Coronary heart disease
What is coronary heart disease?
Coronary heart disease, also called ischemic heart disease, is a condition in which fatty deposits (more commonly called plaques) build up on the walls of the the coronary arteries.
The coronary arteries are the blood vessels through which the heart receives blood and oxygen.
When plaque builds up, it causes the arteries to narrow and reduce the amount of blood that reaches the heart muscle.
This condition can cause extremely serious health problems and even a heart attack.
Coronary heart disease is the most common cardiovascular disease and is the number one cause of death.
Unfortunately, most people do not learn they have ischemic heart disease until after they have had a heart attack.
Whether you have already experienced a heart attack or not, there are a number of steps you can take now to help prevent such a serious condition in the future.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of ischemic heart disease can vary depending on the degree of narrowing of the arteries and the general health of the individual.
In the early stages of the disease, many patients may not have any symptoms, making it difficult to detect the problem early.
In practice, however, symptoms often appear after the age of 50, when the risks of cardiovascular disease increase.
The first and most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort called angina. The pain can be described as a feeling of tightness, burning or heaviness in the chest and often occurs during physical exertion or emotional stress.
Although angina can be a warning sign of ischemic heart disease, not all cases of chest pain are related to this disease, and further medical evaluation is important.
Patients with ischemic heart disease may also experience frequent rapid breathing, even with minor physical exertion.
This is due to the fact that the heart is not able to provide enough oxygen to the muscle during exertion. This symptom can create a feeling of breathlessness and shortness of breath.
A heart attack, sometimes known as a heart attack, can be the first symptom of ischemic heart disease.
This serious event occurs when part of the heart muscle does not receive enough blood and oxygen due to a blocked artery.
A heart attack presents with intense and prolonged chest pain that may spread to the left arm, neck, jaw or back.
In addition to these main symptoms, some patients may experience palpitations, nausea and excessive sweating.
These unwanted conditions are due to the body’s complex reaction to the lack of oxygen and impaired heart activity.
It is important to emphasize that in rare cases an individual can suffer a heart attack even without any previous symptoms.
This highlights the need for regular medical check-ups and consultations, especially after reaching middle age.
What are the causes of ischemic heart disease?
Ischemic heart disease makes the walls of the blood vessels inelastic due to the build-up of plaque – this build-up is the disease atherosclerosis.
However, atherosclerosis can damage any artery in the body, but when it affects the arteries that supply the heart muscle with oxygen and blood, this disease is called coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease.
Plaque is a fatty accumulation consisting of cholesterol, calcium and other substances carried in the blood.
When plaque builds up over time, the heart muscle gradually weakens and becomes damaged. At one point, the plaque has become so large that it tries to tear the artery wall due to the increased pressure.
The body responds by forming a blood clot around the point where the artery wall has become too thin and can rupture.
However, a blood clot can block blood flow to the heart muscle and cause a heart attack.
Treatment of ischemic heart disease?
Changes in the usual lifestyle are the first step that anyone suffering from ischemic heart disease should take.
But not in all cases only the changes are enough, it is possible that taking certain drugs is also necessary.
When taking medicines, you should be very careful and only take the doses that have been prescribed for you.
Changes in your lifestyle
When your doctor diagnoses you with ischemic heart disease, the first thing he will advise you is to stop smoking, start eating a more balanced diet – with foods rich in fiber such as fruits and vegetables, and exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes a day and even a daily walk is enough to improve your condition and protect yourself from future heart problems.
Any activity that accelerates the heart’s activity is useful in this disease, and you should not start immediately with a heavy physical load that your body is not used to.
How to protect yourself from coronary heart disease?
To maintain a healthy heart and reduce the risk of developing ischemic heart disease, we can take several important steps in our daily lives.
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These measures will not only help prevent coronary heart disease, but also improve our general health.
First and foremost, quitting cigarettes and smoking is critical to our cardiovascular health. Smoking is one of the main risk factors for developing ischemic heart disease.
If you are having trouble quitting, it is important to seek help from a qualified therapist or other smoking cessation programs that can provide you with support and strategies to overcome your addiction.
Regular physical activity is key to maintaining heart health.
It is recommended that we aim for a minimum of 30 minutes a day of activity, such as walking, swimming, cycling or other moderate physical exercise.
This not only helps strengthen the cardiovascular system, but also improves our overall physical and mental health.
It is also important to pay attention to our diet. Following a varied and balanced diet is essential. Limit your consumption of processed foods high in saturated fat and sugar.
