Coping With Chd
Like any muscle, the heart must have a frequent source of oxygen and nutrients that are transported to it by the blood in the coronary arteries
. When the coronary arteries become narrowed or clogged and cannot offer enough blood to the heart, the end result is CHD. If not enough oxygen-carrying blood reaches the heart, the heart may reply with ache called angina. The ache is usually felt in the chest or occasionally in the left arm and shoulder. (However, the same insufficient blood supply may give no indications, a condition called silent angina.)
When the blood supply is cut off absolutely, the end result is a heart attack. The portion of the heart that does not get oxygen starts to die, and many of the heart muscle may be completely ruined.
So what leads to CHD? CHD is triggered by a thickening of the inside walls of the coronary arteries. This thickening, referred to as atherosclerosis, narrows the space through which blood can flow, minimizing and in some cases totally cutting off the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the heart.
Atherosclerosis usually occurs when a person has excessive levels of cholesterol, a fat-like substance, in the blood. Cholesterol and fat, moving in the blood, build up on the walls of the arteries. The buildup narrows the arteries and may slow or obstruct the circulation of blood. When the level of cholesterol in the blood is high, there is a higher possibility that it will be deposited onto the artery walls. This progression begins in most people during childhood and the teenage years, and worsens as they get older.
In addition to high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking also play a role to CHD. On the average, each of these increases your probability of getting heart disease. For this reason, a person who has all three risk factors is eight times more likely to manifest heart disease than someone who has none. Morbid obesity and physical lack of exercise are other factors that can contribute to CHD. Being overweight increases the chances of developing high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure, and physical inactivity increases the threat of heart attack. Regular workout, good nutrition, and smoking cessation are vital to curbing the risk variables for CHD.
Among its signs or symptoms are chest pain (angina) or shortness of breath, which may be the first indicators of CHD. A person may experience heaviness, tightness, agony, burning, strain, or squeezing, usually behind the breastbone but occasionally also in the arms, neck, or jaws. These signs typically bring the patient to a doctor for the first time. On the other hand, some people suffer heart attacks without ever experiencing any of these symptoms.
It is crucial to know that there is a broad range of severity for CHD. Some people have no signs or symptoms at all, some possess moderate irregular chest pain, and some have more evident and steady pain. Still others have CHD that is extreme enough to make regular daily actions hard.
Because CHD may differ so considerably from one person to another, the way a doctor diagnoses and treats CHD will also change a lot. The subsequent points are general guidelines to some assessments and therapies that may or may not be employed, depending on the unique case.
There is no one straightforward test--some or all of the following methods may be essential. These diagnostic procedures are used to establish CHD, to figure out its scope and severeness, and to rule out other possible reasons of the symptoms.
After taking a careful medical history and being subjected to a physical examination, the doctor may make use of a number of tests to discover how advanced the CHD is. The only certain way to detect and determine the magnitude of CHD is coronary angiography (see below); other tests can indicate a problem but do not show exactly where it is.
An examination for CHD may include the following tests:
An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a graphic record of the electrical activity of the heart as it contracts and rests. Abnormal heartbeats and some areas of deterioration, inadequate blood flow, and heart enlargement can be found on the records.
A stress test (also called a treadmill test or exercise ECG) is utilized to document the heartbeat during exercise. This is performed for the reason that a number of heart problems only show up when the heart is working hard. In the test, an ECG is done before, during, and after exercising on a treadmill; breathing rate and blood pressure may be measured as well. Exercise tests are useful but are not completely reliable; false positives (showing a problem where none exists) and false negatives (showing no problem when something is wrong) are fairly common.
Nuclear scanning is sometimes used to show damaged areas of the heart and reveal problems with the heart's pumping action. A tiny amount of radioactive material is injected into a vein, usually in the arm. A scanning camera tracks the nuclear material that is taken up by heart muscle (healthy areas) or not taken up (damaged areas).
Coronary angiography (or arteriography) is a test used to investigate the coronary arteries. A fine tube (catheter) is put into an artery of an arm or leg and passed through the tube into the arteries of the heart. The heart and blood vessels are then recorded while the heart pumps. The picture that is seen, called an angiogram or arteriogram, will show problems such as a blockage caused by atherosclerosis.
CHD is treated in a number of ways, depending on the stage of the disease. For many people, CHD is kept down with lifestyle changes and medications. Others with severe CHD may need surgery. In any case, once CHD develops, it requires lifelong management.
by: Mariecarz David
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