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Heart disease
How long does heart disease generally hurt?
1. Chest pain caused by angina due to coronary heart disease is located in the middle to lower third of the sternum, with unclear boundaries. It is often triggered by physical activities or emotional excitement and may radiate to the throat, lower jaw, left shoulder, and inner side of the left arm. The pain lasts for a few minutes to more than ten minutes, typically between three to five minutes, and rarely exceeds half an hour. It can be relieved by rest or by taking nitroglycerin under the tongue. The nature of the pain is feelings of stuffiness, pressure, or constriction, and may also feel like a burning sensation, but is not sharp like needle pricks or cuts. 2. The location and nature of the chest pain in acute myocardial infarction are the same as with angina, but it lasts longer, is more severe, and its triggers are less evident. It can occur even while at rest, accompanied by symptoms such as sweating, nausea, vomiting, heart palpitations, and difficulty breathing. Unlike with angina, regular rest or taking nitroglycerin under the tongue does not completely alleviate the pain.
How to prevent heart disease
In clinical settings, heart diseases include congenital heart disease, coronary heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, pneumonic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, etc. Some diseases are preventable, such as the most common coronary heart disease. The occurrence of coronary heart disease is due to long-term lipid metabolism disorders and increased blood lipids, which cause arteriosclerosis and subsequent coronary atherosclerosis, leading to insufficient myocardial blood supply and myocardial damage. Preventing and treating hyperlipidemia and reducing arteriosclerosis can decrease the incidence of coronary heart disease.
Complications of heart disease
Heart disease is a very common illness in our daily lives. What are the complications of heart disease? The category of heart diseases is broad; here we will discuss some common ones, such as coronary heart disease. Patients with coronary heart disease are prone to develop heart failure, leading to symptoms such as shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, or atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation often leads to complications like thrombosis. For instance, a dislodged thrombus can cause a cerebral infarction, resulting in symptoms like hemiplegia, weakness in one side of the body, and speech disturbances. Additionally, certain severe myocardial diseases can lead to malignant arrhythmias, causing sudden death in patients, which is often very serious.
Can heart disease be inherited?
Whether heart disease is hereditary depends on the specific type of heart disease. Some heart conditions are hereditary diseases, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is an autosomal dominant inherited disease and can be inherited. Some heart diseases are related to genetics, such as coronary heart disease and dilated cardiomyopathy. These genetically related diseases significantly increase the risk of their offspring developing these conditions, but it does not necessarily mean that they will develop the disease, as environmental factors also play a crucial role. Of course, some heart diseases are not genetic, such as most congenital heart diseases, heart valve diseases, infective endocarditis, and myocarditis, which are not related to genetics.
Early symptoms of heart disease
How is heart disease diagnosed? What are its early symptoms? Actually, the concept of heart disease is very broad as it includes many diseases related to the heart. Generally, it refers to problems with the structure or function of the heart, or its inability to perform its pumping function. Its early symptoms can include chest tightness, chest pain, or a crushing feeling after activity, and some may even radiate to the back or the inside of the arms, even involving the shoulders, presenting symptoms like increased heart rate, palpitations, tinnitus, and breathing difficulties. All these are related to heart disease. But how can we determine what kind of heart disease it is? We believe that the first step is to visit a hospital for tests such as electrocardiograms (ECG), ambulatory ECGs, exercise stress tests, and other imaging tests including coronary CT and even coronary angiography. Of course, some biochemical tests are also necessary, such as myocardial enzymes, troponins, myoglobins, brain natriuretic peptides, immunological and biological tests, which all help to determine the nature of the heart disease. In summary, we must pay special attention to heart disease, and once these symptoms appear, we should seek medical attention promptly and early.
What does heart disease feel like?
Heart disease is a very common category of diseases in our daily lives, with a wide range of heart conditions. What are the general symptoms or feelings associated with heart disease? They often manifest in the following ways: First, palpitations or arrhythmias. Patients with arrhythmias often experience symptoms of palpitations, which are quite common. Second, chest tightness and chest pain, such as in coronary heart disease or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This type of heart disease often presents with symptoms of chest tightness and chest pain. Third, symptoms of heart failure, such as exertional dyspnea or nocturnal paroxysmal dyspnea. These symptoms are often indicative of heart failure. These three major categories are the most common symptoms of heart disease. If you experience any of these symptoms, be sure to visit the cardiology department of a hospital for a formal examination.
Can people with heart disease drink alcohol?
Patients with heart disease should not drink alcohol, especially those with severe heart conditions, including heart failure and arrhythmias. Drinking alcohol can excite the sympathetic nervous system, increase heart rate, enhance myocardial oxygen consumption, increase cardiac burden, and worsen arrhythmias and heart failure. Additionally, patients with organic heart disease who regularly require medication should avoid alcohol. Alcohol can chemically interact with certain medications or reduce their effectiveness, potentially harming the body.
What is heart disease?
Heart disease is caused by various factors that invade the heart, resulting in the loss of its normal physiological functions. Common causes of heart disease include rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease, viral myocarditis, coronary artery disease, and pulmonary heart disease. These diseases are considered organic heart diseases, caused by various reasons that lead to pathological changes in the heart's muscles, valves, etc., losing the heart's normal ability to pump blood and supply the body with blood.
Is pulmonary heart disease serious?
Cor pulmonale refers to the disease characterized by changes in the structure and function of the right ventricle due to increased pressure resistance in the pulmonary vessels, caused by abnormalities in the bronchopulmonary tissue, thoracic cage, pulmonary vessels, etc., ultimately leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension. Common symptoms of cor pulmonale observed clinically include coughing, production of phlegm, shortness of breath, chest tightness after activity, and difficulty breathing. Some individuals may experience respiratory failure and symptoms of heart failure. The severity of cor pulmonale depends firstly on the underlying causes of the disease. For instance, conditions like pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension generally have a poorer and more serious prognosis. Secondly, extensive lung infections leading to a loss of cardiopulmonary compensation, resulting in respiratory failure and heart failure, typically indicate a more severe condition.
Symptoms of cor pulmonale
Cor pulmonale refers to a disease characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance due to pathologies of the bronchi, lung tissue, chest wall, and blood vessels of the lungs, leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension and structural and functional changes in the right ventricle. The common clinical symptoms of cor pulmonale include coughing, expectoration, shortness of breath, significant palpitations, and breathing difficulties after physical activity, reduced work capacity, and exacerbation of the above symptoms during acute infection phases. Some patients may experience chest pain and hemoptysis. The second set of symptoms relates to heart and lung function, manifesting during the decompensation phase. For instance, some patients may develop respiratory failure, and experience headaches, decreased appetite, drowsiness, significant edema in the lower extremities, and further symptoms such as arrhythmias, anorexia, abdominal distension, and nausea.