A Short List Of Heart Diseases

Heart disease, or cardiovascular disease, is the term used to encompass conditions that can affect the heart and arteries.

The human heart functions as a pump, sending oxygen-rich blood throughout the body and then receiving the depleted blood for recycling. There are four valves in the human heart to make sure the blood moves in the right direction.

Cardiovascular disease can affect the muscle itself, the arteries that connect to it, the valves, or the electrical signals that keep it beating.

The medical community uses both the location and the nature of the problem in its list of heart diseases.

Heart problems may be congenital, or those with which the patient is born. They may also be caused by lifestyle, such as diet or smoking.

Infections and parasites can also invade the heart and damage or destroy it. High blood pressure, drug abuse, and diabetes can also lead to heart conditions.

Arrhythmias are abnormal heartbeats, whether too slow, too fast, or merely irregular.

Arrhythmias can be caused by a congenital condition or by smoking, excessive caffeine intake, stress, drug or alcohol abuse, or a valve defect. Certain medications, both prescription and non-prescription, can trigger an arrhythmia, as can some natural or herbal supplements.

Cardiomyopathy is high on the list of heart diseases and is actually the enlargement or thickening of the muscle itself.

The most common form is dilated cardiomyopathy, involving an enlarged left ventricle.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an abnormal thickening that causes tissue stiffness and reducing the pumping chamber’s size. Restrictive cardiomyopathy is the rarest form, and involves a stiffness and loss of elasticity of the muscle.

Infections are typically classified as bacterial, viral, or parasitic.

Bacterial infections can be caused by poor dental health, eating contaminated food, or transmitted by ticks.

Viral infections can develop from other conditions, such as measles, STDs, and certain strains of influenza.

Parasitic infections can be transmitted by mosquitoes or other insects.

Coronary artery disease is the most common form of heart disease.

This is generally used to describe damage to the heart or circulatory system caused by deposits of plaque in the arteries, or atherosclerosis. The artery walls thicken and become stiff, restricting the flow of blood to and from the rest of the body. The problem is most often caused or exacerbated by smoking, a high-fat diet, excess weight, and a lack of exercise.

Last  but not least on our list of heart disease is valvular heart disease which refers to conditions that affect the four valves in the heart.

The condition may be congenital or a complication of diseases such as rheumatic fever. Infections, radiation therapy, and some medications can also damage the valves.