Coronary Heart Disease: Symptoms and Treatment

What is Coronary Heart Disease?

Heart disease is an umbrella of various conditions related to the heart’s function and structure. The human cardiovascular system consists of the network of arteries and veins utilized by the heart to pump blood. Arteries, the blood vessels, deliver oxygen-rich blood to the human body’s tissue. Any disorder preventing oxygen-rich blood is a type of heart disease known as coronary heart disease. With a substantial rise in the number of deaths due to such heart disease, it is vivaciously becoming the leading cause in many countries, including India.

The blood flow is often blocked totally or partially due to plaque build-up, a kind of waxy substance developed inside coronary arteries’ lining. Thus, the reduced blood flow due to arteries narrowing can cause blood vessel’s hardening and inflammation leading to coronary heart disease, including heart attack. The whole process is perceived as atherosclerosis. However, such health conditions should be managed before they get worse.

Coronary Heart Disease Symptoms & Treatment

An individual can experience the most frequent symptoms of coronary heart disease symptoms such as chest discomfort or shortness of breath, which can occur after modest physical activity such as walking upstairs, but can occur when at rest as well. These coronary heart disease symptoms may include – 

• chest pain (angina)
• shortness of breath
• pain throughout the body
• feeling faint
• feeling sick (nausea)

However, not every patient experiences the same coronary heart disease symptoms, and some people may not have any at all before being diagnosed with coronary heart disease. The most frequent coronary heart disease causes may include various factors such as vascular damage, Coronary artery blockage, etc. However, Hospitals ensure effective coronary heart disease treatment with cutting-edge technology and other innovative techniques. A doctor may suggest or perform any coronary heart disease treatment technique depending on the patient’s type of disease and other health conditions. These treatment methods may include – 

• Medicines Including Antiplatelets, Antihyperlipidemic, Antihypertensives, etc.
• Coronary angioplasty such as Balloon angioplasty, Coronary artery stent, Atherectomy, Laser angioplasty.
• Coronary artery bypass

Coronary heart disease treatment can only work if the patient also supports making good lifestyle changes, such as stopping smoking, adopting a nutritious diet, and engaging in regular physical activity. Doctors may also give medicines to patients to slow the coronary artery disease causes or risks.

However, few key factors can aid you in lowering or minimize the risk of heart disease and stroke as they can improve several health outcomes. Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention are directly co-related with such risk factors. Avoiding these risk factors can help you in managing coronary heart disease causes. 

Awareness about Risk factors of Coronary Heart Disease

You can take the help of your health expert to know risk factors and estimate risks of having coronary heart disease in the next ten years if you are age is between 40 and 75 and have never had a heart attack or a stroke. Certain factors, such as smoking, renal illness, or a family history of early heart disease, might raise your chance of developing several heart diseases. Knowing your risk factors can assist you and your healthcare team in determining the most appropriate treatment strategy for you and your situation. Many risk factors can be reduced or eliminated by adopting a healthier lifestyle.

• Maintain a Healthy Weight

Excess weight and a high waist circumference are both associated with heart disease, as well as a slew of other health issues. If you are overweight or obese, you should lose weight and maintain a healthy weight based on your body type. Begin by consuming fewer calories and increasing your physical activity. You can control and manage a healthy BMI as it will help you in heart disease and Stroke Prevention. If you require assistance, consult with your healthcare expert or team about a weight-loss strategy.

• Choose a Healthy Diet Plan

Unhealthy dietary habits can lead to coronary heart disease. To avoid these diseases, you need to make a healthy eating plan primarily focused on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, plant-based proteins, lean animal proteins, and fish as the components of your diet. It will help if you make wise decisions about your eating habits, such as minimizing refined carbs, processed meats, and sugary beverages. As part of a healthy diet, use the nutrition information label on packaged foods to reduce salt intake, added sugar intake, saturated fat intake, and trans-fat intake.

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• Stop Smoking

Each puff of cigarette smoke releases hundreds of chemicals that constrict or narrow your arteries and increase the risk of coronary heart diseases. If you are a chain smoker, you need to avoid smoking to reduce your chances of having a heart attack. Quitting smoking isn’t easy, especially for a chain-smoker, but your doctor can assist you with several techniques or therapies to get rid of it. Usually, doctors or therapists suggest medications, psychotherapy, and nicotine replacement products to control your smoking.

• Limit Alcohol to Minimal

While a glass of red wine with dinner may help to reduce High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, but drinking too much alcohol might harm your health in the long run. A person who is alcohol addicted has a high chance of getting affected by high blood pressure, weight accumulation, and heart failure. Usually, one drink a day for women, and one to two a day for males, is the recommended as the daily limit for alcohol consumption. Also, if you are at a higher risk of getting affected by coronary heart disease, you must avoid alcohol altogether. 

• Manage Your Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is defined as the force exerted by blood on the walls of arteries when the heart beats. Your blood pressure increases as a result of the increased effort applied to those barriers. Over time, high blood pressure can cause damage to the arteries, increasing the likelihood that they will develop atherosclerosis.

Normally, a blood pressure result of 120 over 80 is considered normal and healthy. You can consult with your doctor about the appropriate range of values for your age and health. If your blood pressure is out of range, consult your doctor to devise a plan for lowering it as soon as possible as it could be harmful, especially for the heart.

• Regular check-ups for other health conditions

If you have certain health conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood sugar, diabetes, or any other disease, it puts you at greater risk of getting affected with CVD and heart disease. It would be best if you visited a healthcare specialist to monitor your health with regular check-ups. The doctor may suggest a few lifestyle adjustments or medical if required to improve your overall health.

• Live a Stress-free Life

Stress can cause your body to become more inflammatory, which is connected to variables that might affect your heart by damaging your artery walls, such as high and low (HDL) cholesterol.

To combat or battle stress in your daily life, you can focus on having More Fun with your family or friends, exercising, meditate, yoga, listening to music, get enough sleep, maintaining a positive attitude towards life, etc. In the worst condition, you can also take the help of a stress-management program.

Living well today can make your tomorrow healthier as it encourages you to adopt a habit of being healthy and fit always. However, there is no cure for coronary heart disease, but you can postpone or prevent several heart and brain illnesses by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

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A healthy lifestyle includes:

• Being active and fit.
• Eating well.
• Abstaining from cigarettes.
• Treating or managing medical problems on time that might place you at increased risk of heart disease.

Individuals need to manage their work-life balance to take responsibility for their health. Always remember that you can achieve and enjoy every great thing in your life if you are healthy. Never hesitate to spend your time, efforts, and money on your health.