Understanding Heart Disease (original) (raw)

If your doctor thinks you have heart disease, they will first ask about your symptoms and your medical history. They’ll also give you a medical exam.

Listening to the heart for swishing or whooshing sounds, known as heart murmurs, may give important clues about heart trouble. If they suspect heart disease, they’ll do more tests.

An electrocardiogram (EKG) is usually the first test. By recording electrical activity within the heart, the EKG reveals any electrical problems that may be a source of trouble or may show that your heart muscle has been injured by lack of oxygen.

Your doctor might use other tests to diagnose your heart disease, such as:

If you’ve been diagnosed with heart disease, ask your doctor these questions at your next visit.

  1. What caused my heart problem?
  2. How severe is my heart problem?
  3. What treatments do I need, and are there side effects?
  4. Should I start a cardiac rehab program to make my heart stronger?
  5. What should I do if my symptoms get worse quickly?
  6. What can I do to prevent this from getting worse or having a heart problem again?
  7. Should I eat different foods?
  8. How will this affect my activities, such as having sex, working, or caring for my children or grandchildren?
  9. What can I do to feel less stress and worry?
  10. How often do I need to come in for an office visit?

Heart disease has many different types. Each has its own symptoms and treatments, although there is some overlap. With some forms of heart disease, you may not notice any symptoms.

Coronary artery disease

The symptoms of coronary artery disease include:

Your doctor may prescribe:

Your doctor also may recommend invasive treatments such as:

Heart attack

Symptoms of a heart attack include:

Heart attack symptoms usually last 30 minutes or longer and are not relieved by rest or by taking a heart medication called nitroglycerin. But some people have a heart attack without having any symptoms. A ''silent'' heart attack can happen in anyone, though it happens more often among people with diabetes.

If you think you are having a heart attack, DO NOT DELAY. Call 911. Quick treatment of a heart attack is very important to lessen the amount of damage to your heart.

Heart failure

Symptoms of heart failure include:

Heart failure symptoms may not be related to how weak your heart is. You may have many symptoms, but your heart function may be only mildly weakened.

Treatment usually depends on the cause of heart failure but often includes drugs to control symptoms, such as:

Devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators are sometimes implanted to improve the heart's function and prevent deadly arrhythmias. In very advanced cases, heart transplantation may be a consideration.

Arrhythmias

Arrhythmia symptoms include:

Treatment depends on the type of arrhythmia you have but can include:

Heart valve disease

Symptoms of heart valve disease include:

If valve disease causes heart failure, symptoms include:

Symptoms do not always relate to the seriousness of your valve disease. You may have no symptoms and have severe valve disease, or you may have severe symptoms but minor valve disease. Often, the first sign of valve problems is a heart murmur that is found during a routine physical exam.

If your heart valve disease is severe, you may need treatment with medications to deal with heart failure. You also may need invasive procedures to repair or replace the valve.

Congenital heart disease

In adults, symptoms of congenital heart disease include:

Symptoms of congenital heart disease in infants and children include:

Some minor conditions can clear up on their own or can be treated easily with medications. Those that are more complex can often be treated surgically, if necessary. Very rarely, the heart problem is so severe that it cannot be corrected.

Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy)

Many people with heart muscle disease have no symptoms or only minor symptoms and live a regular life. Other people have symptoms that get worse as heart function worsens.

Symptoms of cardiomyopathy can happen at any age and may include:

Sudden death can happen in a small number of people with cardiomyopathy.

Treatment for cardiomyopathy will depend on the cause but often includes the same measures used for patients with heart failure. The outcome is also dependent upon the underlying cause. In some cases, heart transplant surgery may be recommended.

Pericarditis

Symptoms of pericarditis include:

Pericarditis often eases on its own, but it also can be treated with:

Sometimes, fluid must be drained from the pericardium using a long, thin needle inserted carefully through the chest. If a chronic condition develops, a pericardial window may need to be created surgically to let this fluid drain.

Rarely, surgery may be needed to make a pathway for the extra fluid to drain internally or remove the pericardial sac completely.

Researchers are looking at several dietary supplements to find out if they treat heart disease. They include L-carnitine, coenzyme Q10, and garlic. So far, these are not recommended for treating or preventing heart disease.

Vitamins E and C have been studied thoroughly and do not appear to lower the risk of developing heart disease. In general, you’ll get the most benefits from vitamins and other micronutrients when you get them from whole foods.

With heart disease, it may feel like you're going through a lot of changes all at once. It's a good idea to get help from dietitians, doctors, and support groups to keep focused.

Some of the keys to making changes are:

Also, stay in touch with your mood. For many folks, depression comes along with heart disease. If you notice that's true for you, talk to your doctor to get treatment.

Call your doctor if: