When Harry met Sally:Cardiovascular Disease VS Heart Disease

The Human Heart:

The human heart is a muscular organ about the size of a person's fist that functions as a pump that is situated slightly to the left side of your chest area. The heart is divided into two sections. There is the left side where oxygen rich blood enters the heart (including the left atrium and left ventricle) where the blood is then pumped through the aorta to supply the tissues of the body with oxygen and nutrients.

The right side of the heart (including the right atrium and right ventricle) collects and pumps blood to the lungs through the pulmonary arteries. As the lungs refresh the blood with a new supply of oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide as a waste product. The division between the right and left side of the heart protects oxygen rich blood from mixing with oxygen poor blood. Oxygen-poor blood returns to the heart after circulating through your body. (B)

The Heart Valves:

The aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid make up the heart's four valves. They open and shut in order to direct the flow of blood through the heart. A beating heart contracts and relaxes in a continuous cycle. During contraction (systole), your ventricles contract, forcing blood into the vessels to your lungs and body. During relaxation (diastole), the ventricles are filled with blood coming from the upper chambers (left and right atria).

 

The electrical system within your body- Your heart's electrical wiring keeps it beating, which controls the continuous exchange of oxygen-rich blood with oxygen-poor blood. This exchange keeps you alive. Electrical impulses begin high in the right atrium and travel through specialized pathways to the ventricles, delivering the signal for the heart to pump.The conduction system keeps your heart beating in a coordinated and normal rhythm, which keeps blood circulating.(B)

In order for the valve to function properly, it needs to be formed properly. It must open all the way and must close tightly so that there is no backward flow or leakage of blood. Valves become damaged whenever there is a combination of various conditions that lead to narrowing/stenosis, leaking/regurgitation/insufficiency, or improper closing/prolapse. Valvular Heart Disease is associated with symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, swollen feet or ankles, chest pain, or fainting/syncope.

Cardiomy

Stenosis is a condition where the valves of the heart do not open up enough to allow the flow of blood through it. On the other hand, if the heart valves can not properly close causing blood to leak through this is known as regurgitation. However, when the heart valve's leaflets bulge back into the upper chamber this is a condition known as 'Mitral Valve Prolapse'. Whenever this occurs, the individual's heart valves are not able to close properly causing blood to flow backward through them. (A)

 

 Arrhythmia:

Whenever the heart beats at an abnormal rhythm it is known as Arrhythmia. The heart can beat too slow, too fast, or simply in an irregular fashion. Typically a human heart beats at 60 beats per minute.
With the condition, Bradycardia, one's heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute. Whenever the heart beats over 100 beats per minute this is known as Tachycardia. (A) A heart arrhythmia is an abnormal heartbeat. Your heart may beat too quickly, too slowly or irregularly. Heart arrhythmia symptoms include fluttering in your chest, racing heartbeat (tachycardia), slow heartbeat (bradycardia), chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, lightheaded, dizziness, fainting (syncope) or near fainting. (B)

 

 

 

A healthy heart lacks any abnormal conditions that cause arrhythmia caused for example by an area of scarred tissue. However, a healthy heart can easily develop fatal arrhythmia only by external influences such as an electrical shock or use of illegal drugs. When a heart is diseased or deformed, the electrical impulses that run throughout this muscular pump, the heart, may not be able to start or travel to the designated areas of the heart causing arrhythmia's to develop. (A)

Individuals who are born with heart defects more cases than not were developed while in the womb of the mother. They can develop as the heart develops and as early as roughly a month after conception wherein the flow of blood in the heart is altered. Genes, medical conditions, as well as certain medications can strongly influence the development of heart defects. These defects are not only seen in infants, but can develop in adults as well. As an individual ages, the heart's structure also changes causing a heart defect. (A)

The various and many diseases that encompass or are under the umbrella of heart disease include coronary artery disease, heart rhythm abnormalities known as 'arrhythmia's' and heart defects an individual can be born with known as 'congenital heart defects'. (along with many other conditions that affect your heart.) (A)
Common causes of heart defects that you are born with are congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, excessive use of alcohol/caffeine, drug abuse, stress, and some over the counter medications, prescribed medications, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies, valvular heart disease produces of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia's) or conditions that can lead to arrhythmia's. (B)

 

 

Serious congenital heart defects — defects you're born with — usually become evident soon after birth. Heart defect symptoms in children could include pale gray or blue skin color (cyanosis), swelling in the legs, abdomen or areas around the eyes, in an infant, shortness of breath during feedings, leading to poor weight gain. (B)
Less serious congenital heart defects are often not diagnosed until later in childhood or during adulthood. Signs and symptoms of congenital heart defects that usually aren't immediately life-threatening include easily getting short of breath during exercise or activity, easily tiring during exercise or activity, swelling in the hands, ankles or feet. (B)

Opathy:

Cardiomyopathy is when there is thickening and or stiffening of the heart muscle. It is caused by the type of thickening of heart muscle that has occurred. Dilated cardiomyopathy, most common type, is usually unknown. The reduced blood flow to the heart, ischemic heart disease, infections, toxins, and certain drugs could easily be a cause of Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Unfortunately, it can be inherited from a parent. This type of cardiomyopathy is classified as 'dilated' because it usually enlarges or 'dilates' the left ventricle.

