subject: Symptoms And How To Prevent Heart Diseases [print this page] You only have one heart, which pumps life supporting nutrients and oxygen through your body by helping to circulate the blood. Your heart is a specialized organ and deserves specialized treatment. Eat right, get regular exercise, do not smoke, and knowing your family history are probably the best ways to avoid heart disease, but even if you have followed all these rules you should know all about your heart and what to do if something goes wrong.
There are many factors that can contribute to coronary or heart disease. By knowing what they are, you can avoid many of them and help keep your heart healthy. Contributing factors include:
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Overweight
High cholesterol
History of family members with heart disease before reaching old age
Increasing age
Smoking
Lack of regular exercise
Even if you have none of these factors in your life, knowing the warning signs of coronary disease can save your life or the life of someone you love:
Pain and discomfort in chest (uncomfortable squeezing and tightness in chest)
Pain in the arm, jaws and back
Fatigue and shortness of breath
Nausea and pain in chest area
The problem with coronary disease is that it can be a silent killer, and 1 out of every 3 people that suffer from coronary disease does not show any symptoms until it is almost too late. This is why regular checkups and routine tests for the heart are so important. Be sure to follow your doctors recommendations for any checkups and tests to know any warning signs or indicators for the health of your heart.
If you happen to experience any of these symptoms, call for Emergency help or have someone drive you to the nearest hospital. Do not try to drive yourself. You put yourself at risk along with everyone else out on the roads.
The pain in the chest has not reduced despite taking 2-3 tablets of Nitroglycerin or after spraying 2 -3 times continuously every 5 minutes
The pain in the chest is more severe than other times
Feeling of nausea, lightheadedness and unconsciousness
Severe pain in the chest for more than 20 minutes
If you have coronary disease or your doctor thinks you need treatment for a warning sign of coronary disease, he or she will recommend one of two options: medical or surgical. If a symptom can be treated medically, your doctor will run tests and examinations to determine the best choice for you and prescribe a treatment. Generally these treatments include prescription medications. If your doctor determines that your case is more severe, he or she will send you for a consultation with a surgeon to help determine the best course of treatment.
Treatments can include a balloon stint to open a blocked artery. Blocked arteries do not allow blood to flow freely, thus depriving part of the body of oxygen and nutrients. The blockage is cleared away and the blood vessel is held open by a mess called a balloon stint. Another treatment is bypass surgery, where a clogged blood vessel is removed and replaced with a healthy section of blood vessel from somewhere else in the body. Be sure to discuss with your doctor all your options and what he or she feels is best for you.
