Ischemic heart disease: symptoms, causes, prevention

Chronic ischemic heart disease, also known as myocardial ischemia, is a condition of the heart in which the heart muscle is damaged or does not work so effectively by reducing the flow of blood to the heart. Reduction of blood flow is most often caused by narrowing of the coronary arteries (atherosclerosis). The risk of the disease increases with age, the disease is more common among smokers. In addition, people with diabetes, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and people with a family history of the disease are at risk.

Symptoms of coronary heart disease

The most serious symptom is chest pain, which can indicate a heart attack. It is felt as an aggravation of the chest and upper body, including the neck, jaws and shoulders. Chest pains can also be the result of various other causes, such as anxiety or panic attacks, or even heartburn and sore throat. However, they can be associated with angina pectoris, which is one of the clinical manifestations of cardiac ischemia. Therefore, if you experience chronic chest pain, it is extremely important to stop smoking (if you smoke) and see a doctor for a thorough and thorough diagnosis of the heart and blood vessels to exclude or confirm the diagnosis of "coronary heart disease."

Symptoms may also include a feeling of suffocation or dyspnea, which indicates an insufficient amount of blood entering the lungs, or a limited blood supply from the pulmonary arteries. The lack of ease of breathing can be confused with other symptoms, not all of which indicate severe heart disease, but may indicate other ailments. This may be due to pneumonia or pulmonary embolism. Emphysema of the lungs of smokers is also one of the main causes of chronic and progressive degeneration of the lower respiratory tract from the constant inhalation of tobacco smoke and the accumulation of tar on the inner walls of the lungs. If these and other reasons are excluded, then, most likely, a person has coronary heart disease.

Symptoms of this disease also include cardiomegaly, or enlargement of the heart (the thickness of the heart muscle walls increases, which leads to an increase in its size). Possible causes of the disease include general heart failure, arterial hypertension, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking. Sometimes the cause may be congenital heart block, which is a genetic disease. It can also be caused by excessive alcohol consumption, the side effect of some specific diet pills, excessive caffeine consumption and too much stress in daily life. Some viral infections, as well as autoimmune diseases, can cause such a serious disease as ischemic heart disease.

Symptoms of the disease are also external. So, the swelling of the hands, legs, or abdomen may indicate that there is not enough blood in the various organs and takings, therefore, liquid is retained in them. Cardiac arrhythmia, or the occurrence of abnormal heart rhythm, is another symptom. Sometimes an imbalance in blood sugar, such as hypoglycemia, when its level falls below normal, can also lead to cardiac arrhythmia. However, the best way to confirm or refute the diagnosis of "coronary heart disease", the symptoms of which you found in yourself, is a visit to the doctor for immediate diagnosis.

According to recent studies, this disease can be prevented, or at least reduce its severity. How, you ask? The answer is simple - a healthy lifestyle. Of course, it is not so easy to give up many bad habits, but if you think about the result, you can achieve everything.

Those who have confirmed the diagnosis should also make certain changes in their way of life in order to protect themselves from the symptoms of ischemia: avoid stress, quit / consume alcohol, restrict eating high-fat foods and lead a lively lifestyle.