Symptoms of coronary heart disease, expert insights, and treatment
Imagine the situation of a 45-year-old male who commutes to work, sits at a desk all day, never exercises, and every evening in front of the TV, and munches on junk food. Playing with his children in the park one night, he becomes short of breath and feels a dull pressure in his chest. He thought that it was fatigue. But no, his heart was fighting and signaled to him coronary heart disease, which means that his heart was not getting enough blood. These conditions occur because of his lifestyle.
What is coronary heart disease?
Coronary heart disease means your heart’s supply pipes get tight or blocked. These pipes bring oxygen-rich blood to your heart. This happens when fat and cholesterol build up inside them to form plaque. Plaque slows blood flow and can cause a heart attack if not fixed early.
It is also called ischaemic heart disease.. What’s surprising is that many people have it without signs until something terrible occurs, like a heart attack.
What are the coronary artery disease symptoms?
The thing is, symptoms of coronary artery disease can be present for a long time. It’s like a silent killer. But your arteries start to narrow; the Signs of heart disease are:
Chest pain (angina)
The most important symptom of CAD is chest pain. You may feel like someone stabbed you or feel tightness, squeezing, or heaviness in the chest. And then the pain can last for minutes. Furthermore, the pain can be spread to the arms, shoulders, neck, jaw, or back, too.
Shortness of breath:
You may feel short of breath while doing some light physical work, such as climbing the stairs, talking, walking, or any other physical activity that doesn’t involve much hard work.
Heart palpitation:
Some of you experience irregular, pounding heartbeats, and this could be a sign that your heart is struggling.
Fatigue:
You may feel weak or fatigued and, due to tiredness, not be able to do your work, not even your daily work.
Dizziness
You may feel dizzy or faint in some cases because it can be the result of an inadequate amount of blood flow to the brain.
Further, if your coronary artery is completely blocked, it starts to show the symptoms of a heart attack. The Signs of Heart Disease are:
- Fatigue
- Chest pain
- Cold sweats
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
Who is at higher risk of getting coronary artery disease?
- Smoking and alcohol
- Follow an unhealthy diet.
- Physically not active
- Overweight or obese
- Family medical history
- Women after menopause, especially
- Risk is higher as you get older.
- Certain conditions increase the risk of coronary artery disease.
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Sleep apnoea
- High cholesterol
- Chronic kidney disease
- Severe mental illness
How is coronary artery disease treated? Expert insight and treatment
Treatment started with the diagnosis. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and some details about your family history, lifestyle, etc. After examining and getting all the information, your doctor will recommend some tests.
- Blood test
- Chest X-ray
- An echocardiogram
- An electrocardiogram
- An exercise stress test
- A coronary angiogram
- Cardiac catheterisation
- Heart CT scan
After the diagnosis, your doctor starts the treatment. The treatment of coronary artery disease is:
Medication: Your healthcare specialist provides you with some medicines for high cholesterol, so plaque buildup reduces in your arteries, medicines to reduce blood clots, lower your blood pressure, etc.
Surgical treatment: In more severe cases, a surgical procedure is used for treatment. And the surgical process is:
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: It’s an open-heart surgery. A new path is created with the use of blood vessels for blood to flow to the heart.
- Angioplasty and stenting: It’s a minimally invasive procedure. A balloon is used to reopen your blocked arteries for better blood flow. With that, a stent can also be inserted to help your artery stay open.
Lifestyle changes –
- Eat a balanced diet
- Quit smoking and alcohol
- Avoid exceeding sugar and salt
- Avoid oily foods
- Avoid stress and exercise regularly.
- Control BP
- Get enough sleep
- Regular checkup
- If you feel any mild chest pain or heart pain, then don’t ignore it.
Conclusion
CAD can be life-threatening if not treated on time. But with early diagnosis and proper treatment, you can manage it. CAD doesn’t show any signs, but if you feel chest pain or any changes in your body that make you tired easily, then make an appointment with a heart specialist in Jaipur for expert care.
