Heart disease is steadily increasing and is one of the leading causes of death in Germany. Whether someone falls ill depends very much on family predisposition and lifestyle.
What is heart disease?
Heart diseases include all clinical pictures of the heart muscle that have an influence on the heart’s activity. Physicians distinguish between functional and organic heart diseases. Typical and common heart diseases are:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD).
- Heart attack
- Heart failure
- Myocarditis
- Cardiomyopathy
Causes
Functional heart disease causes unpleasant discomfort, but is based on a harmless overreaction of the autonomic nervous system and, unlike organic symptoms, is harmless. The most common coronary heart disease (CHD) is based on hardening of the arteries. The restricted blood flow causes a lack of oxygen in the heart and typical complaints such as pain in various parts of the body, burning or stabbing pain in the chest area, tightness or sweating. Angina pectoris is manifested by a sudden onset of heart tightness with fear of death, often accompanied by shortness of breath and stabbing pain in the heart region radiating to the left arm. A heart attack is triggered by a blocked coronary vessel, resulting in reduced blood flow to the heart and a lack of oxygen. A heart attack is heralded by pain behind the breastbone radiating to the arm, back, abdomen or jaw. It is not uncommon for a circulatory collapse to occur. When a heart valve fails to work properly and pump enough blood to the heart chambers, the heart’s ability to pump blood is impaired. Heart valve problems can be congenital, caused by inflammation, or due to age-related wear and tear. If left untreated, they can be life-threatening. Heart failure is often caused by another condition, such as high blood pressure or arrhythmias. Depending on which side of the heart is affected, a distinction is made between right and left heart failure, which leads to congestion of the blood in the abdomen, liver or legs. Cardiac arrhythmias throw the heart out of sync. A distinction is made between tachycardia, in which the heart beats too fast and can trigger life-threatening ventricular fibrillation, and bradycardia, in which the heart beats too slowly. Carried-over or unhealed bacterial infections can promote myocarditis, which, if unrecognized, can lead to sudden cardiac death.
Symptoms, complaints, and signs
In the worst case, heart disease can cause the death of the affected person. Especially without treatment, the symptoms can thereby intensify and significantly restrict the daily life of the affected person. Most sufferers of these diseases suffer from permanent fatigue and lassitude. They can no longer perform strenuous work and thus can no longer actively participate in everyday life, so that the quality of life is significantly reduced. Furthermore, heart disease can lead to a heart attack or sudden cardiac death, thereby significantly limiting and reducing the patient’s life expectancy. Many of those affected suffer from pain or a twinge in the chest and not infrequently from a fear of death. After a heart attack, patients may experience limitations in their daily lives, as they often suffer from sensory disturbances if nerves or internal organs and the brain are damaged. Heart disease also prevents patients from participating in sports or strenuous activities. Furthermore, these diseases can also lead to psychological discomfort or depression. They can also be genetic and thus be passed on to further generations. As a rule, life expectancy is always reduced due to heart disease.
Diagnosis and progression
There are several methods of examination for the diagnosis of heart disease:
The simplest is listening to the heart with a stethoscope, during which the doctor may already notice irregularities in the heartbeat. A resting or stress ECG provides information about irregularities in the heartbeat and shows how the heart reacts at rest and under stress.
Myocardial scintigraphy, in which a radioactive contrast agent is injected, can be used to observe a circulatory disorder at rest and under stress.More detailed findings may be obtained by angiography using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT).
Complications
Heart disease can cause a variety of complications and symptoms. Because the spectrum of heart disease is relatively wide, no universal prediction is usually possible. In the worst cases, this can result in the death of the patient if these ailments are not treated. In many cases, this leads to a heart attack. Furthermore, heart disease always leads to a reduced resilience of the patient. The affected person appears tired and weary and also no longer takes an active part in social life. Chest pain and breathing difficulties are not uncommon. In the case of a heart attack, healthy tissue can be damaged, resulting in paralysis and other sensory disturbances that continue to restrict everyday life. Left untreated, a heart attack leads to death. Many heart diseases can be treated well and their risks thus limited. In some circumstances, however, life expectancy is still reduced because not all damage is reversible and can be treated. Treatment does not usually result in any particular complications. However, the affected person is dependent on a healthy lifestyle to avoid additional discomfort.
When should you see a doctor?
