A group of diseases affecting your blood vessels and heart is collectively known as cardiovascular disease. These diseases can affect single or multiple parts of your blood vessels and heart. A patient suffering from this disease can be symptomatic or asymptomatic. In other words, the patient might not experience the disease physically. Cardiovascular disease comprises blood vessel and heart issues, such as:
⦁ Blood vessels in your heart become narrow. In some cases, the blood vessels in other organs also start shrinking.
⦁ Blood vessels and heart problems by birth
⦁ Heart valves not functioning properly
⦁ Irregularity in heartbeat
Medical conditions that cause cardiovascular disease
People suffering from the following medical conditions are susceptible to cardiovascular disease:
⦁ High blood pressure
⦁ Tobacco addiction. Nowadays, it includes vaping.
⦁ High cholesterol
⦁ Type 2 diabetes
⦁ Genetically inherited heart disease
⦁ Lack of physical exertion
⦁ Excess weight gain or obesity
⦁ Diet with high amounts of fat, sugar, and sodium
⦁ Heavy intake of alcohol
⦁ Wrong dosage of recreational or prescription drugs
⦁ Gestational diabetes
⦁ Autoimmune conditions or chronic inflammation
⦁ Chronic kidney disease
Cardiovascular disease symptoms
The symptoms of cardiovascular disease vary by cause. The symptoms of heart conditions are as follows:
⦁ Pain in the chest (stable or unstable angina)
⦁ Difficulty in breathing (dyspnoea)
⦁ Fainting or dizziness
⦁ Exhaustion or Fatigue
⦁ Signs of blockages in blood vessels all across the patient’s body
⦁ Experiencing cramps or pain in your legs while walking
⦁ Non-healing leg sores
⦁ Red or cool skin on your legs
⦁ Swelling in legs
⦁ Numbness in your limb or face on the right or left side of your body
⦁ Difficulty in walking, seeing, or talking.
Commonly observed cardiovascular diseases
There are several cardiovascular diseases, including the following:
⦁ Arrhythmia – This disease is caused by malfunctioning of the heart’s electric impulses, which results in the irregularity of heart rate and rhythms
⦁ Heart valve issue – This medical condition happens when the heart valves become tightened or leaking takes place.
⦁ Coronary artery disease – Blockage in your arteries due to accumulation of plaque. This disease prevents sufficient blood from reaching the heart.
⦁ Heart failure – The heart muscles are unable to pump sufficient blood. It leads to fluid accumulation in the legs and lungs. This condition results in shortness of breath and swelling in the legs.
⦁ Aortic disease – In this disease, the aortic valve cannot channel blood from the patient’s heart to the rest of the body. Nowadays, this condition is treated using a mitraclip device.
⦁ Congenital heart disease – This is a disease developed by birth that affects the normal functioning of one’s heart.
Types of heart surgeries
There are several types of heart surgeries. The following list describes a few of them such as:
⦁ Bypass Coronary artery grafting – It is the most commonly performed heart surgery. In this method, a surgeon connects a healthy artery or vein to the body part that is not getting enough blood because of a blockage in an artery. This healthy grafted artery or vein bypasses the blockage and channels the blood into the heart muscle. This surgery is also known as heart bypass surgery.
⦁ Heart valve replacement or repair – Surgeons either repair or replace a malfunctioning valve with an artificial one. Sometimes, it is replaced by a valve made of cow, pig, or human tissue. The surgeons place a small balloon inside a valve through a catheter to repair a malfunctioning valve. In the next step, they inflate and deflate this balloon to broaden the narrow path of the valve.
⦁ Inserting implantable cardioverter defibrillator or pacemaker – Cardiologists usually consider medications as the initial treatment for arrhythmia. In this medical condition, a patient’s heart pumps with irregular rhythms. When medications cannot settle the issue, a surgeon inserts a pacemaker under the skin of the patient’s abdomen or chest, with wires connecting it to the heart. The pacemaker’s sensors detect irregular rhythm irregularities and help control the heat rate by using electric impulses. Similarly, an ICD senses an irregularity and transfers electric shocks to restore unstable arrhythmia.
Besides these surgeries, specialists consider non-invasive or minimally invasive alternatives such as Transcatheter structural heart surgery. This surgery includes replacing a faulty aortic valve with valves of animal tissues such as Mitraclip and Watchman. “Mitraclip system has led to a reduction in the death count of heart patients”, says the best cardiologist in Delhi, Dr Viveka Kumar.
Conclusion
Experts say that a healthy lifestyle can prevent cardiovascular diseases to a certain extent. Preventive measures such as avoiding tobacco products, keeping blood pressure and cholesterol in check, retaining a healthy weight, etc. can save you from such diseases. In case you are suffering from a cardiac problem, you can manage it well by consulting the best cardiologist in Delhi, Dr Viveka Kumar.
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