The term cardiology itself speaks volumes; one can tell by the pronunciation that it is something sophisticated. Cardiology is an interesting topic; it is the study of the heart,blood vessels and related diseases along with the treatments and diagnostics.The heart is the most crucial organ in the whole body. It is the cornerstone of every life because it supplies and pumps blood for the body. Once the heart stops beating, then that means one is either in cardiac arrest or +dead.
Common Heart Diseases
Here are some of the most common heart diseases :
- CAD, which is coronary artery disease, is the most potent heart disease of all time. This disease is caused by a build-up of fat layers or plaque in the artery walls (atherosclerosis) caused by cholesterol. This limits blood supply to the heart, causing high blood pressure.
- Heart arrhythmia is when one is experiencing irregular heartbeats, which is different from the normal heartbeat. Several lifestyle factors, including smoking, caffeine and alcohol intake, may cause heart arrhythmias. Some medical conditions that may cause heart arrhythmia are electrolyte imbalance, kidney disease and lung disease.
- Heart failure usually occurs when one has an underlying cause like cardiomyopathy or coronary artery disease. Heart failure is when the heart fails to pump and supply the body with enough blood.
- Heart valve disease is caused by an abnormality of the heart`s valve operation. This causes the blood to be blocked from moving.
Symptoms Of Heart Diseases
- Chest pains and discomfort can result from poor blood flow to the heart or lack of oxygen. One may feel a hard compression or tightness in the chest.
- Shortness of breath.
- Fluid build up in the tissue which is caused by slow blood circulation may cause a condition called edema whereby legs or the lower body swells.
- Coughing and wheezing, especially after performing physical activities. Sometimes, some coughs contain blood-stained sputum.
Alternative Heart Disease Treatments
There are some medications, such as anticoagulants, that help chelate the blood to allow free flow of the blood without blockages. Some procedures like angioplasty may also help in the case of atherosclerosis. For some irreversible heart damage caused by certain heart diseases, heart surgery is required. In cases like these, the cardiologist cannot perform open heart surgery because this type of procedure requires experts, just like how Dr C Walton Lillehei gained accolades for improving open surgery techniques. In most cases, open heart surgery and heart transplants are confusing. Although they might be used interchangeably, there is a great difference because in an open heart, the heart is repaired or replaced, and it does not require any donor, whereas the opposite is true for a heart transplant.
In conclusion, monitoring diet and lifestyle and attending physical checkups at the cardiologist is quite beneficial because it helps monitor heart activities and health. A sign of irregular heartbeat or heart arrhythmia should be a warning, and one should take caution.
