Coronary heart disease, also known as ischemic heart disease or coronary artery disease, is the leading cause of death worldwide and is caused by obstruction of the coronary arteries. When the arteries of the heart become blocked, it results in decreased blood flow and the inability to carry oxygen and other nutrients to various parts of the body. Many people experience the typical and fairly common chest pain (angina), but heart disease can manifest itself in a number of different ways. By knowing all the risk factors and symptoms associated with the condition, you can better manage it or even reduce the risk of developing it.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Recognize the Symptoms
Step 1. Pay attention to episodes of chest pain
This pain (angina) is the warning sign of the onset of coronary heart disease. Angina is best described as a strange or unexplained pain in the chest area. Many people report experiencing discomfort, tightness, heaviness, pressure, burning, pain, numbness, crushing, or fullness in the chest. The pain can move to the neck, jaw, back, arm, and shoulder to the left. Since these areas are traversed by the same nerve pathways, it is normal for chest pain to radiate in these directions. You may experience chest pain during physical activity, when eating heavy meals, when exerting yourself for various reasons, and even when you are particularly excited.
- If coronary artery disease is the cause of your discomfort, the pain you experience is due to a noticeable reduction in blood flow to the heart. Suffering is triggered precisely when the body's demand for blood is greatest; this is why angina, in the early stages of coronary artery disease, is associated with physical activity.
- Angina usually occurs in association with other symptoms, such as shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing, dizziness or palpitations, tiredness, sweating (especially a cold sweat), stomach pain and vomiting.
Step 2. Look out for symptoms of atypical angina
This involves abdominal discomfort, breathlessness, fatigue, dizziness, numbness, nausea, toothache, indigestion, weakness, anxiety and sweating, all symptoms that can occur even without the typical chest pain. Women and diabetics are more likely to suffer from this atypical disorder.
Atypical angina also has an "unstable" onset, meaning that it can occur when you are resting, rather than when you are exerting yourself, and can increase the risk of heart attack
Step 3. Pay attention to the moments when you are short of breath
This symptom usually occurs in the advanced stages of the disease. Coronary heart disease actually reduces the heart's ability to pump blood around the body, leading to constriction of blood vessels. When this occurs in the lungs, you may experience shortness of breath.
See your doctor if you find that you can't breathe well when doing simple activities, such as walking, gardening, or housework
Step 4. Make a note of the abnormal heart rhythm
An irregular heart rate is also referred to as an arrhythmia. This disorder can be described as the feeling that the heart skips a beat or that it speeds up a little from time to time; you may also feel an irregular heart rate. If you notice irregular heartbeats along with chest pain, go to the emergency room right away.
- In coronary artery disease, cardiac arrhythmia occurs when blood flow is reduced by interfering with the heart's electrical impulses.
- The most severe form of cardiac arrhythmia associated with coronary artery disease is sudden cardiac arrest; in this case the heartbeat is not only abnormal, but stops altogether. Most often it causes death within minutes if the heart cannot be reactivated promptly, usually using a defibrillator.
Step 5. Be aware that coronary artery disease can lead to a heart attack
The most serious complication resulting from this disease is heart attack. People who are already in an advanced stage are much more likely to suffer from this consequence. Chest pain can get very bad, you may have difficulty breathing, you may feel nauseous and anxious, and start sweating cold. Call an ambulance immediately if you think you or a loved one is having a heart attack.
- Sometimes a heart attack can be the first sign of coronary artery disease. Even if you have no other symptoms related to a heart disorder, see your doctor when you experience any type of severe chest pain or shortness of breath, as this could be a sign of a serious heart condition, such as ischemic heart disease.
- Sometimes a heart attack comes with atypical symptoms, such as anxiety, fear that something terrible might happen, or even chest heaviness. Any unusual and sudden symptoms should be brought to medical attention as soon as possible.
Method 2 of 4: Know the Risk Factors
Step 1. Consider your age
Arterial damage and narrowing may simply be due to this factor. People over the age of 55 run a higher risk of coronary artery disease. Obviously, an unhealthy lifestyle, such as a wrong diet or not doing adequate physical activity, can also increase the chances of developing heart disease.
Step 2. Evaluate the gender
Generally speaking, men suffer more from heart problems than women. However, women also have a higher risk once the menopausal stage is over.
Women generally have atypical and less severe symptoms of coronary artery disease; they tend to have sharper, burning chest pain that radiates to the neck, jaw, throat, abdomen, or even back more frequently than men. If you are a woman and experience an unusual sensation of chest or shoulder pain, or are having difficulty breathing, contact your doctor to find out if these may be signs of coronary artery disease
Step 3. Review your family history
If you have any direct relatives with a previous history of heart disease, know that you too are at greater risk of contracting coronary artery disease. If your father or brother was diagnosed before the age of 55 or your mother or sister before the age of 65, you are more likely to suffer from it too.
