There are different types of heart problems like coronary artery disease, congenital heart failure and cardiomyopathy, but their warning signs are the same i.e. shortness of breath. This is the reason why shortness of breath should never be taken lightly and should always be investigated for heart diseases.

Why does shortness of breath happen?
You may not be able to get in enough air while experiencing shortness of breath. Known medically as dyspnea, shortness of breath is often described as an intense tightening in the chest and a feeling of suffocation. This is one of the most frightening conditions experienced by a patient. You can experience dyspnea without any serious medical problems in these conditions

After strenuous exercise
In extreme temperatures
Due to obesity and
In high altitudes
But if you are not in any of these conditions, then shortness of breath is a sign of a serious medical problem usually involving your heart or lungs. These two vital organs transport oxygen to the rest of your body and remove carbon dioxide; hence problems with either of these organs can affect your breathing. Shortness of breath that comes on suddenly called acute, can be due to other causes too like:

Asthma
Excess fluid around the heart
Low BP
Heart failure
Blood clot in an artery in the lung
Collapsed lung
Pneumonia
If you have had shortness of breath that has lasted for weeks, then we call it chronic and its causes can be various diseases of the heart apart from asthma and COPD. There is no doubt that your heart may be in trouble, if you have chronic shortness of breath. You may be suffering from these heart conditions:

Cardiomyopathy or problems with the heart muscle cause symptoms like shortness of breath after physical exertion as well as fatigue, and swelling of legs and abdomen. Patients suffering from cardiomyopathy are at risk of sudden death due to cardiac arrest.
Heart arrhythmias is also called irregular heartbeat, and can cause slow or fast heartbeats. These also have symptoms like shortness of breath. Arrhythmias can cause strokes, heart failure and cardiac arrest.
Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently to meet the needs of the body. This is a potentially fatal condition. One of the most common symptom is shortness of breath with exercise and while lying down. Fatigue is another common symptom.
Pericarditis or swelling of membranes around the heart is also characterised by shortness of breath.
Treatment of breathlessness can start after you are referred to a heart specialist for further tests to confirm the likely cause.

Shortness in Breath - Can Your Heart Be In Danger?

The lungs take in oxygen and leave out carbon dioxide through breathing. It often does not get noticed but is the most vital function. When a person is not able to breathe properly, then the overall physical ability of a person is reduced. Even walking a few steps or doing simple chores can seem daunting tasks. Therefore, shortness of breath can be very limiting and may alter the quality of life of the patient.

The medical term being dyspnea, it can be short or long-term, acute or chronic. Any problem in the heart or lungs can cause shortness of breath.

Shortness of breath can be caused by various conditions including:

Asthma
Lung infections
Heart conditions including congestion and failure
Allergies
Fever
Any systemic illness or infection
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Pneumonia
Bronchitis
Given that shortness of breath is caused by almost any ill health condition, especially in people with chronic conditions, it is best that the lungs are empowered to improve their function and do not cause shortness of breath. The idea is to delay the onset of shortness of breath and also to reduce the severity.

Some techniques to reduce shortness of breath are:

Breathe by reducing the rate of respiration. This reduces shallow breathing, which often happens, and so improves the amount of oxygen that reaches the system with each breath.
The patient should learn to relax, sit, and pace around without exertion.
Become aware of air movement during respiration   controlled breathing and active cycle of breathing techniques.
Postural drainage   Depending on the area of the lung that is causing shortness of breath, the person is made to lie prone and turn to a side that will allow the fluid in that region to drain out.
Overall relaxation techniques to improve airflow and control short of breath.
Avoid bending down, as it can induce shortness of breath.
Over-eating at one go in one meal should be avoided.
Weight needs to be maintained, especially if not under control. This can lead to shortness of breath without any associated medical condition either.
The patient should learn to push objects instead of pulling them.
Heavy objects should not be lifted but moved down at ground level.
Avoid extreme hot or cold showers.
Quit smoking as it causes various lung problems.
Help physiotherapy provides for people who are short of breath:

Improve exercise tolerance
Calms the person
Allows the person to control symptoms
Improve the quality of life
Provide manual treatment

Can Physiotherapy Cure Shortness Of Breath?

