Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Heart disease.


Coronary heart disease (CHD) and angina pectoris.

The heart is through several small arteries - known as coronary arteries or coronary arteries - supplied with blood. In the course of years and decades, can form deposits in these vessels, leading to narrowing. Through these Coronary heart diseases (CHD), the heart will be congested. In the worst case threatens the complete blockage of a coronary vessel and thus the heart attack. CHD and its consequences in industrialized countries are among the most common causes of death. With increasing age deposits in vessels are almost inevitable. There's also a genetic predisposition to CHD. In addition, women with up to the menopause their estrogen production some protection, so that the CAD in them usually occurs later. Besides these non-changing circumstances, there are also factors favoring the occurrence of CHD and can be managed by it, or at least influenced.

Risk factors for coronary heart disease:

* Smoking
* Poor diet
* Lack of exercise
* Obesity
* Stress
* Metabolic disorders, for example elevated cholesterol levels.
* Diabetes
* High blood pressure

Coronary heart disease is insidious because it can progress for a long time without any complaints. Often make the first contractions felt when the heart has an increased oxygen demand, eg during exercise. Then the typical symptom angina pectoris (literally, "chest tightness"). It manifests itself by a strong feeling of pressure or tightness and pain in the chest area. Sometimes this pain also radiate to the left arm, shoulder, neck or in the stomach and are then brought immediately to the heart related. These "attacks" usually last only a few seconds to minutes. Other possible symptoms include dyspnea on exertion or significant arrhythmia of the heart like an extra beat or dropouts. Connect to one or more of these symptoms, you should absolutely see a doctor.

What your doctor can do.

The normal ECG can be completely normal in a coronary heart disease. Much more information provides a stress test. This is often seen that the oxygen supply is no longer the heart during exercise enough. The safest method for the detection of coronary artery disease is cardiac catheterization. Over the bar a small plastic tube (catheter) into the heart is advanced. Then doctors inject contrast medium into the coronary arteries, thus narrowing are clearly visible. Confirmed the diagnosis, various drugs are used to improve blood flow and / or relieve the heart. In addition, possible accompanying diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and lipid disorders are treated. For acute angina pectoris attack, the doctor will prescribe nitroglycerin preparations, e.g. as a spray. They cause an immediate enlargement of the vessels. If the narrowing progressed very far, it is possible to dilate the affected artery mechanically, for example using a balloon. For security a stent (stent) may be used. As the last remaining opportunity for a bypass operation. Here, small replacement vessels - mostly veins from the legs - is removed and sewn as a bridge of the narrowed vessels.

What can you do.

* Give up smoking
* Lose weight
* Do you move enough
* Eat a low fat
* Reduce Stress
* Carry your emergency medication with you at all
* If you are diabetic, watch out for the good attitude of your blood sugar levels
* Do you suffer from high blood pressure, take your medication faithfully

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