There are many different forms of heart disease. Specialized health departments are available that take care of heart related diseases. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is called coronary artery disease and happens slowly over time. It’s the major reason people have heart attacks.
Other kinds of heart problems may happen to the valves in the heart, or the heart may not pump well and cause heart failure. Some people are born with heart disease.
You can help reduce your risk of heart disease by regularly going for check-ups to some close by health care center and taking steps to control factors that put you at greater risk:
- Control your blood pressure
- Lower your cholesterol
- Don’t smoke
- Get enough exercise
Many men have permanent heart damage or die because they don’t get help immediately. It’s important to know the symptoms of a heart attack and call your nearby health care center if someone is having them. Those symptoms include
- Chest discomfort – pressure, squeezing, or pain
- Shortness of breath
- Discomfort in the upper body – arms, shoulder, neck, back
- Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lightheadedness, sweating
What exactly is a heart attack?
Most heart attacks happen when a clot in the coronary artery blocks the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart. Often this leads to an irregular heartbeat – called an arrhythmia – that causes a severe decrease in the pumping function of the heart. A blockage that is not treated within a few hours causes the affected heart muscle to die.