Basics of heart diseases
Heart is a vital organ of the human body. It can be easily said that the heart is the most important organ of the body. It is responsible for flow of oxygenated blood all the way through the body. The blood then distributes nutrients to all parts of the human body. The heart is also responsible for homeostasis.
Heart diseases are called cardiac diseases or cardiopathy. The two most common forms of the heart diseases are coronary heart disease and coronary artery disease. The heart arteries become narrower due to the deposition of fatty deposits. This affects the blood flow to the whole body since it decreases the amount of blood and oxygen transported to the tissues. The symptoms of these diseases appear very late when one part of the heart is not receiving any blood. In worst situation it can lead to a heart attack or even death. Myocarditis is the swelling of the muscles of the heart. This is represented by shortness of breath. Pericardial disease refers to the disease of the sac which surrounds the heart. This can be due to bacterial or fungal infection. Congenial heart diseases affect any part of the heart during the fetal stages. Endocarditic refers to the inflammation of the membrane which lines the heart and heart valves.
Heart diseases are called cardiac diseases or cardiopathy. There are a number of factors which can affect the heart. Some of these factors cannot be controlled. These factors are gender, age and hereditary. Men are more prone to heart diseases than women. The probability of heart diseases increases with the increase in age. People born with the heredity of heart diseases are more likely to suffer from heart diseases. However, there are a number of factors than can be controlled by a person to decrease the chances of heart diseases. These factors are active lifestyle, avoiding tobacco smoke, high blood cholesterol level, stress and diabetes.
Some of the tests which can be used to determine the heart diseases are the electrocardiogram(ECG), exercise ECG(treadmill test), holter monitoring, echocardiogram, echocardiogram stress test, transoesphageal echocardiogram, angiography, electrophysiological studies, till table test, blood tests and cardiac troponins.
