As the name suggests, cardiovascular diseases make for a classified section of health issues that affect the heart and its blood vessels. Not only can the person be asymptomatic till it’s too late, but even if they are experiencing symptoms, it’s easy to confuse them with other health issues. From narrowing of the blood vessels due to cholesterol build-up, heart muscle inflammation, to defect in heart valves and heart arrhythmias – all these issues come under cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular disease symptoms
Speaking of cardiovascular disease symptoms, it’s just a handful of them that are usually common throughout the spectrum. These include the following –
- Chest pain or angina – This often feels like pressure around the chest area. Almost like someone has put weight on the chest.
- Breathing difficulty or dyspnea – pressure on the chest gives rise to shortness of breath, even if you’re sitting or lying down.
- Fainting or feeling of passing out – Since the heart is not working at its full capacity, the blood gets pumped at a reduced capacity as well. This leads to weakness and a feeling of passing out.
- Unexplainable fatigue – Breathlessness, feeling of passing out and general weakness in the body can give rise to fatigue or tiredness.
Cardiovascular disease causes
The reasons why heart issues affect some people more are many. From other pre-existing health issues to lifestyle choices, let’s discuss the causes of cardiovascular diseases one by one.
Pre-existing health issues
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- High cholesterol levels
- Being overweight
- Certain medications
- Autoimmune diseases
- Chronic kidney issues
Lifestyle choices
- Excessive tobacco consumption (smoking and vaping)
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Lack of physical exercise
- Eating fried/processed foods
Types of cardiovascular disease
Although heart issues shouldn’t be only limited to these types of cardiovascular diseases, here’s a list of the most prominent ones –
- Heart arrhythmia – Abnormal heart rhythms, leading to inefficient blood supply.
- CAD – Coronary artery disease happens when your heart’s blood vessels block due to plaque formation.
- Valve disease – The valves of the heart tighten or leak.
- Heart failure – When the heart is unable to pump blood and relax on its own.
- Peripheral artery disease – When the blood vessels of your arms, hands, lets, feet and abdominal organs weaken due to plaque formation.
- Congenital heart disease – Inherited heart disease
- Pericarditis – Issues in the lining of your heart.
- Cerebrovascular disease – when the blood vessels that connect your heart to your brain get blocked.
Cardiovascular disease prevention
The best prevention against cardiovascular diseases is a close watch on your lifestyle choices. These include –
- Avoiding tobacco consumption.
- Looking after existing health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.
- Maintaining a healthy weight range.
- Eating well.
- Exercising daily.
- Managing stress.
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