Can You Keep Your Heart Healthy?

The heart is an important part of the body. It pumps blood that carry with it oxygen and nutrients to other parts of the body. The nutrients and gases carried by the blood are essential for the performance and maintenance of bodily processes. This is why we must strive to keep the heart healthy.

Heart Disease

Since the heart is an important part of the body, any disease afflicting it can cause death or debilitation. Heart disease is a term used for any disorder that affects the heart. On the other hand, cardiovascular disease is a type of illness that affects the heart and the blood vessels. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

There are many types of heart disease. Angina pectoris is a disorder wherein the muscles of the heart do not get enough oxygen every day. This can lead to other symptoms such as chest discomfort, tightness or pain. It is not a disease per se but a symptom of coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is due to the narrowing of the blood vessels of the heart due to plaque formation or atherosclerosis.

Arrhythmia is another heart disease which causes irregularity of the heart beat. There are many types of arrhythmia. Tachycardia is a medical condition in which the heart beats too fast. Bradycardia is a type of arrhythmia which can slow down the heart beat.    Premature contraction is a condition wherein the heart beats too early. Fibrillation is a condition wherein the heart beats irregularly. Arrhythmias are caused by problems in heart rhythm due to problems in the heart's electrical impulses     that coordinate heartbeats.

Congenital heart disease is a condition which is due to some birth defects that affect the heart. About one in a thousand babies are born with a congenital heart disease. These conditions include septal defects, obstruction defects, and cyanotic heart disease. Septal defects occur when there is a hole between the two chambers of the heart. Obstruction defects occur then there is blockage in the flow of blood through the various chambers of the heart. Cyanotic heart disease occurs when there is not enough oxygen pumped around the body due to a heart defect.

Coronary artery disease is a type of disease in the heart in which there is damage to the heart due to plaques that contain cholesterol that narrow the blood vessels of the heart. This causes ischemia or lack of oxygen to a portion of the heart.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a heart disease in which the heart chambers are dilated due to weakness of the heart muscle. The heart cannot also pump blood effectively and the body may lack oxygen as a result. Ischemia is one cause of this heart disorder which may be due to coronary artery disease.

Myocardial infarction is another type of heart disease which is also known as a heart attack or heart thrombosis. This can result to interrupted blood flow or lack of oxygen in the heart which in turn damages or destroys the heart muscle. Myocardial infarction is usually caused by a blood clot that develops in the coronary arteries or by narrowing of the coronary arteries due to spasm.

Heart failure, which is also known as congestive heart failure, can result to poor heart functioning and can affect overall bodily functioning. Other heart diseases include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, mitral valve regurgitation, mitral valve prolapse and pulmonary stenosis.

What You Can Do

So how do you keep your heart free from disease? First of all, you should stop smoking. If you have not been smoking, keep it that way. Exercising for 30 minutes on most days of the week is also one way of preventing heart disease. You should also eat foods which can protect the heart such as fruits, vegetables and fatty fish.

To know more on how to prevent heart disease, feel free to read our other articles on this site.