Arterosclerosis: the fatty deposits in the arteries causes the walls to stiffen and thicken the walls. This can restrict blood flow or in severe cases stop it all together, resulting in a heart attack or stroke.
Causes: The causes are too much fat, cholesterol and calcium.
Symptoms: Atherosclerosis develops gradually. Mild atherosclerosis usually doesn't have any symptoms.
Diagnosis: During a physical exam, your doctor might find narrowed, enlarged, or hardened arteries. Blood tests, a Doppler ultrasound, a stress test, or a cardiac catheterization can confirm these findings, leading to a diagnosis.
Treatment: Lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising, are often the best treatment for atherosclerosis. Sometimes, medication or surgical procedures may be recommended as well. Various drugs can slow — or even reverse — the effects of atherosclerosis.
Causes: The causes are too much fat, cholesterol and calcium.
Symptoms: Atherosclerosis develops gradually. Mild atherosclerosis usually doesn't have any symptoms.
Diagnosis: During a physical exam, your doctor might find narrowed, enlarged, or hardened arteries. Blood tests, a Doppler ultrasound, a stress test, or a cardiac catheterization can confirm these findings, leading to a diagnosis.
Treatment: Lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising, are often the best treatment for atherosclerosis. Sometimes, medication or surgical procedures may be recommended as well. Various drugs can slow — or even reverse — the effects of atherosclerosis.
Aortic Aneurism: A bulge in a section of the aorta, the body's main artery. Because the section with the aneurism is weak, it can burst at any moment, causing severe bleeding that could lead to death.
Causes: High blood pressure and arteriosclerosis can weaken the artery walls. These problems, along with natural wear and tear contribute to the bulging out of the artery wall.
Symptoms: There aren't typically any symptoms related to aneurisms.
Diagnosis: Aneurisms can be diagnosed during physical exams with routine exam machines.
Treatment: The only way to permanently repair aneurisms is through surgery.
Causes: High blood pressure and arteriosclerosis can weaken the artery walls. These problems, along with natural wear and tear contribute to the bulging out of the artery wall.
Symptoms: There aren't typically any symptoms related to aneurisms.
Diagnosis: Aneurisms can be diagnosed during physical exams with routine exam machines.
Treatment: The only way to permanently repair aneurisms is through surgery.
Rheumatic fever: an inflammatory disease that can develop as a complication of inadequately treated strep throat or scarlet fever.
Causes: Rheumatic fever can occur after an infection of the throat with a bacterium called Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A streptococcus.
Symptoms: Fever, painful and tender joints, red hot or swollen joints, painless modules beneath the skin, chest pain, murmur, and fatigue.
Diagnosis: Your doctor makes a diagnosis of rheumatic fever based on a physical exam and test results. Doctor's typically check for inflammation of joints first.
Treatment: Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory treatment, and anticonvulsant medications.
Causes: Rheumatic fever can occur after an infection of the throat with a bacterium called Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A streptococcus.
Symptoms: Fever, painful and tender joints, red hot or swollen joints, painless modules beneath the skin, chest pain, murmur, and fatigue.
Diagnosis: Your doctor makes a diagnosis of rheumatic fever based on a physical exam and test results. Doctor's typically check for inflammation of joints first.
Treatment: Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory treatment, and anticonvulsant medications.
Ischemia: Myocardial ischemia occurs when blood flow to your heart muscle is decreased by a partial or complete blockage of your heart's arteries. The decrease in blood flow reduces your heart's oxygen supply.
Causes: Atherosclerosis, blood clot, or a coronary artery spasm could cause ischemia.
Symptoms: Angina pectoris, neck or jaw pain, shoulder or arm pain, a fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, or nausea and vomiting.
Diagnosis: It can be diagnosed using an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, nuclear scan, coronary angiography, cardiac CT scan, stress test, and holter monitoring.
Treatment: Treatment of myocardial ischemia is directed at improving blood flow to the heart muscle. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may be treated with medications, undergo a surgical procedure or both.
Causes: Atherosclerosis, blood clot, or a coronary artery spasm could cause ischemia.
Symptoms: Angina pectoris, neck or jaw pain, shoulder or arm pain, a fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, or nausea and vomiting.
Diagnosis: It can be diagnosed using an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, nuclear scan, coronary angiography, cardiac CT scan, stress test, and holter monitoring.
Treatment: Treatment of myocardial ischemia is directed at improving blood flow to the heart muscle. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may be treated with medications, undergo a surgical procedure or both.
Arrhythmia: Heart arrhythmia occurs when the electrical impulses in your heart that coordinate your heartbeats don't work properly, causing your heart to beat too fast, too slow or irregularly.
Causes: Heart attack, scarring of heart tissue from a previous heart attack, blocked arteries, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, drinking too much caffeine, drug abuse, stress, medications, electrical shock, dietary supplements, and air pollution.
Symptoms: A fluttering in your chest, a racing heartbeat, a slow heartbeat, chest pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dizziness, and fainting.
Diagnosis: To diagnose a heart arrhythmia, your doctor may ask about, or test for, conditions that may trigger your arrhythmia, such as heart disease or a problem with your thyroid gland. Your doctor may also perform heart-monitoring tests specific to arrhythmias.
Treatment: If you have an arrhythmia, treatment may or may not be necessary. Usually it's required only if the arrhythmia is causing significant symptoms or if it's putting you at risk of a more serious arrhythmia or arrhythmia complication.
Causes: Heart attack, scarring of heart tissue from a previous heart attack, blocked arteries, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, drinking too much caffeine, drug abuse, stress, medications, electrical shock, dietary supplements, and air pollution.
Symptoms: A fluttering in your chest, a racing heartbeat, a slow heartbeat, chest pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dizziness, and fainting.
Diagnosis: To diagnose a heart arrhythmia, your doctor may ask about, or test for, conditions that may trigger your arrhythmia, such as heart disease or a problem with your thyroid gland. Your doctor may also perform heart-monitoring tests specific to arrhythmias.
Treatment: If you have an arrhythmia, treatment may or may not be necessary. Usually it's required only if the arrhythmia is causing significant symptoms or if it's putting you at risk of a more serious arrhythmia or arrhythmia complication.