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Heart Disease
Overview:
Heart disease is a broad term used to describe a range of diseases that affect your heart, and in some cases, your blood vessels. The various diseases that fall under the umbrella of heart disease include diseases of your blood vessels, such as coronary artery disease; heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); and heart defects you're born with (congenital heart defects).
Signs and Symptoms:
Heart disease symptoms vary, depending on what type of heart disease you have.
Symptoms of heart disease in your blood vessels (cardiovascular disease)
Cardiovascular disease is caused by narrowed, blocked or stiffened blood vessels that make it so your heart, brain or other parts of your body don't receive enough blood. Cardiovascular disease symptoms can include:
* Chest pain (angina)
* Shortness of breath
* Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in your legs or arms, if the blood vessels in those parts of your body are narrowed.
Causes and Organs Affected:
To understand heart disease, it helps to know how the heart works. Your heart is a pump. It's a muscular organ about the size of your fist and located slightly left of center in your chest. Your heart is divided into the right and the left side. The division protects oxygen-rich blood from mixing with oxygen-poor blood. Oxygen-poor blood, "blue blood," returns to the heart after circulating through your body.
Risk Factor:
Heart disease risk factors include: Age, Sex, Family history, Smoking, Poor diet, High blood pressure, High blood cholesterol levels, Diabetes, Obesity, Physical inactivity, High stress and Poor hygiene.
Treatment:
Heart disease treatments vary. You may need lifestyle changes, medications, surgery or other medical procedures as part of your treatment.
Treatments for cardiovascular disease
The goal in treating diseases of your arteries (cardiovascular disease) is often to open narrowed arteries that cause your symptoms.
Other Information:
Heart disease can be improved — or even prevented — by making certain lifestyle changes. The following changes can help anyone who wants to improve their heart health: Stop smoking, Control your blood pressure, Check your cholesterol, Keep diabetes under control, Get moving, Eat healthy foods, Maintain a healthy weight, Manage stress, Practice good hygiene habits and Get a flu shot.