Archive for March, 2009

Heart diseases are becoming more common these days in humans, that too, at an early stage in life. An alarming number of deaths occur due to these heart diseases. In fact, heart diseases are the leading single cause of death globally. In the United States alone 1 in 2 women die of heart disease. The sad fact is that this number is on the rise.

This is due to a host of factors. High cholesterol levels, blood pressure, an unhealthy lifestyle and diet, physical inactivity, smoking, and increasing stress are a few of them. But, heart diseases are something that can be worked upon and you can take heart from that. The solution for preventing heart diseases is simple. The answer to how exactly we should take care of our heart is present right before us.

There are many heart healthy nutrients that can help reduce the risk of heart disease significantly. Fruits and vegetables, especially leafy ones, help maintain a normal blood pressure and lower blood cholesterol level. Whole grain cereals, beans, and peas also constitute a heart healthy diet. Beware of the hidden sugar in foods and avoid them! Garlic supplements have a history of preventing deaths due to heart diseases. Beverages also play a key role in protecting your heart.

In addition to the above, Vitamins B, A, C, and E are essential nutrition for the heart. Eating healthy food that is rich in fiber and low in fat is more likely to do the trick. You can come up with great menu ideas that include salmon, flaxseed, almonds, red wine, tuna, brown rice, etc. A well-balanced diet and regular exercise will surely guarantee a healthy and strong heart.

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There is a close connection between painkillers and heart diseases. Painkillers act as a boost to heart failure-related diseases. For those who never had a heart failure, the risk of hospitalization for the first time, mostly was due to the use of painkillers. For patients with pre-existing heart failure, painkillers only made things worse.

Most of the common painkillers found in the market today fall under the category of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs, which are mainly used for osteoarthritis, play a major role in aggravating heart failure maladies. The situation becomes alarming in the case of people who are over the age of 60. For those taking blood-pressure-lowering medications for preventing high blood pressure, painkillers are even more dangerous. The use of NSAIDs is directly related to blood pressure and these drugs have more than a say in increasing the blood pressure level.

Pregnant women should think twice before taking any painkillers. Some common painkillers when taken by expectant mothers not only increase the risk of miscarriage, but may also lead to congenital defects in newborn babies. In fact, pregnant women who use NSAIDs are three times more likely to have kids with congenital heart failure. They are also twice more likely to have kids with other birth defect when compared to other women. The risk is much higher if the drugs are consumed close to the time of conception.

Ibuprofen, indomethacin, naproxen, diclofenac, meloxicam, ketoprofen, and piroxicam are a few of the painkillers that have been reviewed by Britain’s Commission on Human Medicines and found to cause strokes and heart disease when taken in high doses. But if you cannot do without painkillers, it is better to follow what experts say and reduce the dose to the lowest possible and for the shortest time. This will always keep you on the safer side.

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The word “congenital” means inborn or present at birth. Each year, an estimated forty thousand children are born with a congenital heart disease. Statistics reveal that in the United States alone, there are more than 25,000 babies who are born with congenital heart defects and the sad fact is that the numbers are on the rise. Most of the children who are born with a congenital heart disease do not live past their first year. The defect can either be mild with no outward symptoms at all or be severe, with the child falling ill soon after birth. These defects hamper the blood flow to the heart and the blood vessels surrounding it. They may also cause blood within the heart to flow in an abnormal manner.

The atrial septal defect, more commonly known as hole in the heart, is a well-known congenital heart defect. This occurs when there is an opening or a hole in the atrial septum- the wall that divides the right and left chambers of the heart. There are other rare congenital heart defects, which include instances where the newborn has only one ventricle in the place of two. You will also find cases where both the aorta and the pulmonary artery arise from a single ventricle. Another rare defect is that of a hypoplastic heart- where either the left or right side of the heart is only partially formed.

A few reasons that may result in the occurrence of cardiovascular defects have been brought to light. In addition to heredity, if the parent has used or uses “street” or other prescription drugs or suffers from Down’s syndrome (which in most cases affects multiple organs), then the risk of the baby being born with a congenital heart disease is much higher.

Remedies for congenital heart defects are a few and may extend from surgery and long-term medication to even a heart transplant.

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Coronary heart diseases have been the foremost cause of the deaths of thousands of men and women in the United States. This condition occurs when the arteries supplying blood to the heart are blocked by fatty deposits.

There are several risk factors, which increase the probability of a coronary heart disease. A few of them, like increasing age cannot be worked upon. Yet, there are many risk factors with respect to coronary heart diseases, which can be treated with the help of cardiac rehabilitation. This includes physical inactivity, obesity, smoking, alcohol, and stress.

Unless ignored for a long time, coronary heart diseases are treatable. Cardiac rehabilitation programs have proved to be very effective in patients who suffer from these diseases. It aims at balancing and slowing down the advancement of heart diseases.

A cardiac rehabilitation program has several benefits to offer patients who have undergone a cardiac surgery. They can be listed as follows:

• Helps a person recover after a heart surgery or a heart attack

• Prevents risk factors and hence future heart problems

• Helps the patient to embrace a healthy lifestyle and thereby improves his quality of living.

All that is needed for the successful implementation of Cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) is commitment from the patient and the health care providers who are out there to assist him. A cardiac rehabilitation team usually has doctors, nurses, nutritionists, exercise specialists, psychologists, etc. Together, they help the patient get back to an active life quickly and easily.

Even patients who have undergone a heart transplant can benefit from cardiac rehabilitation. It is one of the best ways to build a healthier and better life after your heart transplant. In addition to the efforts of the medical team to prevent the transplanted heart from getting rejected by the body or infected, the help of the cardiac rehab team, friends and family is necessary to help the patient cope up with the changes of living with a new heart.

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Symptoms of heart attack may vary from person to person. With the increasing number of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, it is important that you should know these symptoms to save yourself or your loved ones. Mostly it starts as a discomfort (pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain) in the center of the chest that lasts for a few minutes. Sometimes the pain keeps coming back. Few others feel pain in their arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach. There are other symptoms too. My friend’s father who had a heart attack recently broke out in a cold sweat all of a sudden and felt nauseous and light-headed. Shortness of breath is also an important symptom of stroke.

When someone you know gets a heart attack, always remember not to panic. There are certain basic things that you should bear in mind at those crucial minutes. Don’t leave the person alone and don’t let him deny the symptoms and convince you not to call for medical help. Don’t wait (though you wish) to see if the symptoms go away. Never give any medicine to the person unless it’s a prescribed heart medication, like nitroglycerin.

Heart attack treatment starts with some effective heart attack first aid. Ask the person feeling discomfort to sit down, rest, loosen his clothes, and try to keep him calm. If the person usually takes heart medication, then help him take it. Mostly, nitroglycerin is placed under the tongue to bring an immediate, temporary relief from the pain. If the pain does not subside, call for emergency medical care. Any trained person can perform a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to the unconscious person if he does not respond to other first aid treatment.

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