Wednesday, 29 March 2017

Pulmonary Diseases

Chronic cough: A cough that you have had for a month or longer is considered chronic. This is an important early symptom that tells you something is wrong with your respiratory system.
Shortness of breath: It’s not normal to experience shortness of breath that doesn’t go away after exercising, or that you have after little or no exertion. Laboured or difficult breathing—the feeling that it is hard to breathe in out—is also a warning sign.
Chronic mucus production: Mucus, also called sputum or phlegm, is produced by the airways as a defence against infections or irritants. If your mucus production has lasted a month or longer, this could indicate lung disease.
Wheezing: Noisy breathing or wheezing is a sign that something unusual is blocking your lungs’ airways or making them too narrow.
Coughing up blood: If you are coughing up blood, it may be coming from your lungs or upper respiratory tract. Wherever it’s coming from, it signals a health problem.
Chronic chest pain: Unexplained chest pain that lasts for a month or more—especially if it gets worse when you breathe in or cough—also is a warning sign.
 Lung diseases are some of the most common medical conditions in the world. Tens of millions of people suffer from lung disease in the U.S. Smoking, infections, and genetics are responsible for most lung diseases.
The lungs are part of a complex apparatus, expanding and relaxing thousands of times each day to bring in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. Lung disease can result from problems in any part of this system.
The trachea (windpipe) branches into tubes called bronchi, which in turn branch to become progressively smaller tubes throughout the lungs. Diseases that affect the airways include:
Lung Diseases Affecting the Air Sacs (Alveoli)
The airways eventually branch into tiny tubes (bronchioles) that dead-end into clusters of air sacs called
Pneumonia: Pneumonia is an infection in one or both lung. It can be caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses. Pneumonia causes inflammation in your lung’s air sacs, or alveoli. The alveoli fill with fluid or pus, making it difficult to breathe.
Tuberculosis: A slowly progressive pneumonia caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
People infected with TB bacteria have a lifetime risk of falling ill with TB of 10%. However persons with compromised immune systems, such as people living with HIV, malnutrition or diabetes, or people who use tobacco, have a much higher risk of falling ill.
When a person develops active TB (disease), the symptoms (cough, fever, night sweats, weight loss etc.) may be mild for many months. This can lead to delays in seeking care, and results in transmission of the bacteria to others. People ill with TB can infect up to 10-15 other people through close contact over the course of a year. Without proper treatment up to two thirds of people ill with TB will die.
 Pulmonary edema: Fluid leaks out of the small blood vessels of the lung into the air sacs and the surrounding area. One form is caused by heart failure and back pressure in the lungs’ blood vessels; in another form, direct injury to the lung causes the leak of fluid.
Lung cancer has many forms, and may develop in any part of the lungs. Most often this is in the main part of the lung, in or near the air sacs. The type, location, and spread of lung cancer determines the treatment options.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS): Severe, sudden injury to the lungs caused by a serious illness. Life support with mechanical ventilation is usually needed to survive until the lungs recover.
Pneumoconiosis: A category of conditions caused by the inhalation of a substance that injures the lungs. Examples include black lung disease from inhaled coal dust and asbestosis from inhaled asbestos dust.
Asthma: The airways are persistently inflamed, and may occasionally spasm, causing wheezing and shortness of breath. Allergies, infections, or pollution can trigger asthma’s symptoms.
Asthma is a chronic disease involving the airways in the lungs. These airways, or bronchial tubes, allow air to come in and out of the lungs.
If you have asthma your airways are always inflamed. They become even more swollen and the muscles around the airways can tighten when something triggers your symptoms. This makes it difficult for air to move in and out of the lungs, causing symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and/or chest tightness.
For many asthma sufferers, timing of these symptoms is closely related to physical activity. And, some otherwise healthy people can develop asthma symptoms only when exercising. This is called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), or exercise-induced asthma (EIA). Staying active is an important way to stay healthy, so asthma shouldn’t keep you on the side-lines. Your physician can develop a management plan to keep your symptoms under control before, during and after physical activity.
People with a family history of allergies or asthma are more prone to developing asthma. Many people with asthma also have allergies. This is called allergic asthma.
Occupational asthma is caused by inhaling fumes, gases, dust or other potentially harmful substances while on the job.
Childhood asthma impacts millions of children and their families. In fact, the majority of children who develop asthma do so before the age of five.
There is no cure for asthma, but once it is properly diagnosed and a treatment plan is in place you will be able to manage your condition, and your quality of life will improve.
An allergist / immunologist is the best qualified physician in diagnosing and treating asthma. With the help of your allergist, you can take control of your condition and participate in normal activities.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Lung conditions defined by an inability to exhale normally, which causes difficulty breathing.
COPD is an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory (non-reversible) asthma, and some forms of bronchiectasis. This disease is characterized by increasing breathlessness.
Many people mistake their increased breathlessness and coughing as a normal part of aging. In the early stages of the disease, you may not notice the symptoms. COPD can develop for years without noticeable shortness of breath. You begin to see the symptoms in the more developed stages of the disease. That’s why it is important that you talk to your doctor as soon as you notice any of these symptoms. Ask your doctor about taking a spirometry test.
Signs and symptoms of COPD
Risk factors and common causes of COPD
Most cases of COPD are caused by inhaling pollutants; that includes smoking (cigarettes, pipes, cigars, etc.), and second-hand smoke. Fumes, chemicals and dust found in many work environments are contributing factors for many individuals who develop COPD. Genetics can also play a role in an individual’s development of COPD—even if the person has never smoked or has ever been exposed to strong lung irritants in the workplace.
COPD most often occurs in people 40 years of age and older who have a history of smoking. These may be individuals who are current or former smokers. While not everybody who smokes gets COPD, most of the individuals who have COPD (about 90% of them) have smoked.
COPD can also occur in those who have had long-term contact with harmful pollutants in the workplace. Some of these harmful lung irritants include certain chemicals, dust, or fumes. Heavy or long-term contact with second-hand smoke or other lung irritants in the home, such as organic cooking fuel, may also cause COPD.
 Chronic bronchitis: A form of COPD characterized by a chronic productive cough.
Emphysema: Lung damage allows air to be trapped in the lungs in this form of COPD. Difficulty blowing air out is its hallmark.
Acute bronchitis: A sudden infection of the airways, usually by a virus.
Cystic fibrosis: A genetic condition causing poor clearance of mucus from the bronchi. The accumulated mucus results in repeated lung infections.

