what-is-coronary-artery-disease

Overview

Coronary heart diseases occur due to the build up of atheroma on the arteries. This build-up narrows the arteries, restricting the blood flow to the heart muscles. This disease takes a long time to become noticeable and severe. Most people are unaware about their condition until they suffer from a heart attack.

Types

Coronary heart diseases can be of the following types:

• Obstructive coronary artery diseases: This occurs when plaque build-up narrows arteries.
• Non-obstructive coronary artery disease
• Spontaneous coronary artery dissection

Causes

Several things may cause coronary heart disease. Some of them are:

• High blood pressure
• High levels of cholesterol
• Lack of exercise
• Having diabetes
• High levels of lipoprotein
• Chain Smoking
• Having obesity can increase your chances of getting a coronary heart disease
• History of CHD in the family can increase risks of contracting coronary artery diseases too

Symptoms

The symptoms of coronary artery diseases may include:

• Fatigue
• Severe chest pain
• Heart attack
• Shortness of breath
• Tiredness
• Dizziness
• Heart palpitations
• Severe pain in the neck or back
• Nausea
• Extreme weakness

Several tests are conducted to diagnose coronary art diseases. Some of them are:

• Blood tests
• Echocardiogram
• Electrocardiogram
• Exercise stress test
• Coronary calcium scan
• Cardiac catheterization
• Computed tomography
• Coronary angiogram
• Thorough study of the family’s medical history

The results of the above-mentioned tests are usually available within 24 hours. Doctors will suggest the right treatment for you based on the results of these tests.

Treatment

Coronary heart diseases can be treated via:

• Lifestyle changes: Treatment for coronary heart diseases include making certain lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, maintaining a low fat diet ,exercising routinely, etc.
• Consuming medications for high blood pressure: Doctors will prescribe certain medications to manage high blood pressure.
• Medications to lower cholesterol: Medications will be prescribed to maintain a healthy cholesterol level.
• Coronary artery bypass grafting: Here, a graft(blood vessel from another part like the chest, arm, etc) is taken and attached to the coronary artery, around the area of blockage.
• Percutaneous coronary intervention: It is a minimally invasive surgery performed to open up clogged arteries.

Prevention

You can decrease the risks of contacting a coronary heart disease by:

• Maintaining a healthy balanced diet
• Getting ample amount of sleep
• Quitting smoking and chewing tobacco
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Reducing consumption of alcohol
• Regular exercising
• Take prescribed medications on time