Be in the know and understand the importance of the role that your coronary arteries play in heart health. It supplies the needed nutrients necessary for a strong well functioning heart. If coronary arteries become compromised coronary artery disease or CAD ensues.
Your heart is a complex muscular organ that works to pump blood to your heart and by necessity it must function effectively. A healthy heart beats rhythmically it contracts and relaxes these actions rely on electrical impulses to keep your heart beating.
Coronary Arteries: form a network of blood vessels that surround the heart and nourish it with oxygen-rich blood. The heart muscle requires a continuous supply of blood to work correctly.The coronary arteries are shaped like hollow tubes through which blood flows freely. Without an adequate blood supply, the heart becomes starved of oxygen and the vital nutrients it needs to function properly.
Coronary Arteries Disease: Coronary arteries disease CAD happens when the arteries that supply blood to your heart muscle has become hardened with plaque and narrowed by arteriosclerotic disease. It is due to the buildup of cholesterol and other material on the inner walls of the arteries. The result is less blood flow through the arteries to the heart muscle causing an inadequate or severely reduced supply.. Complications of this condition can lead to a heart attack, stroke or even death.
Symptoms: Common symptoms of CAD are chest pain (angina) or discomfort which may travel into the shoulder, arm, back, neck, throat or jaw. Usually symptoms occur with exercise, exertion or emotional stress. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue or dizziness.There may also be sensations in the legs including weakness, numbness and coldness. In some cases no symptoms are present and in others there may be just a feeling of heartburn.
Myocardial infarction: is commonly called a heart attack, this usually occurs when a coronary artery becomes blocked. Any blockage stops the flow of blood and damages the heart muscle. Ultimately CAD can contribute to arrhythmias which are abnormal heart rhythms. Or CAD can weaken your heart's muscle and interfere with the heart's ability to pump with resultant heart failure. Sometimes the arteries are blocked completely by a blood clot leading to life threatening events.
Diagnostic Assessment: Knowing your symptoms and history is critical to an assessment and evaluation. A varied number of investigative diagnostic tests can determine the status of your cardiac impairments. Tests may include, x-rays, ultrasounds, electrocardiogram and blood tests. Also heart monitors, MRI, CT scan or echo-sonogram may be prescribed.However CAD can lead to other serious problems if left untreated.
Treatments Options: There are several treatment approaches in medicine, but there is no cure for CAD. Depending on the severity of the condition, treatments could include surgeries to repair damaged valves or clear blockages. As well medications such as statins, or diuretics, or beta blockers are typically prescribed.
In general, a range of preventive lifestyle changes are recommended these may include dietary, cholesterol and weight management. It's also essential to control or minimize traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Other changes such as quitting smoking and abstaining from alcohol can go a long way towards holding at bay the progression of the disease.
Regular exercise is an indispensable therapy because sedentary behavior is associated with a higher risk of heart attack. Sedentary behaviors create an unfavorable arterial environment that increase the amounts of calcium deposits in the heart's arteries. All in all, healthy lifestyle choices reduce your risks and makes a difference to your quality of life and longevity