Heart infections, such as pericarditis, endocarditis and myocarditis, are caused when an irritant, such as a bacterium, virus or chemical, reaches your heart muscle. The most common causes of heart infections are bacteria, viruses, and parasites. There are many causes of diseases of your heart valves. You may be born with valvular disease, or the valves may be damaged by rheumatic fever, infections (infectious endocarditis), or connective tissue disorders. (B)

Whenever  an individual is diagnosed with 'hypertrophic cardiomyopathy' it is usually inherited and causes the heart muscle to become abnormally thick. However, it can also develop over time due to high blood pressure or aging. Then there is the least common form of cardiomyopathy which is known as 'restrictive cardiomyopathy' where the heart muscle becomes rigid and less elastic. Although this form can develop for no reason it can also be caused by other diseases.

 

Connective tissue disorders or excessive iron buildup in your body, known as 'hemochromatosis' or from some cancer treatments(i.e. chemotherapy and radiation). In early stages of cardiomyopathy, you may have no symptoms. As the condition worsens, symptoms may include breathlessness with exertion or at rest, swelling of the legs, ankles and feet Fatigue Irregular heartbeats that feel rapid, pounding or fluttering Dizziness, lightheaded, and fainting (B).

Heart Disease:

Whenever the blood flow to a section or region of the heart is blocked by a blood clot. When plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries, condition known as 'atherosclerosis, narrows the arteries making blood more difficult to flow through the arteries. (All heart and blood vessel diseases encompass one general disease known more commonly to the general public as heart disease.) Conditions that affect an individual's heart's rhythm, valves, or muscles occur when a person has heart disease. (A)

If this blood clot completely blocks blood flow, that area of the heart's muscle that is normally supplied by that artery begins to die. Although, many individuals survive their first heart attack and are able to return to their normal lives for several years, changes in one's lifestyle and taking medications prescribed by a physician are now necessary. (A)

 

The most common types of heart conditions associated with diseased vessels, structural problems, as well as blood clots are as follows; Coronary Artery Disease (Damage or disease in the heart's major blood vessels), High Blood Pressure(A condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high), Cardiac Arrest (Sudden, unexpected loss of heart functioning, breathing, and consciousness), Congestive Heart Failure (A chronic condition in which the heart does not pump blood as well as it should), Arrhythmia (Improper heart beats either irregular, too fast, or too slow), Peripheral Artery Disease (A circulatory condition in which narrowed blood vessels reduce blood flow to limbs), Stroke (Damage to the brain from interruption of its blood supply), and lastly, Congenital Heart Disease ( where an abnormality develops in the heart before birth).

The common misconception of heart failure:

It seems odd to call a condition 'heart failure' when this does not mean that the heart itself has stopped beating. Congestive Heart Failure (aka: 'heart failure') is when the heart is not and cannot pump blood as well as it should be. Although the heart is technically still functioning, it is not functioning at its optimal level where the body's needs of blood and oxygen levels are not being met.

Cardiovascular disease:

Cardiovascular disease is related to conditions in which blood vessels are narrowed or blocked which ultimately lead to chest pain (angina), heart attack, or stroke. While cardiovascular disease can refer to different heart or blood vessel problems, the term is often used to mean damage to your heart or blood vessels by atherosclerosis (ath-ur-o-skluh-ROE-sis), a buildup of fatty plaques in your arteries. Plaque buildup thickens and stiffens artery walls, which can inhibit blood flow through your arteries to your organs and tissues. Atherosclerosis is also the most common cause of cardiovascular disease. It can be caused by correctable problems, such as an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, being overweight and smoking. (B)

Symptoms of Heart Disease and Cardiovascular Disease:

These very heart disease symptoms can be very unique and vary from person to person since they depend on the form of heart disease a person actually has. With cardiovascular disease other parts of the body besides the heart and brain can be severely affected by the narrowing, blocked, or stiffening of blood vessels. Symptoms of this disease vary for men and women.

Men tend to experience more chest pains than women, whereas women experience shortness of breath, pain, numbness, weakness, or coldness in legs and arms if blood vessels are narrowed in these regions. (Pain in neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen, or back are also some of these symptoms.) Many individuals are not diagnosed with Cardiovascular or Heart Disease until they have had a heart attack, angina, stroke, or heart failure. (B)

Different Forms of Stroke:

The most common type of stroke is known as 'Ischemic Stroke'. This occurs when a blood clot is formed in a blood vessel that leads to the brain. When the region of the brain that is affected by this blood clot stops receiving blood, brain cells begin to die off. The consequences of this happening can interfere with a persons daily automatic bodily functions such as walking or talking. Then there is 'hemorrhagic stroke' where a blood vessel within the brain bursts, caused by uncontrolled hypertension.

Sometimes the aftershock of a stroke are, unfortunately, permanent when too many of the brain's cells die off because of the lack of oxygen and blood to the brain. Although these very cells that have died off cannot be replaced, some brain cells simply become out of order for a temporary period of time and luckily do not die. Cells that become injured can actually repair themselves. As time progresses, such repair, eventually allows for some body functioning to improve. It is also very possible and probable that other brain cells begin to take control of these very same regions of the brain that were injured. Strength, speech, as well as memory may improve. (A)

Prevention?

Many forms of heart disease can be prevented or treated with healthy lifestyle choices, but if you are still concerned about developing heart disease or cardiovascular disease discuss your concerns with your physicians. If the disease runs in your family, it is especially important to take care of yourself and to pay attention to crucial signs such as chest pains, shortness of breath, or fainting. Similarly to many disease, it is easiest to treat when detected early.

Links:
(A)http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Caregiver/Resources/WhatisCardiovascularDisease/What-is-Cardiovascular-Disease_UCM_301852_Article.jsp#.Vyq9P0eur5k
(B)http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/basics/definition/con-20034056

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