Our heart is one of the most important organs in our body. It consists of four chambers that work together to perform its function. The main function of the heart is to pump oxygenated blood to all the other parts of the body. Besides, its other function is to collect deoxygenated blood from all over the body and transfer it to the lungs. This is the reason why our heart is very important. Without it, our cells will not receive adequate blood and we will easily die. This is also why it is very vital, any injury or trauma to the heart might cause a significant health problem. Hence, it is very important to take care of our heart health in order for it to remain healthy forever. Did you know what are the most common heart diseases in this world? Do not worry, in this article, we will try to cover 5 most common causes of heart problems. You can read the list stated as below:
- coronary heart disease
Coronary heart disease is the most common heart disease that can be found in almost every country in this world. It happens due to the coronary artery becoming narrowed or fully blocked. The symptoms of coronary heart disease include chest pain, difficulty breathing or hard to do any heavy exercises and activities. As mentioned above, the cause for this disease is due to narrowed or blocked coronary arteries. Coronary artery is the blood vessel that is responsible to supply blood to the heart. Without it the heart will be unable to function properly. There are a lot of causes that can cause coronary arteries to be narrowed or blocked such as obesity, high blood pressure and also high cholesterol. People that suffer from coronary heart disease usually need invasive surgery in order to correct the problem.
- Heart attack
This is one of the diseases that is often portrayed in television such as TV series or movies. Heart attack, or is known as myocardial infarction is a disease where some part of the heart muscle is cut off from oxygen due to the atherosclerosis, hardening of the coronary artery. Cholesterol, fat and other substances can cause plaque formation in the artery, hence contributing to the narrowing or blocking the blood vessels. Usually, people that suffered from heart attack will show symptoms such as sweating, chest pain, difficulty breathing and also fast pulse.
- Heart failure
Heart failure is a condition where the heart fails to do its job, which means it cannot pump the blood properly. However, it does not mean that the heart stops beating entirely. It still beats, but at a slower rate and needs a high amount of energy, making us feel easily fatigue.
- Arrhythmia
Arrhythmia means that the heart is beating with abnormal rhythm. Some conditions have slow rhythm, fast rhythm or irregular rhythm. This means that the heart does not work properly. Usually, this type of condition can be diagnosed with ECG. It can be treated with some medications. Sometimes, a surgery might be needed if the condition is too serious.
- Heart valve complications
Heart valves can have abnormalities such as stenosis or regurgitation. Stenosis means that the valve is too hard, causing it difficult to open while regurgitation means that the valve is too weak, hence causing the blood to easily leak out. All this valve condition will cause ineffectiveness in the heart’s function. Usually, valve problems are detectable at an early life and treated accordingly. Failure to correct this condition will result in serious problems in the future.
