to prevent heart diseases is to monitor the type and contents of food that we eat. Checking the nutritional value of every goods we buy at the grocery store can help us to establish the best healthy diet plan. One of the most common substances that can cause the development of heart disease is fats (cholesterol). Eating too much of fats or foods with high level of cholesterol can promote coronary artery disease. High level of cholesterol in the blood will result into plaque formation. This fatty plaque goes along with the blood. The problem is when this plaque is clogged in the tiny vessels. This can prevent the proper circulation of the blood resulting to atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries). However, it doesn’t mean that we should omit fats and cholesterol in our diet. Take note that fats can also provide 4 kilocalories of energy. This simply tells everyone that there are few recommendations that require fat intake, as well. That is why w

Only a minimal quantity of sodium occurs naturally in the foods. Most sodium is added to the processed foods through processing. To help everyone reduce their sodium intake, we will provide the following recommendations for their perusal:  Reading the labels of the goods Read the labels of the purchased goods for sodium content;  Use food products with no added salt or lesser sodium content; and  Be sensible enough to know that broth, foods, and soy sauce that are cured or pickled have higher contents of sodium.  If you are preparing or cooking foods  Instead of using salts for cooking, choose alternative condiments with low content of sodium. These include lime, spices, herbs, vinegar, cooking wines, and lemon to improve the flavor of the foods; Avoid using salt when cooking rice or pasta; Make sure to rinse the canned foods such as tuna. This will help remove some sodium from it; and Avoid using of condiments like teriyaki sauce and soy sauce. Restrict yourself

Sedentary lifestyle is one of the risk factors that can promote the development of heart diseases. Fortunately, this specific risk factor is something that can be modified or prevented. Through lifestyle modification and management, this can reduce the risk of an individual from getting cardiovascular problem Failure to perform physical activity in a day can increase the chance of the person to develop cardiac problems. Furthermore, simple house chores can also be considered as regular exercises because it requires the body to move properly. Regular exercises and other physical activities (aerobic) can provide benefits like: Strengthening of the heart and vessels; Promotes proper blood and oxygen circulation; Reduces the clinical manifestations of heart diseases (signs and symptoms); Enhances your energy level while having intense exercises; Intensifies the level of endurance; Lowers blood pressure; Improves the cardiac muscle strength and tone; Develops the jo

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension The recent modification to the recommended dietary program for hypertension is based on the clinical research made by the National Blood, Heart and Lung Institute. The team had investigated the effects of blood pressure to whole dietary program called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH). The research found that high blood pressure can be reduced (without controlled sodium intake or weight loss scheme) through eating based on dietary plan. This dietary plan includes low in saturated fat, cholesterol, total fat and rich in veggies, fruits and dairy products with low-fat contents. The DASH dietary plan focuses on meals around the vegetables and fruits instead of poultry meats. Also, it is high in fiber which allows about 2 – 3 times the amounts of magnesium, calcium, and potassium that most Americans can consume. It also includes an extra food groups that contain dried peas, beans, seeds, and nuts from which 4 – 5 servings

Heart failure is a condition which refers to the inability of the heart muscle to pump sufficient blood. Lack of oxygen supply to the heart is one of the causes for heart failure.  It is classified as: Right-sided or Left-sided Chronic or Acute Systolic or Diastolic The objective of the treatment is to enhance the pumping action of the heart. Additionally, treatment must reverse the signs and symptoms by solving the compensatory mechanism (failure to supply sufficient blood to the body). Targeting the main problem is solved through prompt treatment.  These include: Use of medication (digoxin). The action of this medication is to strengthen the heart muscle. It improves contraction of the heart to pump blood for the body. Prolonged period of bed rest. Use of vasodilators (increase the opening of the vessels to accommodate blood circulation). The purpose of this medication is to increase the cardiac output. It works to minimize the impedance of blood flow. Use of anti

Heart Attack or medically known as Myocardial Infarction is a condition that is caused by low oxygen supply to the heart. The term “Myo” which means muscle and “Cardiac” for heart suffers from great deal of insufficient blood and oxygen supply from the coronary arteries.[relating to the heart (Greek kardia, ‘heart’)] Eventually, this condition can be fatal because it causes death to a person who suffers from it. According to the World Health Organization, heart diseases such as Myocardial Infarction are one of the leading causes of mortality for adults and elderly.  In line to this, several approaches were reinforced to various health sectors and departments across the globe. This is to prevent the occurrence of heart attack. This article focuses on the preventive measures for heart attack. Avoid eating foods which are high in cholesterol.  Cholesterol is a substance that is commonly absorbed by the body. It goes along with the fats which are highly deposited in the