What exactly is coronary heart disease (CHD)?
Coronary heart disease is a type of heart disease the leading cause of death either in men or women in the world.
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of heart disease and the highest death for men and women in the world. A data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the disease has killed more than 370,000 people annually.
Coronary heart disease occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart hardens and narrows due to the buildup of cholesterol and other substances or better known as plaque. As plaque builds up and clogs the bloodstream, the heart does not get the blood supply, oxygen and other essential nutrients your heart needs to function normally.
Symptoms of Coronary Heart Disease
Heart disease is a degenerative disease in the sense of coronary heart disease takes a long time in the process of formation and buildup of plaque in the arteries.
Signs and symptoms of coronary heart disease include:
Chest pain (angina)
Hard to breathe
Heart attack
Stress physically and emotionally can trigger the tightness and discomfort in your chest, feels like there is pressure on the chest. This pain is called angina, this is a sign or symptom of coronary heart disease. Chest pain that occurs when you do heavy physical activity and disappear after rest is also a hallmark of angina.
If you experience shortness of breath or feel very tired excessive after exercise or other physical activities can also be a sign of a blockage in the coronary arteries of your heart.
If the blockage in the coronary artery has covered the entire bloodstream, then the risk of heart attack is also greater. Heart attacks are usually marked by pain in your shoulder or left arm or feeling tightness (strong feeling on the press) on the chest area.
If you have experienced symptoms of coronary heart disease and suspect you have had a heart attack, consult your doctor immediately. In general, doctors will ensure the health of your heart by performing some tests or examinations.
How To Diagnose Coronary Heart Disease
Here are some common procedures that doctors make to ensure you have CHD or are at high risk for CHD.
Electrocardiogram (ECG or ECG) to see if you've had a heart attack.
Echocardiogram to see and measure the level of heart function
Cardiac catheterization or angiogram to check blood flow through your heart.
Computerized tomography (CT) scans your heart's organs to examine the plaque pile in your arteries.
Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), using MRI technology to look for blockages in the blood vessels.
Causes and Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease
Plaque buildup in the coronary arteries is usually caused by damage to the inner wall of the coronary artery and this can occur from childhood. This damage is usually caused by:
Smoking habit
Suffering from high blood disease
High cholesterol levels
Have diabetes
Radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer (in the chest area)
Lifestyle that is not active (lazy exercise)
Family history of coronary heart disease
Overweight or obese
High stes level
The researchers also studied other factors that can cause such coronary heart disease
Elevated triglycerides
Homocystein is high
Increased lipoproterin-a
If you have some risk factors for coronary heart disease, such as smoking or have high blood pressure check your doctor immediately so you can get immediate treatment to reduce the risk in the future such as lowering high blood pressure or cholesterol levels
Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease
If you have received a verdict from your doctor of coronary disease hurry to change lifestyles such as:
Quit smoking
Eat a healthy diet
Exercise regularly
Lose weight
Reduce stress
In addition to the above tips, treatment of coronary heart disease can also be done by taking coronary heart drugs, including:
Cholesterol-lowering drugs, designed to reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL)
Blood-thinning medications such as aspirin that serves to reduce the risk of blood clots
Nitroglycerin for controlling chest pain is a clean work of clogging in the coronary arteries
Angiotesin converting enzyme (ACE) and angina receptor blocker (ARB) to lower blood pressure
In some cases coronary heart disease requires a more serious such as the installation of a ring on the coronary artery, angiopati or coronary artery bypass surgery which would require a lot of money. Ring mounted to open narrowed arteries in order to increase blood flow.
Complications of Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary artery disease can cause the following complications
Chest pain (angina)
Heart attack
The inability of the heart to pump blood (heart failure)
Abnormal heartbeat rhythms (arrhythmias)
With early examination and appropriate treatment of coronary heart disease can help stop or slow the progression of coronary artery disease while helping coronary heart disease.