Effects of Coronary Heart Disease

The effects of coronary heart disease and the possible causes of coronary heart need to be understood.

Atherosclerosis or CAD is a common artery disorder, which cholesterol deposits plaques form on the inner surfaces of the arteries preventing blood flow. Effects of coronary heart disease include poor blood circulation to and from the heart, chest pains, and heart attack.

Cells in the body need oxygen brought in by the bloodstream. As more work is done by your cells in different organs of the body, additional oxygen is needed. Cells die without the necessary oxygen.

Since your heart is continually working, it requires a very good blood supply from the coronary arteries. If those vessels do not carry adequate blood to bring vital oxygen to all parts of the heart, the results can be extremely dangerous.

Effects of Coronary Heart Disease

Poor Coronary Circulation

The most common cause of poor blood circulation through the heart is that the coronary arteries become blocked with hard deposits. CAD is more commonly seen in people who smoke, who have high levels of bad cholesterol, or high blood pressure. Lack of exercise may also be a factor.

Chest Pains

When any part of the body receives an inadequate supply of blood caused by partial or total blockage of an artery the condition is called ischemia. Lack of blood in the heart muscle which usually results from poor coronary circulation causes chest pains.

For instance, a person may have plaque building up inside one of the coronary arteries. As long as they are resting, the heart rate is normal. However, during physical activity, such as climbing stairs, the heart beats faster to supply extra blood and oxygen to the working muscles. Then, the heart muscle needs additional oxygen as well to pump more blood but it cannot because the plaque is blocking the coronary artery.

Heart Attack

If a coronary artery is severely blocked, the area of the heart that gets its blood supply from that artery may die from lack of oxygen. When this event happens, you will suffer a heart attack. It usually occurs because of a blood clot in the narrowed coronary artery. Many patients survive a heart attack when it is diagnosed and treated promptly.

A person who has just experienced a heart attack must be treated in the hospital. The sufferer needs rest, oxygen, pain medicine, and a special diet to treat the effects of coronary heart disease.

How is CAD diagnosed?

The physician is likely to suspect coronary heart disease from the description of your symptoms such as chest discomfort that comes with physical exertion. An electrocardiogram is usually normal in patients with chest pain. However, the results of an exercise stress test may lead to you being diagnosed with CAD. Cardiologists sometimes perform special tests to confirm the diagnosis of CAD.

How is CAD treated?

The same healthy lifestyle that may prevent coronary artery disease is an important part of how CAD is treated. Keeping body weight down, avoiding foods with cholesterol and saturated fat, controlling blood pressure, and quitting smoking if you smoke are all crucial steps to take for effective CAD treatment. Exercising is a decisive step as well. Although, you should get approval from your doctor before starting any exercise routine.

Your doctor may prescribe certain medications to treat the effects of coronary heart disease. Nitroglycerin works by making the blood vessels open up wider. Beta-blocker drugs prevent the heart rate from rising too high with exercise. In some cases, surgery may be needed to repair the effects of coronary heart disease.

Go to Types of heart diseas from Effects of Coronary Heart Disease