Step 4. Consider smoking
Smoking is primarily responsible for most cases of coronary heart disease. Cigarettes contain nicotine and carbon monoxide which force the heart and lungs to work harder, but there are other chemicals in them that compromise the integrity of the artery lining. Studies have found that smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 25%.
Using an electronic cigarette ("vaping") can also cause similar effects for the heart. For your overall health, you should avoid any form of nicotine intake
Step 5. Measure your blood pressure
When blood pressure is consistently high, the arteries harden and thicken. As a result, the space available for blood to flow thins and the heart has greater difficulty carrying blood around the body, leading to a greater risk of coronary artery disease.
Normal blood pressure should be between 90/60 mmHg and 120/80 mmHg. However, it is not always constant and can change even in a short time
Step 6. Watch out for diabetes
In people suffering from this pathology, the blood is thicker and more viscous; the heart is subjected to more work to pump it into the body and can get too tired. Also, in the case of diabetes, the atrial walls in the heart are thicker, which means that the heart passages can become blocked more easily.
Step 7. Try to lower your cholesterol
High cholesterol is due to the accumulation of plaques on the atrial walls of the heart; this results in a greater deposit of fat in the blood vessels, consequently the heart weakens and becomes more prone to pathologies.
Atherosclerosis is the result of high levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol), but also low levels of HDL ("good" cholesterol)
Step 8. Consider the weight
Obesity (a body mass index - BMI - of 30 or more) usually exacerbates other risk factors, as it is related to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and the development of diabetes.
Step 9. Assess your stress level
This factor can also make the work of the heart more difficult, because a state of anxiety and tension accelerates the heart rate and increases the intensity of the beats. People who are always stressed are much more likely to suffer from heart-related conditions. Furthermore, stress increases the risk of blood clots and facilitates the release of hypertensive hormones.
- Find healthy alternatives to relieve stress, such as yoga, Tai Chi, and meditation.
- A little daily aerobic activity not only strengthens the heart, it also reduces stress.
- Don't look for unhealthy solutions, such as alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and junk food to try to manage stress.
- Massage therapy also helps fight tension.
Method 3 of 4: Treat the Symptoms
Step 1. Seek medical attention
If you are suffering from severe chest pain or even think you are having a heart attack, call 911 and go to the emergency room immediately. If your symptoms are less severe, see your doctor as soon as possible. Either way, health professionals have access to the tools needed to make an accurate diagnosis of your malaise.
Describe in detail the symptoms, their duration, what you think are the triggers and the factors that can aggravate your symptoms
Step 2. Take an exercise test
If the situation does not require immediate action, your doctor may order a test to define the stress to which the heart is subjected, in order to be able to diagnose the disease. This could include monitoring your heart while exercising (usually while running on a treadmill) to check for symptoms of abnormal blood circulation.
Step 3. Get heart monitoring
The electrocardiogram allows to constantly check the heart. The doctor at the hospital will be able to check for any changes in the heartbeat associated with ischemia (the heart not getting enough blood).
Step 4. Run a cardiac enzyme test
If you are in the hospital for tests, the medical team will be able to check the levels of this enzyme, called troponin, which is released by the heart when the heart is damaged. Be prepared to take three different tests to analyze the levels, which must be performed eight hours apart from each other.
Step 5. Take an x-ray
Even this test, which can be done if you have gone to the emergency room urgently, can detect any damage to the heart or the presence of fluid in the lungs caused by heart failure. In some cases it is the doctor himself who can recommend this test, in addition to heart monitoring.
Step 6. Undergo cardiac catheterization
If you find any abnormal data from other tests, your cardiologist may recommend that you undergo cardiac catheterization. The procedure consists of inserting a tube with a dye into the femoral artery (the main artery located in the groin area and running through the leg); in this way it is possible to obtain an angiogram (image of the blood flow in the arteries).
Step 7. Take your medications
If your doctor thinks you don't need surgery in your specific case, he or she will likely prescribe medications to manage your coronary artery disease. Aggressive intervention on cholesterol levels was found to reduce coronary plaques (atheromas), so your doctor will find the right medication for you that acts on cholesterol.
If you also have high blood pressure, your cardiologist will be able to recommend medications to manage this condition based on your medical history
Step 8. Discuss coronary angioplasty with your doctor
When the arteries are only narrow, but not completely blocked, the cardiologist might offer you this solution. The procedure involves inserting a thin tube with a balloon attached to the end into the affected artery. The balloon is inflated where the artery is narrowest and thus is able to push the plaque against the artery wall and restore blood flow.
