Symptoms of heart attack

A heart attack (myocardial infarction) should not be confused with stroke or heart failure. It is the condition which causes major damage to heart muscles because of sudden blockage by a blood clot. The most common symptom of heart attack happens to be chest pain. Heart failure and ventricular fibrillation are probably the most common complications in this condition. 

Clear symptoms of heart attack are:

1. Feeling vaguely ill - very vague feeling of illness is one symptom. You cannot really put your finger on what is wrong with you, but you do feel unwell.

2. Pain in left arm - pain in the arm, mainly the left arm is also one of the symptoms of an impending heart attack.

3. Sweating and heartburn - a lot of people have reported experiencing sweating, indigestion and heartburn before a heart attack. If you are sweating profusely and without any particular reasons, or having an unbearable heartburn, consult a medical specialist immediately.

4. Chest pain - feeling of fullness or tightness in the chest followed by pain is also a symptom of a heart attack. A lot of people have reported to ignore it; kindly don't.

5. Breathlessness - sudden shortness of breath and inability to do a lot of work at one point of time is not a good thing. This could be an indication of a heart attack.

6. Silent attack - the scariest of all is silent heart attack. At times, it comes with no symptoms at all. A person could be visibly physically fit, and suddenly have an attack. This usually happens with those who are suffering from diabetes mellitus.

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All You Need To Know About Heart Attack Symptoms

High blood pressure, which is often a result of hypertension, is the leading risk factor for a stroke, which in turn leads to severe and long-term disability, including death. Managing your blood-sugar levels is the most critical thing you can do to lessen your risk of a stroke, and you should leave no stone unturned in keeping your blood pressure at optimum levels.

What causes a stroke

A stroke, which is often referred to as a brain attack, takes place when the supply of blood to a particular region of the brain is cut off. The brain cells which are deprived of the oxygen and glucose die, and when the ailment is not caught early, a permanent damage to the brain can follow.

How is high blood pressure related to a stroke

Uncontrolled blood pressure levels can increase the risk of a stroke by about four to six times. With the passage of time, hypertension causes atherosclerosis as well as hardening of major arteries. This often results in blockages of small blood vessels present in the brain. With high blood pressure for a long period of time, the blood vessels of the brain become weak and burst. This way the risk of a stroke is directly related to the high levels of blood pressure.

 What can you do to keep your blood pressure under control

There is a  lot you can do to keep the chance of a stroke at bay. But the first thing you should try doing is keeping your blood pressure level normal. Some simple lifestyle changes can help you to lead a risk-free life and therefore, you should first aim at shedding off those extra pounds along your waistline.

In general, a man with a waistline measuring over 40 inches and a woman with that over 35 inches is at a higher risk of suffering from high blood pressure as well as a stroke. You should exercise regularly for at least half an hour and eat a well-regulated diet loaded with fibre, proteins, potassium and Omega-3 fatty acids. Stay away from junk food and maintain a food diary where you can jot down your honest food habits.

It is very important to lower down your high blood pressure in order to avoid risks of stroke. But if you fail to do so even after following a healthy routine, then it is crucial to consult a doctor who can help you by prescribing medications that are right for your medical condition.

Stroke Due to Hypertension - What Should be done About it?

Arrhythmia is a disorder which is characterized by improper and irregular heartbeats; be it too slow or too fast. This problem occurs when the electrical impulses that are used to regulate your heartbeat don t work in the correct manner. Your heart may beat irregularly, too slow or too fast.

Symptoms
Although this disorder does not yield many symptoms, a few noticeable symptoms of arrhythmia are slow heartbeat, or a racing heartbeat, chest pain, breathing difficulties and dizziness. Arrhythmia can lead to inefficient pumping by the heart, leading to bouts of fainting. A severe symptom of this disorder is ventricular fibrillation, wherein the ventricles tend to quiver instead of transporting blood. This symptom can cut off blood supply to the vital organs, which may lead to death.