If symptoms such as shortness of breath, an elevated pulse, and pain in the upper abdomen are noticed, there may be underlying heart disease. A doctor should be consulted if the symptoms persist over a long period of time or if other symptoms are added. If, for example, skin pallor, sweating or panic attacks occur, this must be clarified by a doctor immediately. People who already suffer from heart disease are particularly susceptible to secondary diseases. People who lead an unhealthy lifestyle or suffer from chronic diseases of the immune system or the blood vessels also frequently develop heart disease and should see a doctor if they experience any of the symptoms mentioned above. Children, the elderly and pregnant women need to have cardiovascular complaints clarified quickly. If serious complications such as a circulatory collapse or even a heart attack are imminent, it is best to call the emergency services immediately. First aid measures must be administered until the emergency physician arrives. The affected person must then be treated in hospital. Depending on the underlying disease, a cardiologist or a specialist in internal medicine should be consulted.
Treatment and therapy
Treatment methods depend on the cause of the condition. High blood pressure is treated with medication and monitored at intervals by 24-hour measurement. Angina pectoris is usually treated with medication, and in more severe cases, bypass surgery is performed. Every minute counts in the treatment of a heart attack. Until the ambulance arrives, the upper body should be elevated slightly. The doctor places an infusion on site and monitors the heart by means of an ECG. At the hospital, the cause of the infarction is investigated and treatment is initiated. Within the first few hours, the blockage can still be resolved with medication. Sometimes a stent is placed to reopen the vessel, sometimes only a bypass operation or the insertion of an artificial heart valve helps. Hospitalization is followed by a rehabilitation stay of several weeks. Mild cardiac arrhythmias are treated with medication, sometimes a pacemaker is inserted. Myocarditis is treated with antibiotics to heal the inflammation and prevent secondary damage.
Outlook and prognosis
The prognosis for heart disease depends on the underlying disease present. In some cases, despite a diagnosed disease, the patient can achieve a good quality of life with the prescription of various measures and live a full life with few limitations until the end of his or her life. Often, heart disease leads to a reduction in general life expectancy. The sufferer must undergo lifelong check-ups and in most cases undergoes surgery. The way of life has to be adapted to the physical possibilities and the requirements of the organism. The probability of sudden cardiac death is fundamentally increased with heart disease. With increasing age, the mortality rate also increases.With a healthy lifestyle and the avoidance of various stress factors, there is often an alleviation of existing complaints. With good self-awareness, the patient is able to react to peculiarities and irregularities of the heart rhythm within a short period of time and thus counteract any symptoms that occur. If physical or emotional overexertion is avoided and the medical guidelines of the doctors are followed, there are good prospects for living with the disease in many cases of heart disease. Without treatment, an increase in symptoms and an increase in mortality can be expected. There are currently no adequate natural remedies that should be used for heart disease.
Prevention
In the case of familial predispositions, prevention does not help, but in general it can be said that a healthy lifestyle and sufficient exercise, preferably in fresh air because of the oxygen supply, can help prevent heart disease. Occupational and personal stress also plays a role in heart disease. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to sufficient relaxation and to reduce stress. Regular exercise can be supportive.
Aftercare
Heart disease can be very versatile and therefore can occur in many different degrees of severity. The heart is our most important organ, meaning that if the heart does not function properly or it suffers from a certain disease, there is an acute danger to life. For this reason, after diagnosis and treatment, there should of course also be appropriate follow-up care. Only those who adhere to and follow up on regular check-ups can detect possible complications or aggravations in good time. Those who do not do this at all, on the other hand, expose themselves to a very great danger. However, people suffering from heart disease can take some aftercare measures themselves. These include, for example, going to the doctor immediately if pain or other unusual feelings arise in the heart area. Going to the doctor should not be put off in such cases, because a doctor can detect and eliminate possible complications early on. Nutrition also plays a major role in some heart diseases, so attention should also be paid to it in this context. Anyone who completely forgoes follow-up care for an existing heart disease exposes himself to a very great risk. There is an acute danger to life if regular visits to the doctor are not observed.
Here’s what you can do yourself
Heart disease in many cases is closely related to the patient’s behavior. For this reason, it is often possible to benefit the course of these diseases by adopting a health-oriented lifestyle and following the instructions of the treating physicians. This is particularly true for heart disease associated with calcification of the vessels, high blood pressure (hypertension) or morbid overweight (obesity). In any case, it is helpful if the patient refrains from possible nicotine consumption as well as from drinking a lot of alcohol. Smoking in particular is often a decisive factor in the prognosis of heart disease. Furthermore, part of self-help in everyday life is to reduce excess weight. Ideally, this is done by combining a healthy diet with a minimum of exercise. This benefits not only the heart and blood vessels, but also the psyche and the musculoskeletal system, which is subjected to much less stress as a result of the weight reduction. However, it is essential to avoid overstraining oneself during training. Great excitement and stress cannot always be avoided. However, people with heart disease in particular benefit from a calmer lifestyle and a sufficient amount of sleep. The nervous system can be well stabilized by relaxation methods such as progressive muscle relaxation or also by Far Eastern forms of exercise such as tai chi or yoga.