Thursday, 23 March 2017

What is Tuberculosis (T.B.)?



The bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes T.B., a contagious, airborne infection that destroys body tissue. Pulmonary tuberculosis (T.B.) is when M. tuberculosis primarily attacks the lungs. However, it can spread from there to other organs. Pulmonary T.B. is curable with an early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment.

There are some common symptoms of T.B.

  1. cough almost continuously
  2. cough up blood
  3. have a consistent fever, including low-grade fevers
  4. have night sweats
  5. have chest pains
  6. have unexplained weight loss
There may be other symptoms of T.B. Doctor will be able to give an accurate diagnosis after reviewing all your symptoms.
T.B. is airborne, which means you can get T.B. after breathing air exhaled by someone with tuberculosis. This can be air from:
  1. coughing
  2. sneezing
  3. laughing
  4. singing
The germs can stay in the air for several hours. It’s possible to inhale them even when the infected person isn’t in the room. But usually you have to be close to someone with TB for a long period of time to catch it.
Risk factors for TB
People also at risk for developing pulmonary TB disease are:
  1. older adults
  2. small children
  3. smokers
  4. people with an autoimmune disorder, such as Lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
  5. people with lifelong conditions, such as diabetes or kidney disease
  6. people who use drug injections
  7. people who are immunocompromised, such as those taking chemotherapy, chronic steroids, or who have HIV or AIDS

How is T.B. diagnosed?

During your examination, your doctor will:
  1. conduct a physical exam to check for fluid in your lungs
  2. ask about your medical history
  3. schedule a chest X-ray
  4. order a medical test to confirm T.B.
The two medical tests for T.B. are a skin test and a blood test. These tests won’t tell you if you’ve developed T.B., only if you have the germ.
The skin test is the most common and it’s less expensive, but it requires two visits to your doctor. Your doctor will ask for a blood test if you’re unable to return for a second visit.

Skin Test

For the skin test, doctor or nurse will inject a very small amount of the protein from T.B. under your skin. It’s important not to scratch the area, even if it itches. Scratching could make the test results harder to read. Doctor will ask you to come back in two or three days to see if the injection spot is swollen. Redness at the location of the injection is normal and is not a sign of a TB infection.

Blood Test

Doctor will take a sample of your blood, and then expose blood to TB in a laboratory. This test measures how your immune system responds to bacteria that causes the disease. Blood test results are usually available within 24 hours.

Other exams

These exams can also look for T.B., which can be hard to diagnose in children, people who have HIV, and people who have multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).

Test-

Imaging test — A CT scan to check lungs for signs of an infection

Bronchoscopy — Doctor inserts a scope through your mouth or nose to see your lungs and airways

Sputum examination —  A lab examines a sample of your mucus

Thoracentesis — A procedure that removes fluid from the space between the outside of your lungs and the wall of your chest

Lung biopsy — A procedure to remove a sample of lung tissue

Friday, 17 March 2017

How the Weather Affects Your Health

Do you feel tired or exhausted? Does one suffer from a headache? Why do not you blame the weather? Millions claim that the weather virtually gets onto their nerves - and justifiably therefore. Whether or not we have a tendency to love it or not, you and that i area unit a part of nature. We have a tendency to aren't robots however biological beings, evolved over countless years. Despite technology's nice efforts to detach United States of America from nature, we have a tendency to area unit still subject thereto, as well as the weather. Simply because there's solely restricted scientific proof that weather sensitivity exists does not imply that you simply area unit wrong and does not imply that the health profession ought to dismiss your plight as a disturbance. The sheer variety of worldwide sufferers will not be unnoticed from now on and science is slowly catching up.
A weather-sensitive person reacts with varied intensity to changes in weather components, like gas pressure, temperature and humidness. These changes will have an effect on an individual's well-being and will worsen the symptoms of existing disorders, specially pain. A number of the consequences are: exaggerated irritability and aggressiveness, anxiety, depression, listlessness, fatigue, lack of concentration, sleep disorders, headache and headache, heart and circulation irregularities, nausea, dizziness, scar pain or phantom pain, and rheumatic pain.
The symptoms vary from person to person and their intensity typically will increase with age, lower level of fitness and a body weakened owing to ill health. Of course, they will additionally mask or be the results of associate degree underlying disorder that has nothing to try and do with weather. Therefore, see your doctor if unsure of the cause.
When my grandfather's rheumatic knee hurts; we are going to get rain. Many folks trust their hips and knees and forecast the weather virtually as accurately as will the meteorologists with their supercomputers. However why do some folks answer weather et al don't?
Rapid and frequent weather changes seem to be the most culprits. Weather-sensitive folks become irritated daily or 2 before the amendment and area unit typically miserable once a weather front arrives. The conditions favour parturition, therefore a larger variety of babies have their 1st glimpses of their oldsters throughout those climatic conditions. Cases of suicides, heart attacks, hurt ulcers, headaches and migraines all increase. Rheumatics dread the arrival of cold and damp weather, whereas cold and dry air aggravatesrespiratory disorder symptoms. Increasing air in isolated body cavities could justify some weather-sensitivity symptoms. The weather fronts have one thing for everyone, it seems.
Some scientists take a unique approach in their quest to unravel the puzzle. They believe that magnetic force impulses have a control on our well-being. Natural electromagnetism, sturdy enough to cause weather sensitivity, is gift in lightning-induced atmospheric static and charged particles (ions).
What are you able to do concerning we have a tendency toather sensitivity? It’s probably that we all get pleasure from the frequent stimulation of adjusting weather. The trendy manner, with air conditioners, humidifiers and heaters, however, blunts the weather 'shocks'. In different words, we have a tendency to be not any longer trained to address weather stress. Therefore, the simplest recommendation is to harden your senses by exposing them to the weather. Pay longer outdoors, all told forms of weather. European medical professionals go even additional and suggest stronger stimulants, like saunas or alternating hot and cold showers.


