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Heart is one of the most important part of the body. It performs many vital functions that are essential for life. Without the functioning of heart there is no life. Heart is also considered as the pumping organ of the body. The main function of heart is to pump the blood throughout the body ("The Heart (Human Anatomy): Picture, Definition, Location In The Body, And Heart Problems"). Inside the body blood is considered as the most important mean of transport of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Therefore a good and constant supply of blood is necessary to be established inside the body to keep all organs and muscles lively and healthy.
Like all other organs needs blood to be healthy and perform their functions, likewise heart also need a constant supply of fresh oxygen and nutrients to carry out is functions. Heart is supplied by coronary artery and there are also many diseases associated with arteries that can be lethal for the body.
The term heart diseases cover a wide range of diseases that are associated with heart and different structures that are related to heart. These diseases may be lethal untreatable or they can be harmless treatable. But basically the diseases severity depends upon the progression of that disease. Heart diseases may be associated with blood vessels of heart, or the problem can be associated with the rhythmic beating pattern of heart and it can also congenital. Heart diseases are a growing cause of death not only in old age population but it has also become a problem for young adult people. There are around 17,327,000 deaths that occurred just due to cardiovascular disease. This figure has been increasing though several awareness campaigns and other exhibitions are being carried out all over the world to prevent further deaths.
There are many different types of heart diseases that have different symptoms and can cause different complications.
Hypertension:
Hypertension characterized by high blood pressure. This disease is associated with raise in blood pressure due to certain diseases or infections ("Different Heart Diseases | World Heart Federation"). It can be due to tumor in adrenal gland or any pathology associated with kidney. High blood pressure can cause stress on arteries and heart that can be harmful for heart. Symptoms include shortness of breath, severe headache, and severe anxiety. Hypertension is treated with certain medications and if this is untreated it can cause harmful effects on heart.
Inflammatory Heart Disease:
There are three types of inflammation that occurs in heart, which can be caused due to toxins, namely,
Endocarditis: it is an inflammation of inner membrane of heart that differentiates the chambers and valves.
Myocarditis: it is an inflammation of the middle layer of heart which consists of bulk of muscles.
Pericarditis: it is an inflammation in the outermost tissue of heart that envelops the heart.
The main symptoms of inflammation are; dry or persistent cough, fever, weakness, fatigues, shortness of breath, fever, change in heart rhythm, skin rashes and swelling in legs or abdomen ("Heart Disease Complications - Mayo Clinic").
Rheumatic Heart Disease:
It is basically a disorder cased due to rheumatic fever. This fever initially have no lethal effects to heart to but as the fever progresses it starts its harmful effects on heart, specifically the two left chambers valves, also known as mitral valve, of the heart. It usually occurs in childhood but later it might turn into an infection. This might result in complications like valve stenosis, valve regurgitation and damage to heart muscles. Mitral valve failure can further cause heart damage such as atrial fibrillation and it can also lead to heart failure. Symptoms include fever, fever, heart murmur, fatigue, chest pain, red hot swollen joints.
Congenital Heart Disease (CHD):
The term congenital mean a condition which is present since birth or which is hereditary. And congenital heart disease means a diseases related to heart that is either inborn or inherited. This disease has many complications that can cause many problems in normal routine. One of the major complication of CHD is arrhythmias. Heart pumps with a rhythmic pattern that is attained with the help of electrical impulse provided by the pair of nodes that generate its own electric impulse. In CHD the basic rhythm is disturbed as these nodes are also damaged. The irregular rhythmic contractions lead to heart beating too fast and due to this the pumping function of heart is also compromised. If this condition is not treated it can cause severe problems and can also lead to cardiac arrest and death. One of the another complication of CHD is infections. The heart is internally lined by a thin membranous sheet known as endocardium. Infection in this layer leads to inflammation which has severe results. CHD can also be harmful for brain. And if brain is not supplied constantly with blood it will die. Arrhythmias can also form clot in brain that can also be dangerous for whole body. CHD also leads to heart failure; it is a conditions in which heart fails to supply blood to meet the needs of body so the heart finally stops working. CHD also leads to pulmonary hypertension. This condition is characterized by high blood pressure only in arteries of lungs. This in turn increases the workload on right ventricle of heart causing damage to heart muscles. And CHD also have its adverse effect on valves of the heart ("Congenital Heart Disease In Adults Complications - Mayo Clinic"). Valvular incompetence might lead to backflow or blockage of blood they can lead to heart failure. Symptoms include dizziness or fainting, cyanosis (a bluish tint to the skin), abnormal heart rhythms, easily fatigue on exertion, edema (swelling due to accumulation of fluid) and shortness of breath.
Ischemic Heart Disease:
The heart is supplied by coronary arteries. These arteries are of high significance and if any harm of damage occur to these arteries it can lead to heart failure. The word ischemic means low blood flow. If coronary arteries are blocked partially or clogged they will have low blood flow due to which the amount of blood required by the heart to function properly is also impaired. Initially this won’t be severe but with the passage of time this will get severe and it will lead to cardiac arrest. The complications may include;
Angina: it is a sudden pain in chest that occurs due to low blood flow to heart. Heart needs constant supply of nutrients and oxygen which is attained by good blood supply. If the blood supply to heart is compromised the heart will lose its functioning and it might lead to heart failure.
Atherosclerosis: the walls of arteries are internally lined by cells with smooth surface to ensure linear blood flow to the whole body. But due to deposition of fats and cholesterol in the lumen of arteries the internal lining is disturbed which causes problem in linear blood flow. Initially fats and cholesterol adheres to the wall of arteries but with the passage of time they start forming a atherosclerotic plague which either partially or completely blocks the blood flow of arteries ("What Is Cardiovascular Disease?").
References:
"The Heart (Human Anatomy): Picture, Definition, Location In The Body, And Heart Problems". WebMD. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 July 2016.
"Different Heart Diseases | World Heart Federation". World-heart-federation.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 July 2016.
"Heart Disease Complications - Mayo Clinic". Mayoclinic.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 July 2016.
"Congenital Heart Disease In Adults Complications - Mayo Clinic". Mayoclinic.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 July 2016.
"What Is Cardiovascular Disease?". Heart.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 July 2016.
