Heart Problems

Your heart has control over your entire cardiovascular and circulatory systems.

  • When it operates inefficiently so do you.
              
  • When it ceases so do you.



    • It is not always the big thunderous pain in your chest heart attack or stroke that is indicative that something is wrong.
    There usually, but not always, are signs of an impending disaster.

    Male or female, you should be concerned enough about potential problems to do some research, ask your family doctor, look at family histories.

    CAUTION: The Internet has a lot of information on HEART and HEART DISEASE and HEART TREATMENT. There have been significant advances in treatments and medications over the last 10-20 years, so make sure you are reading current research for any of your research.
    Heredity Has Its DrawbacksClick for added information

    Sometimes, your future heart problems start when you are born and inherit some heart defects or problems or even make you prone to having high Cholesterol. We will not be dealing with these birth related problems for there is little that you can do about those conditions now. [More to come]


    Usual Procedures or Operations
     If you are having problems with your heart your doctor may recommend you to undergo some of these:


    Coronary angioplasty and stenting: Click for added information   Opening clogged heart arteries
    When your arteries are clogged as may be evident from shortness of breath and or chest pain, a day procedure may be used to open them.
    A catheter is placed in your groin's artery and slowly threaded through your body until reaches your heart. [More to come]


        Valve ReplacementClick for added information
    Age, heart problems and diseases such as congenital heart disease and rheumatic heart disease can damage or cause these valves to function improperly.
    Some patients can be treated with a combination of drugs and lifestyle changes. Other patients may need more intensive treatment such as surgical valve repair or replacement.

    For badly damaged heart Valves, when the valves in the heart are not operating efficiently, letting too much blood into the heart or having a matching flow exit the heart Chambers, replacement may be the option to correct it.
    Replacement valves are either mechanical or pig heart valves.

    If animal valve replacements are used it usually means that you will be on blood thinners for the rest of your life to prevent clots forming abnormally.

    [More to come]

Surgical InterventionClick for added information
    Bypass Surgery
    coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG)
        When the arteries are too blocked to have been cleared during angioplasty, bypass surgery may be used. Similarly if the heart muscle is too weak or if Diabetes are also reasons for this surgery.

In this procedure the chest is usually opened up and blocked arteries are bypassed with vein grafts from the patient's legs, chest or arms.

At this time surgery is also being done through a small incision and work is done either through the rib cage.

The open heart surgery patient will spend several months in recovery and rehabilitation.  It is certainly something to work to in avoiding by a change is lifestyle. [More to come]


Lifestyle
You can lower your risk of heart disease by knowing and controlling your blood pressure, diabetes and blood cholesterol. It is also important to lead a healthy lifestyle by being smoke-free and physically active, eating a healthy diet that is lower in fat, especially saturated and trans fat, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol use and reducing your stress.


      Also check out the other topics
     under the Heart Ailments section from the left column

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High Cholesterol:

You can do a number of things to improve your cholesterol level.
Eating healthy food can help lower your LDL cholesterol level, and a healthy diet may help protect the body from the damaging effect of cholesterol.
You can improve your cholesterol level
  • by quitting smoking if you smoke
  • losing weight if you are overweight
  • and exercising.