Dr. Ameet Oswal- Committed to Excellence

Heart Attack

A heart attack occurs when the heart muscle is cut off from the oxygen it needs to function. This happens because the blood flow providing that oxygen has been significantly reduced or stopped entirely. Narrow arteries are the cause of the restriction and blocking of that flow. This is due to atherosclerosis, or the slow buildup of plaque, which includes fat, cholesterol, and other unwanted substances, in the coronary arteries. Blood clots can form around the plaque, which can dampen or block the blood flow and cause a heart attack.

Stroke

Stroke is considered a heart disease because of the irregular blood flow. However, a stroke is due to problems with blood flow to the brain rather than the heart. They occur because of blockage in a blood vessel that provides blood and oxygen to the brain. Without them, parts of the brain can suffer harm or die if not treated immediately. Hemorrhagic strokes may have multiple causes besides blockages, such as vascular malformation or abnormal growth of brain blood vessels (aneurysm)

Heart Failure

Also known as congestive heart failure, refers to the abnormal pumping of blood by te heart. It does not mean the heart has stopped beating completely, as the name might suggest. The heart resumes pumping blood, but not at a high enough rate for the body to continue to function properly. The fatigue and shortness of breath that can cause by untreated heart failure can greatly affect everyday activities like climbing stairs or exercising.

Arrhythmia

It is the uneven beating of a heart. Sometimes the heart beats too fast or slow . This may cause an inefficient and insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients to the organs of the body.

Valve diseases

Sometimes valves in the heart don’t open enough to allow blood to flow through normally, this condition is called Stenosis. Another condition can be – Regurgitation occurs when the heart valves do not close correctly, which enables blood to leak through. Like the arteries in your heart, the heart valves also need to operate properly to avoid life-changing complications.

Heart attack happens due to restricted or complete obstruction of blood flow to the heart muscle This can bring about a variety of symptoms such as:

• Tightness or pain in the chest
• Discomfort or pain in the neck, shoulder, arm, back or jaw area
• Cold sweat
• Fatigue
• Indigestion
• Sudden dizziness
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath

   Repeated occurrences of such symptoms should not be ignored at any cost.

   If faced with any such problems, you should be consulting an expert, at once.

Some heart attacks do happen suddenly. But many people get warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks before. Chest pain or pressure (angina) that keeps occurring and doesn’t go away with rest can be an early warning sign. Angina is caused by a temporary reduction in blood flow to the heart. Therefore, all these symptoms should be taken into account and not be ignored.

Heart failure is the dysfunction of your heart to effectively pump blood to your body. It can have symptoms like shortness of breath or fatigue. This is related to heart muscle damage that is usually unrepairable. However, many medical procedures available can help to keep the condition under check and help to relieve the symptoms.

Inherited conditions can be passed on through your bloodline. They are sometimes called familial or genetic heart conditions. They can be found in people of any age and can be life-threatening. These conditions can be congenital heart disease, Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias and high cholesterol

Another condition which can damage the heart is high blood pressure or hypertension. Although it’s not a disease in itself, hypertension can lead to an escalated risk of developing serious conditions Coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke

The valves present in the heart open and shut to regulate the flow of blood through the heart. Problems with the valves can put stress on your heart muscle, that can lead to a range of symptoms, like:

• shortness of breath
• swollen ankles
• fatigue
• chest pain (angina or palpitations)
• dizziness or fainting

A heart is not something that can heal on its own and recover with time. It requires expert medical attention and supervised care. If any of these symptoms happen to transpire, you should seek a professional immediately:

• Tightness or pain in the chest
• Discomfort or pain in the neck, shoulder, arm, back or jaw area
• Cold sweat
• Fatigue
• Indigestion
• Sudden dizziness
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath