Heart Disease Facts, Symptoms and Prevention : Part 2

by CDC

(Page 2 of 5)

When a person is having a heart attack, emergency care is needed that may include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), electrical shock (called defibrillation), and other advanced emergency medical care. Emergency medical personnel and doctors can quickly perform emergency treatment and transport the person to the hospital. Bystanders might also be trained to perform CPR and to use an automated external defibrillator, if one is available, until emergency medical personnel arrive. Once at the hospital, doctors can perform several tests to quickly determine if the person is having or has had a heart attack and the best course of action to restore blood flow.

Because a heart attack is a medical emergency, it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and to act immediately by calling 9-1-1. A person's chance of surviving a heart attack is increased the sooner emergency treatment is administered.

A heart attack survivor may have a damaged heart that affects the heart rhythm, pumping action, and blood circulation. This puts heart attack victims at greater risk of having another heart attack or other events such as a stroke, kidney problems, and peripheral arterial problems. Cardiac rehabilitation is usually recommended for heart attack survivors after the emergency event has stabilized. Cardiac rehabilitation guides the patient to make changes that can help improve cardiovascular fitness and quality of life. These changes may include dietary changes, physical activity, smoking cessation, and other issues such as medication schedules and stress management. Heart attack survivors should seek their doctor's advice about daily activities such as returning to work, driving, physical and sexual activity, and air travel.

Other Conditions and Related Terms

Angina

Chest pain or discomfort that occurs when the heart muscle is not getting enough blood. Angina may feel like pressure or a squeezing pain in the chest. The pain may also occur in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back, and it may feel like indigestion. Angina is a symptom of coronary heart disease. Angina may be stable or unstable. Stable angina is chest pain that occurs on physical exertion or under mental or emotional stress. Unstable angina is chest pain that occurs even while at rest, without apparent reason.

Acute Coronary Syndrome

A term that is sometimes used to describe people who have either an acute myocardial infarction or unstable angina.

Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection

A condition where the aorta stretches or dilates (aneurysm) and ruptures (dissection). A ruptured aneurysm is an emergency situation.

Arrhythmias

Irregular, or abnormally fast or slow, beating of the heart. The heart beat is controlled by electrical impulses. When the timing or frequency of these electrical impulses are disrupted, arrhythmias develop. Some arrhythmias are quite serious. An example is ventricular fibrillation, a severely abnormal heart rhythm that causes death unless treated right away by providing an electrical shock to the heart (called defibrillation). Others are less severe but can develop into more serious conditions over time. A particular concern is atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is rapid, irregular beating of the upper chambers of the heart. The chambers can quiver instead of beating in a regular pattern. Blood is not fully pumped out of them and may pool and clot. For more information, see our atrial fibrillation fact sheet.

Cardiomyopathy

A weakening of the heart muscle or a change in heart muscle structure. It often results in inadequate heart pumping or other heart function abnormalities. These can result from various causes, including prior heart attacks, viral or bacterial infections, and others.

Congenital Heart Disease

Malformations of heart structures, present during pregnancy or at birth. These may be caused by genetic factors or by adverse exposures during pregnancy. Examples include holes in the walls that divide the heart chambers, abnormal heart valves, and others. Congenital heart defects can disrupt the normal flow of blood through the heart. Congenital heart defects are the most common type of major birth defect.

Heart Failure

This may also be called congestive heart failure or chronic heart failure. Heart failure is a condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to meet the needs of other body organs. Heart failure does not mean that the heart has stopped, but that it cannot pump blood the way that it should. Heart failure is a serious condition. There is no cure for heart failure at this time, except a heart transplant. Once diagnosed, medicines are needed for the rest of the person's life.

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)

Hardening of the arteries that supply blood to the arms and legs. PAD is usually the result of atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque and narrowing of the arteries. Blood flow and oxygen to the muscles in the arms and legs can be reduced or even fully blocked. Painful leg muscles, numbness, swelling in the ankles and feet, and weak pulse in the feet are some of the signs and symptoms of PAD.

Rheumatic Heart Disease

This condition is damage to the heart valves and other heart structures due to inflammation and scarring caused by rheumatic fever, which occurs from streptococcal infection.

About the Author

www.cdc.gov
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the 13 major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is the principal agency in the United States government for protecting the health and safety of all Americans and for providing essential human services, especially for those people who are least able to help themselves.