Symptoms and Types
of Heart Disease

Types of Heart Disease 

Cardiovascular disease is not a single ailment, but a disorder of the heart and circulatory system. Heart disease can refer to damage in the heart's lining, valves, muscle, arteries, or electrical system. A person can suffer from several types of cardiovascular disorders at the same time or several different problems can be related to a single underlying cause. A person can be born with a diseased heart, or develop heart disease. Some risk factors leading to heart disease are controllable (smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise), while others are not controllable (age, gender, ethnicity).

Aneurysms
Healthy arteries are flexible and elastic. When an artery becomes damaged, it losses its elasticity. Instead of retaining its smooth cylindrical shape, the artery may develop a bulge, called an aneurysm. Having lost its elasticity and strength the damaged artery may rupture, much like a balloon that has too much air in it.

Angina
is a symptom of myocardial ischemia usually caused by coronary atherosclerosis. Patients feel chest pressure and shortness of breath, and possibly sweating when they exercise.

Arrhythmia
is any deviation from or disturbance of the normal heart rhythm. The basic rhythm of the heart is a tightly regulated phenomenon designed to insure efficiency and optimal
performance. It is a dynamic phenomenon that changes according to the metabolic needs of the body. The cardiac rhythm involves several different microscopic and macroscopic structures within the normal heart.

More Information About Cardiac Rhythms:

Cardiomyopathy
a disease of the heart muscle. See Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Congenital Heart Disease
is a heart defect that develops before birth. The most common defects of congenital heart disease are:

• The obstruction of the blood flow in the heart or vessels surrounding the heart;
• Blood flow in an incorrect pattern through the heart; and
• Various development problems of the heart such as being born with a single ventricle as opposed to two.

The American Heart Association reports the approximately 32,000 babies are born with congenital heart disease.

Congestive Heart Failure
Heart Failure occurs when the heart is not pumping effectively. When the heart is too weak or damaged to control blood flow, tissues and muscles do not receive vital oxygen and nutrients. This can lead to fatigue. Because the heart is not pumping at its normal rate, blood can become congested in certain area, especially in the feet, legs and lungs, and result in swelling. Symptoms of severe heart failure include shortness of breath at rest, coolness in the arms and legs, and pale skin.

Coronary Artery Disease
is the number one cause of heart attacks. It occurs when the heart muscle doesn't get enough blood and oxygen, and is usually caused by atherosclerosis. In severe cases, coronary artery disease can lead to sudden death without prior warning. Coronary artery disease can also lead to angina (chest pain) or a heart attack.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy occurs when the heart muscle becomes weak and the heart chambers dilate so that more blood can be released with each beat. Dilated cardiomyopathy can be caused by excessive alcohol intake, coronary artery disease, myocarditis or unknown reasons.

Diastolic Dysfunction
refers to a type of heart failure. The heart contracts and relaxes with each "beat." The contraction portion of the beat is called systole and the relaxation portion is called diastole. If the relaxation of the heartbeat is interrupted or abnormal, it is called diastolic dysfunction. With incomplete or abnormal relaxation, blood is prohibited from flowing freely between the ventricles and blood backs up in the arteries and veins. This can cause swelling and an increase pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs (pulmonary congestion) and/or blood vessels coming to the heart (systemic congestion).

Endocarditis
Endocarditis is a disease of the heart valves. The endocardium is the membrane that lines the inside of the valves of the heart. Endocarditis occurs when the endocardium becomes infected, usually by the bacteria present in the mouth and respiratory system or those in the intestinal tract. In most instances, the infection is a result of a surgical procedure.

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
Blood pressure is the force on artery walls as blood is pumped through the body. If arteries are clogged or obstructed, the heart must pump more quickly or with more force to push blood through the system. This increased pressure on artery walls can lead to an aneurysm, a weakened bulge in an artery. While the heart muscle may enlarge due to the extra work load, eventually it will weaken and heart failure may develop.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy the heart muscle is so thick that it limits the amount of blood the ventricular chamber can contain and pump. This condition can lead to irregular heartbeats and sudden death.

Mitral Valve Prolapse
is a mild abnormality of the mitral valve. This valve ensures that blood flows forwards (towards the body) during each heart beat. Mitral Valve prolapse occurs when the valve leaflets billow backwards as the heart contracts. It occurs when the chords holding the valve in place become elongated. The process can progress gradually and has no known cause. It is usually detected by the presence of a murmur, or a click-like sound heard with a stethoscope. In severe cases, blood may leak back and lead to congestive heart failure.

Myocardial Ischemia
is when the blood supply to the muscular wall of the heart (the myocardium) is very low. This causes the heart muscle to function improperly. An insufficient blood supply is called ischemia. Muscles need oxygen in order to function and without the correct amount of blood transporting oxygen and nutrients, the heart muscle is forced to work harder. This extra amount of work can cause discomfort in the chest, shortness of breath, and other signs of fatigue. Angina is a symptom of myocardial ischemia.

Myocarditis
is an inflammation of the heart muscle, usually caused by viral infection. The signs and symptoms include fever, vague chest pain, joint pain and an abnormally rapid heart rate.

Valve Disease
The heart's four valves (mitral and aortic on the left side of the heart, and tricuspid and pulmonary on the right side) function like gates, controlling the direction and quantity of blood flow. When the valves become diseased, blood flow is affected. Diseased valves may be too stiff to open easily, obstructing blood flow, or they may fail to close completely, permitting leakage. If a valve becomes too stiff to open easily (stenotic), blood flow through it is decreased, causing the blood behind it to back up. This backup leads to symptoms of congestive heart failure and angina. If a valve fails to close properly, blood will leak back in the wrong direction. This may cause the heart chambers enlarge and pump inefficiently. Damaged or weakened valves are also vulnerable to infections, called endocarditis.