Heart Disease
When you think of heart disease, usually people think of Coronary artery disease (narrowing of the arteries leading to the heart), but coronary artery disease is just one type of heart disease. Heart disease includes a number of conditions affecting the structures or function of the heart. They can include:
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. It is important to learn about your heart to help prevent heart disease. And, if you have heart disease, you can live a healthier, more active life by learning about your disease and treatments and by becoming an active participant in your care.
What Is Coronary Artery Disease?
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is atherosclerosis, or hardening, of the arteries that provide vital oxygen and nutrients to the heart.
What Are Abnormal Heart Rhythms?
The heart is an amazing organ. It beats in a steady, even rhythm, about 60 to 100 times each minute (that's about 100,000 times each day!). But, sometimes your heart gets out of rhythm. An irregular or abnormal heartbeat is called an arrhythmia. An arrhythmia (also called a dysrhythmia) can involve a change in the rhythm, producing an uneven heartbeat, or a change in the rate, causing a very slow or very fast heartbeat.
What Is Heart Failure?
The term "heart failure" can be frightening. It does not mean the heart has "failed" or stopped working. It means the heart does not pump as well as it should.
Heart failure is a major health problem in the U.S., affecting about 4.6 million Americans. About 550,000 people are diagnosed with heart failure each year. It is the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65.
What Is Heart Valve Disease?
Your heart valves lie at the exit of each of your four heart chambers and maintain one-way blood-flow through your heart. arrhythmia is a condition in which your heart valves do not work correctly.
What Is Congenital Heart Disease?
Congenital heart disease is a type of defect in one or more structures of the heart or blood vessels that occur before birth.
It affects 8 to 10 out of every 1,000 children. Congenital heart defects may produce symptoms at birth, during childhood and sometimes not until adulthood.
About 500,000 adults in the U.S. have grown into adulthood with congenital heart disease. This number increases by about 20,000 each year.
What Are Cardiomyopathies?
Cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle itself. They often lead to heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms.
What Is Pericarditis?
Pericarditis is inflammation of the lining that surrounds the heart. It is a rare condition often caused by an infection
Each type of heart disease has different symptoms, although many heart problems have similar symptoms. The symptoms you experience depend on the type and severity of your heart condition. Learn to recognize your symptoms and the situations that cause them. Call your doctor if you begin to have new symptoms or if they become more frequent or severe.
Coronary Artery Disease
The most common symptom is angina. Angina can be described as a discomfort, heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, fullness, squeezing or painful feeling in your chest. It can be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn. Angina is usually felt in the chest, but may also be felt in the left shoulder, arms, neck, throat, jaw or back.
Other symptoms that can occur with coronary artery disease include:
Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction or MI)
Symptoms can include:
During a heart attack, symptoms last 30 minutes or longer and are not relieved by rest or oral medications (medications taken by mouth).
Some people have a heart attack without having any symptoms (a "silent" MI). A silent MI can occur among all people, though it occurs more often among diabetics.
If you think you are having a heart attack, DO NOT DELAY. Call for emergency help (dial 911 in most areas). Quick treatment of a heart attack is very important to lessen the amount of damage to your heart.
Arrhythmias
When symptoms of arrhythmias are present, they may include:
Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a type of arrhythmia. Most people with AF experience one or more of the following symptoms:
Heart Valve Disease
Symptoms of Heart valve disease can include:
Symptoms do not always relate to the seriousness of your valve disease. You may have no symptoms at all and have severe valve disease, requiring prompt treatment. Or, as with mitral valve prolapse, you may have severe symptoms, yet tests may show minor valve disease.
Heart Failure
Symptoms of Heart failure can include:
Like valve disease, heart failure symptoms may not be related to how weak your heart is. You may have many symptoms, but your heart function may be only mildly weakened. Or you may have a severely damaged heart, but no symptoms.
Congenital Heart Disease
Congenital heart defects may be diagnosed before birth, right after birth, during childhood or not until adulthood. It is possible to have a defect and no symptoms at all. In adults, if symptoms are present, they may include:
Congenital Heart Disease in Infants and Children
Symptoms can include:
Heart Muscle Disease (Cardiomyopathy)
Many people with heart muscle disease have no symptoms or only minor symptoms, and live a normal life. Other people develop symptoms, which progress and worsen as heart function worsens.
Symptoms can occur at any age and may include:
Sudden death can occur in a small number of people with cardiomyopathy.
Pericarditis
When present, symptoms of pericarditis may include:
Low-grade fever.