It is worth paying attention to your he alth so as not to miss the moment when the first symptoms of heart disease appear. It's easy to do, because it's hard for us to believe that the heart, which is the hardest-working muscle and never rests, could fail us, even when we treat it badly. Find out what symptoms could indicate heart disease and what is contributing to a heart attack.

Symptoms of heart diseasemay come on suddenly or slowly over the years.Heart diseasesare among those that, in most cases, we bring ourselves. It is because stress hurts the heart, especially if it is frequent and prolonged. A bad diet, high blood sugar and cholesterol levels, an excess of various stimulants (alcohol, cigarettes, etc.) also contribute to heart disease.

What do you need to know about the heart?It lies almost in the middle of our chest in the so-called pericardial sac. As the left lung is giving way to it, it is commonly believed that the heart is on the left side of the body.

We have known for a long time that the heart is not a seat of feelings, but we persistently attribute this quality to it. Not entirely wrong - after all, it reacts to all our emotional states. When we make love, get nervous, get euphoric, cry, fear or finally force ourselves to exercise, it beats faster and faster to supply all our tissues and cells with oxygen, without which they cannot function.

What does heart disease say?

  • Dyspnoea

The shortness of breath associated with heart disease occurs even after a leisurely walk or even while resting. Sometimes it starts suddenly for no apparent reason.Check for more information on dyspnea.

  • Fatigue

Fatigue is sometimes the result of the weakening of our "pump", which does not pump enough blood to nourish the body's cells. We usually feel fine in the morning and fatigue builds up throughout the day.Find out why you may feel tired .

  • Fainting

The heart does not supply the brain with a sufficient amount of blood with oxygen, and after about 10 seconds of such hypoxia, fainting occurs. The most common cause of cardiac loss of consciousness is arrhythmia: the heart beats too slowly (less than 60 times / minute) or too fast (more than 100 times / minute). Then the blood does not reach the brain rhythmically. Fainting can also beclogging of the arteries that supply the brain with oxygen.Check what else is worth knowing about fainting .

  • Palpitations

Strong and rapid heartbeat indicates that there has been a premature - before contraction within the normal rhythm - additional heart muscle contraction. After it, we feel a sharp, strong contraction, as if the heart wanted to catch up and even out its rhythm. Especially dangerous are attacks of very fast beating, lasting more than 2-3 minutes, not related to exercise, accompanied by chest pain, fainting.What other causes of heart palpitations could be?

  • Edema

Swelling on the legs, ankles, lower torso or chest may be related to heart problems. Located around the abdomen and on the legs, they usually indicate a weakening of the right side of the heart muscle. Where else canswellings appear?

  • Blue skin

If it is warm, and a bluish discoloration of the skin, lips and nails appears - it may be the so-called cyanosis, which is usually indicative of disease or damage to the heart muscle.

  • Chest pain

It is often called angina pectoris. The pain begins in the center of the chest - accompanied by squeezing, choking - and can spread to the arms, neck and jaw. Usually it takes less than a quarter of an hour. With a longer one, we can suspect a heart attack. Angina often appears during exercise or when we get angry and resolves after rest.Why else can you still have chest pain?

Do you have symptoms of heart disease? Rush to the doctor

If we observe one of these symptoms, we should see a cardiologist. One follow-up visit per year is recommended after the age of 40. The doctor will auscultate the heart through a stethoscope and should also check the pulse. When the heart is working properly, the heart rate is around 70 beats per minute. You should have your blood pressure measured once or twice a year. After forty, also cholesterol, once a year, the least often - once every three years. The cardiologist can refer us to:

  • EKG if he suspects coronary heart disease,
  • exercise ECG, which determines the advancement of coronary heart disease and the heart efficiency,
  • Holter test, which allows you to check the functioning of the heart during a normal day - the Holter apparatus is worn for a day or two,
  • echocardiography, i.e. heart echo, or ultrasound,
  • magnetic resonance imaging - allows you to see the structure of the heart muscle and vesselscoronary,
  • scintigraphy - otherwise isotope examination of the heart; shows the places of ischemia and pathological changes in the tissue; a radioactive preparation is administered, coronary angiography, in which the so-called contrast and on the monitor he observes the inside of the coronary vessels,
  • genetic testing, if any of our immediate ancestors had heart disease before the age of 40.
You must do it

How to take care of your heart?

First of all - provide him with a systematic, but not strenuous effort. Exercise regularly, go for long walks in the fresh air. It also helps to reduce stress and relieve nervousness. A proper diet is very important. The heart will like us if our menu is rich in:

  • fruit,
  • vegetables,
  • fish,
  • products containing unsaturated fats,
  • vitamin A,
  • vitamin C,
  • vitamin E,
  • vitamin B6,
  • selenium,
  • zinc,
  • manganese,
  • magnesium,
  • calcium,
  • potassium,
  • silicon.

Heart disease is still the most dangerous killer of Poles. Cardiologists have more and more effective weapons

Source: Lifestyle.newseria.pl

The most common heart diseases

  • acute or chronic heart failure (which may result in myocardial infarction) due to: vascular diseases (coronary disease, arterial hypertension), congenital and acquired valve defects (after bacterial, viral or rheumatic endocarditis or myocarditis)
  • primary or secondary cardiomyopathies
  • arrhythmias (artymie)
  • congenital heart defects
  • myocarditis (bacterial - mainly streptococcal, viral, rheumatic disease)
Important

Causes of heart attack

  • high cholesterol
  • hypertension
  • stress
  • high blood sugar
  • smoking
  • depression
  • obesity
  • no traffic
  • alcohol abuse
  • over 45 for men and 55 for women
  • hereditary load
  • bacteriaChlamydia pneumoniae(possibly accelerating atherosclerosis)

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