Congestive heart failure is a chronic progressive condition that affects the pumping power of your heart muscles. Simply referred to as heart failure, congestive heart failure can be life-threatening. It does not mean that the heart has stopped working. Rather, it means that the heart pumping power is weaker than normal. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body s needs. Over a period of time, the reduced ability of the heart causes the organs to receive less amount of oxygenated blood.

Signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure: In the early stages of congestive heart failure, you most likely won t notice any changes in your health. If your condition progresses, you will experience gradual changes in your body. The hallmark and the most common symptom of congestive heart failure is shortness of breath and it may occur while you are at rest, doing any activity that exerts your body, when you are lying flat or while getting up from sleep. Some of the other most common symptoms of congestive heart failure include a persistent and unexplained cough, swelling in the legs, ankles, abdomen, or hands, tiredness, changes in thinking and memory, nausea, rapid heart rate, and dizziness or light-headedness.

Causes of congestive heart failure: Congestive heart failure is most likely to occur in people who have other conditions that weaken the heart. The risk also increases by several lifestyle factors that are bad for the heart. Risk factors for congestive heart failure include congenital heart defects, high blood pressure or cholesterol, obesity, asthma, chronic pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, heart infection, reduced kidney function, a history of heart attack, irregular heart rhythms, abuse of alcohol and drugs, smoking, and old age. Though there are over a hundred other less common causes of heart failure, the exact cause of congestive heart failure is often idiopathic or unknown. Congestive heart failure might also exacerbate by unhealthy lifestyle habits. Specific habits such as smoking, excessive use of alcohol, obesity, lack of exercise, high salt intake, noncompliance with medications, and other therapies may increase the risk of congestive heart failure.

Diagnosis of congestive heart failure: A doctor or cardiologist will perform a physical exam. This may involve listening to the heart for abnormal heart rhythm. Some common tests that are done to help with the diagnosis of congestive heart failure include an electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, series of blood tests, echocardiography, stress test, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cardiac catheterization.

Treatment of congestive heart failure: The goal of treatment for congestive heart failure is to have the heart beat more efficiently so that it can meet the energy needs of the body. Specific treatment depends upon the underlying cause of heart failure. You and your doctor may consider different treatment, depending on your overall health and how far your condition has progressed. There are several medications that can be used to treat congestive heart failure. ACE inhibitors open up narrowed blood vessels to improve blood flow. Vasodilators are another option if you cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors. Beta blockers can reduce blood pressure and slow a rapid heart rhythm. Diuretics reduce your body s fluid content. A surgery such as angioplasty is recommended if medications are not effective on their own.

Congestive Heart Failure - Signs & Symptoms You Must Not Ignore!

6 Things that make you prone to heart diseases the most

Every year almost 2 lakh people opt for heart surgeries in India; and as of 2015 there were about 30 million people in the country suffered from heart diseases. There are several factors that increase the threat of heart diseases, among which some can be controlled and some can't. On one hand, where factors like being a man, old age, being a woman in the post-menopausal phase of life, and a family history of heart diseases are beyond your control; other risks can be minimized by making some lifestyle changes. 

Although natural processes like ageing, which narrow down your arteries and weaken the heart muscles increase the risk of heart diseases here are 7 factors, which dramatically increase your chances of getting heart diseases, while you are still young.

1. Genetic Factors: 
If someone in your family is already suffering or has suffered from a heart disease, especially at a young age, it increases your probability of getting a cardiovascular disease.

2. High Levels of Cholesterol in the Blood:
Chances of formation of plaque on the inner walls of the arteries increase with increasing levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol in the blood. This may be a major cause of the heart disease, atherosclerosis, which happens due to accumulation of fatty substances inside the arteries. 

3. Smoking:
Smoking causes constriction of your blood vessels and may damage their inner lining due to the effect of nicotine on them. This can put you at high risk of developing atherosclerosis. Moreover, studies suggest that people who smoke are twice as prone to heart attacks in comparison to non-smokers.

4. Hypertension:
If your blood pressure level is usually above normal, it can give rise to thickened arteries, which, in turn, can reduce the passage for the flow of blood through the vessels. This damages your heart health to a large extent and makes you prone to heart diseases.

5. Diabetes:
Uncontrolled diabetes increases your chances of getting a heart attack, especially because diabetes almost goes hand in hand with diabetes and obesity, which are risk factors of heart diseases.

6. Stress:
If you fail to keep your levels of stress and anger in check, they may have a damaging effect on your arteries. This can make way for strokes and heart attacks in the future.



The 6 Things that Make You Prone to Heart Diseases the Most

Do you know that cholesterol is found in baby formula and has got some surprising facts about them? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat like substance which is present in all your cells, and your body s cholesterol level says a lot about the health of your heart in the future. Having high cholesterol increases your risk of acquiring heart diseases and hence, you should try to maintain a normal cholesterol level.


Here are some surprising facts about cholesterol, which you should know about:

You cannot live without cholesterol: We are born with cholesterol in our bodies and infants get more cholesterol from mother s milk. This is why cholesterol is added to baby formula. All the hormones and cells of your body need cholesterol for proper functioning. It also builds the cells and helps the liver to prepare fat processing acids.
One out of three adults have high cholesterol: It is important for all people above the age of 20 to get a cholesterol checkup every five years. According to studies, around 32% of adults in the USA have got high cholesterol levels. Your cholesterol levels may also be affected by factors such as your diet and stress.
High cholesterol can be genetic: Genetics is a major influencing factor in high cholesterol levels. Research has proven that almost 75% of high cholesterol cases are genetic in nature while 25% occur because of diet.
Children can have high cholesterol as well: There is a common misconception that high cholesterol is an issue involving adults only. However, children may also have high cholesterol and it is recommended for you to get your child tested at an early age. For children who are obese and have a family history of heart attacks and high cholesterol, a selective screening is important.
Sweating raises the levels of good cholesterol: Sweating is good for increasing the levels of good cholesterol in your body. You should follow a healthy diet including food items like avocado and salmon. Working out is also important for raising your HDL levels, which prevent heart disease.
Supplements may help in lowering cholesterol levels: The first option for controlling your cholesterol levels is to work out regularly. If you are at a risk of heart attack or have hypercholesterolemia, you have to bank on supplements such as plant stanols and sterols. You can also take cholesterol reducing medications such as statins.
Earlier, the medical community was reserved about prescribing cholesterol lowering medicines and they were given only to critical heart patients. In modern day, statin treatment is recommended to people who have even little chances of heart attacks or stroke.

Cholesterol - 6 Interesting Facts About It!

5 natural ways to control your blood pressure

Blood pressure rises with each heartbeat and falls as your heart relaxes. The normal blood pressure should be less than 120/80 mm hg. An increase or decrease on either end can cause various problems.

Here are some of the natural ways to control your blood pressure.

1. Having a diet low in sodium

In the event of a high blood pressure, curtail the consumption of foods that are rich in sodium. However, research reveals that sometimes it is not just enough to cut down on sodium in your diet. A person suffering from high bp should consume foods rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium as well to keep his/her bp in check.

2. Drink plenty of water and curtail the consumption of alcohol

In case a person suffers from low blood pressure, it is advisable to drink plenty of water as low blood pressure is usually accompanied by bouts of dehydration, and consumption of water can help increase your blood pressure. Also, health drinks, which are rich in electrolytes, help your raise blood pressure. But one should avoid drinks that are high in sugar, and abating your alcohol consumption also helps to quite an extent.

3. Burn extra calories and exercise regularly

Blood pressure usually increases with weight. Being overweight can lead to sleep apnea, which is marked by disruptive breathing while you sleep, which in turn condition can lead to increased blood pressure. Studies have found that weight loss is one of the most effective ways to control high bp. Regular physical activity is also advised to maintain a stable blood pressure.

4. Avoid long, hot showers

The hot water in showers and spas can expand your blood vessels, which can often lead to a drop in blood pressure. A common sign of this would be dizziness and fainting while taking a bath. Therefore, for people suffering from this condition, using warm water rather than hot water is advisable.

5. Completely avoid stress

One of the contributing factors of high blood pressure is chronic stress. Stress tends to affect blood pressure in indirect ways. Many react to stress by overeating, consumption of alcohol and smoking, all of which can increase your blood pressure. Try to know what triggers your stress and take steps to avoid it.


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Related Tip: Got High Blood Pressure? Eat These 5 Foods!



5 Tricks that Control Your Blood Pressure, Naturally

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