Types of Heart Disease
According to the CDC, coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common form of heart disease and usually the first sign for most heart attacks (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Coronary artery disease is the result of plaque buildup in the arteries of the heart. When plaque builds up in the arteries it causes that arteries become narrower, preventing the blood from being able to flow efficiently. There are two types of coronary artery disease, chronic coronary artery disease and acute coronary artery disease. Chronic coronary artery disease is when plaque builds up over time causing a slow narrowing of the coronary artery resulting in restricted blood flow, whereas acute coronary artery disease is when a thrombus, also known as a blood clot, is formed suddenly in an artery preventing the flow of blood. If the plaque closes off the artery entirely, it will result in a heart attack. With all types of heart disease it is important to know the symptoms so that medical treatment can be administered right away. Common symptoms of coronary artery disease include: chest pain, short breath, and heart attack. Not only is it important to know what the symptoms of certain types of heart disease are it is also important to know what the risk factors and whether or not you personally are at risk to develop such health problem. According to American Heart Association some common risk factors that can lead to coronary artery disease include: high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high blood pressure, family history, diabetes, smoking, being post-menopause in woman, being over 45 years old for men, and obesity (American Heart Association, 2016). There are many way to help overcome these risk factors, the best way is to live a healthier lifestyle. According to Mayo Clinic, some lifestyle changes include: quitting smoking, eat healthier, lose weight, less stress, and more exercise. If living a healthier lifestyle does not do the trick if may be helpful to seek the help of medication, for example, cholesterol modifiers, aspirin, beta blockers, nitroglycerin, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), and angiotensin 2 receptor blockers (ARBs) will help prevent or help treat coronary artery disease. Alternative medications can also be found helpful. Some examples of alternative medications include: fish and fish oil, flax and flax seed oil, omega-3 fatty acids (Mayo Clinic, 2015) The best way to diagnose coronary artery disease is by running some simple tests. According to Mayo Clinic these tests include: Electrocardiography (EKG), echocardiogram, stress test, angiogram, and a heart scan. After the results of these test have come back, the doctor may find it necessary to perform surgery. Some examples of surgery used to open or go around the blocked artery include: angioplasty, stent placement, and bypass surgery. Angioplasty is procedure that involves inserting a flat balloon into the blocked artery and slowly blowing it up in order to open the blockage. A stent is used to create a passage through the blockage. Finally, bypass surgery is used to replace or go around a damaged artery. In conclusion the most important thing to remember about coronary artery disease is that by living a healthy lifestyle and monitoring your heart health you can help prevent yourself from coronary artery disease. It is beneficial to know the risk factors and symptoms so that you can either prevent coronary artery disease or get help when the symptoms start. For more information visit: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronary-artery-disease/home/ovc-20165305 Work Cited
disease/home/ovc-20165305
0 Comments
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |