Types Of Heart Disease
Below are some common forms of heart disease in North America.
- Heart failure develops when the heart becomes damaged through infection, injury or a previous heart attack and the capabilities of the heart are decreased. The heart loses the ability to pump blood with as much force as it once could and it can result in decreased blood flow to the body and fluid buildup in the legs and lungs.
- Coronary artery disease is the most common kind of heart disease. It is caused by blockages in the blood vessels of the heart. Blockages here can lead to a heart attack and chest pain.
- Peripheral vascular disease occurs when there is a lack of proper blood flow through blood vessels in the body.
- Congenital heart defects are issues in the heart that someone is born with. Heart defects include structural changes in the valves, muscles or blood vessels in and around the heart. Through infection or injury, the structure of the heart can also be damaged.
- Arrhythmias are caused by changes in the rhythm of the heart. Either the heart beats too slowly, quickly or in uneven patterns. This change in the beat of the heart can disrupt the blood flow out to the body.
- Endocarditis or myocarditis are caused by inflammation of the heart . Heart inflammation is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection.
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Resting Baseline Measures Of Si Ci Bp And Hr In Relation To Fatigue
Fatigue did not predict MAP or HR . As summarized in Tables 2, ,3,3, ,4,4, and and5,5, fatigue was a significant predictor of SI and CI. Fatigue uniquely accounted for approximately 6% of the variance in SI and 8% of the variance in CI. The fatigue effects were independent of demographic variables such as age, ethnicity, sex, or screening BP. For explaining SI as well as CI, fatigue nearly doubled the variance explained by the demographic variables . Adding depressive symptoms in a third step did not significantly increase the predictive capacity of the model, nor did it detract from the power of fatigue to explain CI and SI. Figure 1 graphically portrays the fatigue effects on hemodynamic functioning at rest.
What Medications Treat Heart Failure
Medications help reduce the symptoms of congestive heart failure and can actually improve heart muscle function. There are several main classes of medications that are used for treating a weak heart muscle. Your physician will choose medications based on your symptoms and whether your heart needs to be strengthened or relaxed. The types of medications commonly prescribed for heart failure include:
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What Is Pots And Why Does It Cause Fatigue
POTS is a group of symptoms resulting from dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. This branch of the nervous system regulates functions we dont consciously control like sweating and blood circulation.
In people with POTS, more blood collects in the lower body when standing upright. The heart beats faster to pump it up to the brain, but with little success. The causes of POTS are unknown, but the problem is thought to lie in the communication breakdown between the brain and the cardiovascular system.
POTS-related fatigue is physical in nature and the mechanism behind it is not fully understood. It may have several causes, including your body working harder to move the blood.
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Fatigue And Irregular Heartbeat
- Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Reviewed on 12/14/2020
Irregular heartbeat is often a sign of heart rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillation. Fatigue occurs with a wide variety of conditions and illnesses. Keep track of your symptoms and when they occur. Contact your doctor to discuss these or any worrisome symptoms.
While the list below can be considered as a guide to educate yourself about these conditions, this is not a substitute for a diagnosis from a health care provider. There are many other medical conditions that also can be associated with your symptoms and signs. Here are a number of those from MedicineNet:
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What You Can Do Now
It can be difficult to interpret the symptoms on your own. Swollen lower extremities, fatigue, irregular heart rhythm, and other symptoms can indicate any number of heart issues or other illnesses.
Its wise to develop a relationship with a doctor whos familiar with your family and personal history. A doctor who knows your habits and lifestyle will be better able to diagnose your illness.
See your doctor before you experience the symptoms of heart disease. Get regular checkups, and listen to your doctors advice for living a healthier lifestyle.
In addition to seeing a doctor regularly, you should also make positive changes to your lifestyle. This includes the following:
- Stop smoking tobacco.
Vomiting Or Stomach Pain
If a patient experiences intense stomach pains, and they begin to feel nauseated or begin to vomit, this could be an early warning sign of an impending heart attack. Statistics indicate that women are more likely to experience vomiting, indigestion and stomach pain as precursors to a heart attack, however, men can experience these symptoms as well. The one essential thing the patient should do is to keep a mental record or to document all of the symptoms they are experiencing so they can alert medical professionals of these symptoms in case it is early warning signs of a heart attack, and not a stomach virus. Specifically, if an individual vomits and experiences consistent chest pain that lasts for a few minutes or more, they may very well be experiencing a heart attack. In this case, the patient should call 9-1-1 immediately to get emergency help and follow the operators instructions. In the event of a heart attack, every second counts between life and death.