Causes

Coronary artery disease: In this disease, arteries of the heart can get blocked, leading to irregular heart beat and impaired heart functioning.
A heart attack: An ongoing heart attack usually leads to irregular heartbeats.
High blood pressure: High blood pressure problems make you more vulnerable to this condition.
Impaired functioning of the thyroid glands: An overactive or underactive thyroid gland can lead to heart arrhythmia.
Excessive smoking and alcohol consumption: These habits can cause problems with the blood vessels in the body, thus increasing risks of this particular condition as well as other cardio-vascular diseases.
Stress: Too much stress can lead to high blood pressure; that is again linked to heart arrhythmia.
Treatment
Mild symptoms of arrhythmia do not require treatment. However, complications resulting from it warrant treatment. The various treatment options for this condition are:

Pacemaker: A pacemaker is a device that is used to regulate your heart rhythms. It is placed in the body by a surgical procedure and an insulated wire is put, connecting the heart to the pacemaker. In case of an irregular heartbeat, the pacemaker sends out impulses to correct the improper heartbeat.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: This device is used to prevent a dangerous symptom of heart arrhythmia, a symptom wherein the ventricle quivers. It is similar to a pacemaker as it is also placed near the collarbone. In case it detects an abnormal rhythm, it sends out shocks to reset the heart rhythm.
Maze procedure: This is a surgical procedure wherein incisions are made on the upper heart tissue to create a scar tissue. Scar tissues act as insulators to prevent stray impulses.
Alternative therapies: Alternative procedures such as yoga and meditation can help remedy the disorder.

Is Your Heart Missing a Beat Regularly - Could it be Arrhythmia?

5 Signs of an Unhealthy Heart

The heart is a muscular organ that helps to pump blood through the circulatory system by periodic contractions and relaxations. The heart is one of the most important organs of the body so much so that a single cardiac arrest or a heart attack can lead to fatal consequences. Even so, a heart attack is one of the most leading causes of death in the country. But there are some earlier symptoms that could alert you ahead of time. The following are signs of an unhealthy heart:

1. Sexual problems

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most predictable reasons for cardiovascular conditions. Today, patients who are diagnosed with ED are also considered as cardiovascular patients. This is because the heart is supposedly not able to pump enough blood to the genital area. In case of women, reduced blood flow can hamper arousal and delay orgasms.

2. Snoring and sleep apnea

If one snores loudly enough to prevent their partner's from sleeping or resort to using earplugs, one may be at a risk of having a weak heart. Restricted breathing during sleep is connected with a host of cardiovascular diseases. Sleep apnea, a condition where breathing stops for a brief span of time, is linked with higher cardiovascular risks.

3. Swollen, sore and bleeding gums

Swollen and bleeding gums are not only symptoms of dental conditions but also of cardiovascular difficulties. Medical experts believe poor circulation of blood arises due to underlying heart conditions. Recent studies are focusing on bacteria that are believed to cause gum disease as well as plaque inside the arteries of the heart.

4. Heart Arrhythmia

Irregular heartbeat or heart arrhythmia is a common sign of a weak heart. It is characterized by both fast and slow beating of the heart. Restricted blood flow to the heart strains the electrical signals that maintain the normal beating of the heart. This is one of the common causes of coronary artery diseases.

5. Chest pain

One of the most apparent signs of coronary artery diseases is chest pain. The cause of the sharp, clutching pain in your chest can be build-up of plaque in the arteries, which could lead to fatal consequences.



5 Signs of an Unhealthy Heart

Psychogenic breathlessness or pseudo-dyspnea is a condition where the patient suffers from shortness of breath time to time. This disease is often confused with a similar breathing disorder called Chronic Dyspnea. While there are a lot of factors involved in chronic dyspnea, like allergens and pulmonary diseases, psychogenic breathlessness has more to do with the current state of mind.

One of the most challenging factors is the diagnosis and differentiation between both conditions. Sometimes, the psychogenic breathlessness is so concentrated that there is no way to differentiate between the two.

Procedure of Diagnosis of Psychogenic Breathlessness:

Here are the steps that doctors typically follow to diagnose Psychogenic Breathlessness

To differentiate between the two diseases (Chronic Dyspnea and Psychogenic Breathlessness), the doctor will ask the patient to try breathing harder. A patient with chronic dyspnea will find it even harder to take a breath when he or she tries to. However, a person with psychogenic dyspnea will show improved conditions when they try to breathe harder

A thorough examination of the chest will be done

Blood tests and lung function test (spirometry) will also be conducted to rule out pulmonary diseases

Causes of Chronic dyspnea:

Allergens causing allergic bronchitis (also known as asthma) is the main reason behind Chronic Dyspnea. Other common causes of the true or chronic dyspnea are heart diseases, COPD which occurs because of smoking. Then there are rare disorders like ILD (sarcoidosis), neuromuscular diseases, infections, anemia, obesity/deconditioning.



Causes of Psychogenic dyspnea or psychogenic breathlessness:

Acid reflux: Acid reflux can cause certain sensation on the inner lining of the esophagus (esophagitis). The esophagus has several nerve endings on the inner linings, when the acidic reflux touches these nerve endings, a temporary breathlessness occurs.

Anxiety: People with anxiety can also develop breathlessness. Though exercises help for a short period of time, a patient needs to see a psychiatrist for this condition.

Panic Attacks: These are also a cause for breathlessness. The temporary feeling of choking is common in people who experience panic attacks.

Treatment:

Medication: Medicine for acidity is prescribed to patients having Pseudo-Dyspnea, due to acid reflux.

Anxiety pills and Talking therapy: People suffering from anxiety are recommended to see a psychiatrist for better evaluation of their problem. Medications (anxiety pills) prescribed by the psychaitrist may help in controlling the breathing pattern in a person. Psychological therapies (Talking therapy) have been effective for people suffering from breathlessness due to anxiety.

Placebo: If the problem remains unsolved and unknown, sometimes doctor prescribes placebo medication, for example sweetened aerosol. Doctors believe that if the patient thinks he/she is taking a real medication, his/her condition can be controlled by eluding the mind.

It is important to remember that Psychogenic Breathlessness is as real as chronic breathlessness and patient doesn t pretend to have this condition. When the first symptoms of it start appearing, a specialist doctor (pulmonologist) should be consulted who after confirming the diagnosis of psychogenic breathlessness, may refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist for further treatment.

Psychogenic Breathlessness - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of It!

Cardiomyopathy includes diseases involving the heart muscle. These diseases have various causes, types, symptoms and modes of treatment.

The heart muscle gets enlarged, thick or rigid. In several cases, the heart muscle tissue is replaced with a scar tissue. As this condition worsens, the heart gets weaker and the ability to pump blood is disrupted, which can cause heart failure or irregular beating of the heart. The weakened state of the heart can lead to valvar diseases.

The different types of cardiomyopathy are:

 Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-
This is a common form and affects people of all ages. Men and women are affected equally. This condition arises due to the enlargement and thickening of the heart muscle. The ventricles, the septum and the lower heart chamber usually thicken, which causes obstruction in pumping of blood by the heart. This disease also causes stiffness in the ventricles, and cellular changes in the tissue.
 Dilated cardiomyopathy-
This form of cardiomyopathy develops due to the enlargement and weakening of the ventricles. The issue arises from the left ventricle and develops over time. It may even affect the right ventricle. More effort is put in by the heart muscles for pumping blood and slowly the heart is unable to pump blood effectively. This condition may lead to heart failure, valve diseases or blood clots in the heart.
 Restrictive cardiomyopathy-
This disease occurs due to the stiffening of the ventricles, without thickening of the walls of the heart. The ventricles are not allowed to relax and do not receive a sufficient volume of blood supply. This condition causes heart failure and valvar problems over time.
 Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia-
This rare form of cardiomyopathy occurs when fat or fibrous tissues replace the muscle tissue of the right ventricle. This causes arrhythmias and disruption in the electrical signals of the heart. It generally affects teens and may cause cardiac arrest in athletes.
 Unclassified cardiomyopathy-
Some types of cardiomyopathy of this category include left ventricular non compaction where the ventricles develop trabeculations. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is another disease where immense stress causes failure of the heart muscles.

Treatment-
Many cases of cardiomyopathy come and go away on their own. Treatment for other cases depends on the severity and symptoms. The major treatment methods are:
Lifestyle changes meant for a healthier heart.
Medication.
Nonsurgical methods.
Surgery and implants

Modes of surgery for treatment of cardiomyopathy include:
Septal myectomy
Heart transplant
Implant devices such as cardiac resynchronization therapy (crt) device, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (icd), left ventricular assist device and pacemakers are fitted into the heart for better performance.

Cardiomyopathy can be of many different types, each arising from different situations and conditions. The mode of treatment depends on the severity of the complication or on the basis of symptoms.

Types and Treatments of Cardiomyopathy

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