- Blood circulation improves, while also reducing associated chest pain and heart damage.
- During surgery, the cardiologist may also insert a stent, a wire mesh tube, into the artery, which keeps the artery open after angioplasty. Sometimes coronary stent insertion is done as a stand-alone procedure.
Step 9. Learn about rotational atherectomy (rotablator)
This is another type of non-surgical procedure that helps clear the arteries. In this case, microscopic diamond fragments are used placed on a catheter inserted in the artery capable of breaking up and expelling the plaque; this procedure can be performed alone or in conjunction with angioplasty.
It is an operation performed in elderly patients or those who have a high risk of heart attack
Step 10. Discuss the possibility of bypass surgery with your surgeon
If the left main artery of the heart is severely obstructed or two or more arteries are, your cardiologist will probably see fit to undergo this surgical procedure, which involves removing healthy blood vessels from a leg, arm, chest, or chest. abdomen and use them to "bypass" the heart obstruction.
This is a very invasive procedure, which usually takes up to two days in the intensive care unit and up to a week in hospital
Method 4 of 4: Preventing Coronary Heart Disease
Step 1. Stop smoking
If you are a smoker, this is the absolute first thing you need to do if you want to prevent the risk of coronary heart disease. Smoking adds pressure to the heart, increases hypertension and causes cardiovascular complications. Those who smoke a pack a day have twice the risk of heart attack than non-smokers.
About 20% of all fatal heart disease is caused by smoking
Step 2. Get your blood pressure measured regularly
You can even check it yourself from the comfort of your home once a day. Contact your doctor for advice on the most suitable device for you. Generally, those for private use must be applied to the wrist, which must be held at the height of the heart, and then activated to detect the pressure data.
Ask your doctor what your normal resting blood pressure is. In this way you have a standard data to compare with those you detect from your measurements
Step 3. Exercise regularly
Since coronary artery disease is a cardiovascular disease, you need to do specific exercises to strengthen the heart. These include running, brisk walking, swimming, cycling, or even others that increase your heart rate. You should exercise for at least 30 minutes every day.
Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program to make sure it's appropriate for your heart and your abilities. It could also recommend some more suitable and "tailor-made" solutions for your specific needs
Step 4. Eat a healthy diet
You should eat heart-healthy foods that help you maintain a healthy weight and keep your cholesterol under control. A balanced diet consists of:
- Large quantities of fruit and vegetables that ensure a balanced daily intake of vitamins and minerals;
- Lean proteins such as fish and skinless chicken
- Whole-grain products, such as wholemeal bread and rice and quinoa
- Low-fat dairy products such as yogurt
- Less than three grams of salt per day to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
Step 5. Eat fish at least twice a week
In particular, you should choose the one rich in omega-3 fatty acids, as they reduce the risk of inflammation of the body and consequently the inflammation of the blood vessels, which could in turn cause heart disease. Fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids are:
Salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout and herring
Step 6. Avoid eating too much fat
If you know you have heart problems, you need to limit foods that contain large amounts of saturated and trans fats. These raise levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), commonly referred to as "bad" cholesterol, and can clog arteries causing heart damage.
- Foods high in saturated fat include red meat, ice cream, butter, cheese, sour cream, and products containing lard. Even heavily fried foods generally have a high saturated fat content.
- Trans fats are usually found in fried and industrially processed foods. Margarine made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is also another typical source of trans fat.
- Consume the fats found in fish and olives. These are rich in omega-3s which help reduce the risk of heart attack and other heart diseases.
- You should also avoid eating more than one egg a day, especially if you are having trouble keeping your cholesterol levels in check. Eggs are a healthy food, provided they are consumed in moderation; however, if you overdo it, you can increase the risk of heart problems. When you decide to cook them, at least avoid adding other fatty substances, such as cheese or butter.
Advice
Try to stay fit. Maintaining a normal weight, exercising regularly, and eating the right diet can help reduce the risk of developing coronary artery disease
Warnings
- Although this article provides information regarding coronary heart disease, it is in no way intended to replace medical advice. If you fall into a risk category or seem to have some of the symptoms described so far, contact your doctor to determine if you have heart disease and to find the appropriate treatment, if applicable.
- Keep in mind that many people may not experience any symptoms of coronary heart disease. If you have two or more of the risk factors described in this article, talk to your doctor to assess your heart health and find out if you have any coronary problems.
- If you experience pain in your heart, chest, or any other similar symptoms, it is essential that you see your doctor as soon as possible. Early diagnosis of coronary artery disease can mean a better prognosis or outcome in the future.
