Types of heart disease

Coronary Artery Disease

One list of heart diseases is atherosclerosis, another name for coronary artery disease, is nothing more than clogged arteries to the heart. Fat builds on the walls of the arteries to the heart and as blood flows through, small deposits of calcium, proteins and inflammatory cells stick to it and form plaque. Just like home plumbing or your coffee pot, once the build up begins, other deposits, because of the reduced flow of the blood, add on to the traffic jam of the blood and eventually close the passage totally.

Luckily, the body has a way of working with plugged arteries. It simply creates new ones to bypass the blockage. However, sometimes these aren't enough and when the heart requires an increased amount of blood, due to stress or exercise, blocked passages and lack of adequate new coronary arteries cause insufficient blood flow to the heart. Just like any muscle or organ in your body, the heart needs oxygen. If you don't get enough oxygen to your legs when you exercise, they cramp. The same is true for the heart. Three potential conditions occur when blood flow decreases.

Unstable Angina

Angina is nothing more than chest pain. The chest pain, however, can turn into a full-blown heart attack. Doctor's often prescribe medication to control angina and often take aggressive action to reduce the potential of a coronary.

Angina is good. While the fact that you have a problem, of course isn't a good thing. The fact that the body clearly warns you with the alarm, unmistakable chest pain, is wonderful. It gives you time to work on solving the problem before you get worse.

Non Q-Wave Myocardial Infarction

This is another mouthful of a word and simply means you have had a heart attack. This type of heart attack doesn't show up on an ECG but instead leaves chemical markers. Doctors often take blood tests to see if these markers, indicating damage to the heart muscle, exist.

Q-Wave Myocardial Infarction

If you've had a long-standing blockage of the blood supply to the heart, it changes the heart muscle. This shows up in the ECG and in the blood test. Normally, this indicates damage to a large section of the heart muscle.

Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is an abnormal heartbeat. Your beat can be too fast, too slow, irregularly or simply out of synchronization with the chambers. Arrhythmia can indicate that you have a heart condition. Before you run to your doctor, it also can indicate you've smoked too many cigarettes, had one too many cups of coffee or simply are feeling the effects of stress.

If you have an abnormal heartbeat, by all means, check with your doctor. Some of the signals of a serious heart condition are irregular beats. A rapid heart beat, tachycardia, is an indication of a serious disease or simply an indication you're under stress, had too many stimulants like coffee or have a minor electrical problem in the heart.

Arrhythmias in the heart are all electrical types of problems. The heart pumps from electrical signals it receives. In a heart block, there's a delay in the electrical impulse or complete blockage of it that prevents it from moving from the sinus node to the heart's ventricles. Doctors often treat this type of arrhythmia with a pacemaker.

There are other forms and types of heart disease caused by infection, faulty valves or congenital problems. Cardiomyopathy, for instance, is a disease of the muscle tissue. It might cause the muscle to be hard, stiff or make the heart excessively large and unable to properly function. If you suspect you have any types of heart disease or problem with your heart, visit a your medical doctor. Most of the heart conditions have heart treatments that allow you to live a long and active life.

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