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Heart Conditions That Cause Dizziness
There are many heart conditions that can cause dizziness. Moreover, it is said that dizziness is one of the major symptoms observed when you are suffering from a particular heart disease. But which are these conditions? Let us find out…
There are many heart conditions that can cause dizziness. Moreover, it is said that dizziness is one of the major symptoms observed when you are suffering from a particular heart disease. But which are these conditions? Let us find out
Dizziness is the sensation of lightheadedness and feeling that you might faint. The spatial orientation also leads one to a feeling of the room spinning around them. The period for which this feeling persists defines the intensity of the dizziness, which in turn defines the seriousness of the dizzy feeling. There are numerous common causes of dizziness, many of which are not very serious, and relief is possible without any treatment. However, there are also some causes of dizziness that need immediate medical attention.
Causes of dizziness can be both, cardiovascular as well as non-cardiovascular. In addition, sometimes certain medications are also known to cause dizziness. However, the common, but serious causes of dizziness include hypoglycemia, sudden , heart conditions and anemia. You may feel dizzy even if you are mentally troubled and suffering from stress. Some diseases and disorders can also make you feel dizzy, among several other things.
What Are The Risk Factors For Heart Disease
High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of people in the United States have at least one of these three risk factors.2 Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including
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Discuss Your Heart Disease Risk Factors & What You Can Do To Help Reduce Your Risk For Heart Disease With Our Womens Health Care Team
When it comes to heart disease, women not only may experience different symptoms, but also different risk factors. For example, after menopause, your risk for heart disease increases, likely due to hormone changes. Some pregnancy complications can also be risk factors for heart disease, as well as conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary disease.
Some other things that may increase your risk for heart disease include:
- Diabetes
Our womens health care professionals are here to help address your health as a whole. During your appointment, well talk about your history and risk factors and help guide you on things you can do to lower your risk for heart disease. If youre feeling excessively tired, well help you find underlying causes of your symptom. Our providers listen and then help you with individualized treatment plans.
Heart Failuresigns And Symptoms
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart fails to function properly. The terms “heart failure” and “congestive heart failure ” don’t mean that the heart has actually “failed” or stopped but mean one or more chambers of the heart “fail” to keep up with the volume of blood flowing through them.
Heart failure is brought on by a variety of underlying diseases and health problems.
Your condition may involve the left side, the right side or both sides of the heart. Each side has two chambers:
- An atrium or upper chamber
- A ventricle or lower chamber
Any one of these four chambers may not be able to keep up with the volume of blood flowing through it.
Two types of heart dysfunction can lead to heart failure, including:
- Systolic Heart Failure This is the most common cause of heart failure and occurs when the heart is weak and enlarged. The muscle of the left ventricle loses some of its ability to contract or shorten. In turn, it may not have the muscle power to pump the amount of oxygenated and nutrient-filled blood the body needs.
- Diastolic Failure The muscle becomes stiff and loses some of its ability to relax. As a result, the affected chamber has trouble filling with blood during the rest period that occurs between each heartbeat. Often the walls of the heart thicken, and the size of the left chamber may be normal or reduced.
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What Is My Dizziness Telling Me
Dizziness isnt all created equal. It can cause you to feel off balance, light-headed, faint or like youre spinning, a condition known as vertigo. Dizziness itself isnt a disease, but its often a symptom of an underlying health issue that may or may not be serious.
Dizziness tells you something is going on with your body, says Dr. Yvette Pellegrino, a family medicine physician at Beaufort Memorial Ladys Island Internal Medicine. It can be associated with a sudden drop in blood pressure, motion sickness and inner ear infections. It can also be a side effect of a medication youre taking.
Other health issues associated with dizziness include the following:
- Anxiety
- Multiple sclerosis
- Seizures
Getting to the root cause is important, especially if you experience dizziness frequently or it impacts your day-to-day activities. Always ask your doctor about dizziness associated with a medication. You should also see a doctor about dizziness if you experience a fever over 101 degrees Fahrenheit, weakness, hearing loss or other unusual symptoms.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Associated With Fatigue
Fatigue is a symptom that usually has some underlying cause. Fatigue may be described by people in different ways, and may include some combination include weakness, lack of energy, constantly tired or exhausted, lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating, and/or difficulty starting and completing tasks.
Other symptoms such as fainting or loss of consciousness , near-syncope, rapid heartbeat , dizziness or vertigo may also be described as part of the fatigue experienced by the affected individual. The presence of these symptoms may actually help lead a health care practitioner to discover the underlying cause of the fatigue.
The potential causes of fatigue are numerous. The majority of diseases known to man often list fatigue or malaise as possible associated symptoms. This is complicated by the fact that fatigue can occur in normal healthy individuals as a normal response to physical and mental exertion. However, normal fatigue may begin to become abnormal if it becomes chronic, extreme or prolonged fatigue usually this occurs when a person experiences chronic or prolonged physical or mental exertion. For example, unusually hard physical or mental exertion for one day can result in normal fatigue that may last about a day or sometimes more, depending on the exertion level, while daily unusually hard physical or mental exertion may result in prolonged fatigue . This latter situation may develop into abnormal fatigue.
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Heart Disease Risk Factors
It is important to pay attention to any symptoms that may indicate heart disease. Donât ignore them or wait for them to go away see your doctor for testing and diagnosis. Many people mistake heart disease symptoms for heartburn or muscle soreness. If you have any cardiac disease risk factors, including
- being male
- diabetes
- family history of heart disease
If you have any of the above risk factors, you need to pay extra attention to any potential heart disease symptoms.
What The Research Tells Us
Cardiac anomalies could partially explain why a small amount of exertion can wipe out someone with ME/CFS.
While the studies suggest that abnormalities of the heart and nervous system contribute to the high rates of cardiac failure in people with ME/CFS, that doesn’t mean they’re the only factors. Other factors such as weight and sedentary lifestyle may contribute as much or even more.
In the end, most of these studies are small and need far more investigation. What they should highlight, however, is the increased need to monitor the cardiac health of people living with ME/CFS. This is especially true for those with severe symptoms, as well as anyone who has risk factors for cardiac disease .
If you have ME/CFS, talk to your healthcare provider about heart health, any symptoms you have, and what you can do to lower your risk of cardiac disease.
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Fatigue Can Be A Sign Of Heart Valve Problems
Some heart conditions have no recognizable symptoms until they have progressed. Unexplained fatigue can be a sign of heart problems such as heart valve disease. Patients often fail to recognize small clues and changes that may point to heart trouble.
If you have heart valve disease, its important to schedule and attend regular checkups to get the proper treatment and monitoring.
Reason : Your Heart Needs Exercise
Your instinct may be to baby a heart damaged by heart failure, but the opposite is true.
Aerobic exercise strengthens all muscles in the body, including the heart, says Cardiac Rehabilitation Director Erik Van Iterson, PhD, MS.
A heart that pumps more strongly increases the delivery of oxygenated blood throughout the body, which your body needs to generate energy and battle fatigue. You can actually make yourself worse by doing nothing.
A cardiac rehabilitation program and guided exercise training therapy can put you on the right track, both physically and mentally. All heart failure patients need cardiac rehab, he says.
If you were not raised in a culture that promoted exercise, you may find the concept intimidating. Dr. Van Iterson emphasizes that any exercise you do will be beneficial.
Exercise means different things to different people. There is no one-size-fits-all model to follow, he says.
Attending a cardiac rehab program enables you to be assessed for the type of exercise that will be safe based on your age, experience, overall condition and the condition of your heart. You may never have thought that walking around your neighborhood would be beneficial, but if you are for example in your mid-70s, have heart failure and have never exercised before, it will be, says Dr. Van Iterson.
Be patient and stay motivated. You wont feel better overnight. It may take weeks or months of consistent exercise to feel the difference, says Dr. Van Iterson.
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When To Call The Doctor
If you have any signs of heart disease, call your health care provider right away. Don’t wait to see if the symptoms go away or dismiss them as nothing.
- You have chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack
- You know you have angina and have chest pain that doesn’t go away after 5 minutes of rest or after taking nitroglycerine
- You think you may be having a heart attack
- You become extremely short of breath
- You think you may have lost consciousness
Compassionate Understanding Womens Health Care At Herkare
Our team at HerKare is here to help you feel great again. We put you in charge at our womens health clinic. Our goal is to help you stay healthy and help improve your quality of life. Whether you need an annual exam or are coming in to talk about any symptoms or concerns you have about your health, we believe in providing compassionate womens health care in a welcoming environment. We take time to listen and understand, and then help you feel better. Make an appointment today and lets talk about your health and wellbeing!
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Changes In Your Ability To Exercise
One big warning sign is lower exercise tolerance: You used to be able to walk up the stairs easily, but now you feel very breathless or even have to stop mid-way and take a break. That should be taken very seriously, Haythe warned.
I find as a physician, one of the most helpful questions when somebody comes in and says theyre breathless, I say, think back: Could you do that earlier this summer or last summer, and now you cant? Hayes said.
If so, it may be time for a cardiac evaluation.