"One of the causes of headaches is constriction of blood vessels within the brain," says Xiang Li, M.D., specialist at Tri-City centre in Calif... "Cold weather will cause blood vessels to quickly slender, reducing the flow of blood." A headache can even strike attributable to weather changes: Things like extreme cold, sun glare, and stormy weather will cause brain chemical imbalances that trigger a headache. The dressing Clinic recommends keeping tabs on your headaches and paying attention of any weather-related triggers which may be inflicting them therefore you'll do your best to avoid them within the future.


"As the weather cools, there is less wetness within the air, that successively provides less wetness to the skin," says Tsippora Shainhouse, M.D., board-certified medical specialist in metropolis. "Strong winds can dry and irritate the skin and doubtless injury the skin's protecting super molecule barrier." Switch to a mild cleaner, and exfoliate double every week to get rid of the dry layer and refresh your skin.
When doing all your makeup, use a primer that contains dimethicones, a polymer that forestalls water loss. "Primers with silicones can confine your moisturizer and smooth any dry, flaking patches so makeup goes on swimmingly," says Shainhouse. And do not forget to use a humidifier in your sleeping room, particularly once you crank the warmth. "Adding wetness to the air can facilitate fill wetness to your skin whereas you sleep," she adds.


LOW ENERGY AND BLASE MOOD

It's thought that seasonal psychological disorder (SAD) strikes throughout the colder months as a result of less lightweight exposure throughout the day, says Henry Martyn Robert S. Rosenberg, board-certified sleep medication specialist and author of Sleep Soundly nightly, Feel Fantastic each day. Those that have unhappy manufacture a lot of of a chemical known as SERT that lowers levels of monoamine neurotransmitter, the happy secretion. To combat feeling grandiloquence, Rosenberg recommends marking the maximum amount lightweight exposure as potential, whether or not it's through payment longer outside or employing a lightweight box on the reg.

VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY

"One of the first sources of nutrition} in our body is from conversion of cholesterin keep within the skin into vitamin D3 by sun exposure," says Li. "In weather condition, not solely is that the ultraviolet illumination index low, however individuals keep within a lot of and inevitably do not get enough sun." Symptoms of a deficiency embody muscle weakness, bigger pain sensitivity, and somnolence. Increase your vitamin D intake by intake fatty fish like salmon and tuna, drinking fortified milk and OJ, or taking a supplement, suggests Li. The counseled dose of nutrition D3 is 600 IU per day.

Colder temps can cause symptom of the tiny airway, making it narrower and causing shortness of breath, says Li, who recommends wearing a face mask when you need to head outside if you notice this happening to you. "The mask covers your mouth and uses the heat from your breathing to warm the air before it enters your lungs," she says.
ICKY COLDS

Spending more time inside means being in closer contact with others, which ups your chances of catching a cold or flu. "Most viruses are contagious for a few days before you develop your first symptoms, so it's easy to become exposed without knowing it," says Shainhouse. "A cold virus can stay on skin for up to three hours and on surfaces for up to four before dying." Your best defines is washing your hands thoroughly and often—and steering clear of coughers and sneezes.

While there's no conclusive scientific evidence that cold or damp weather triggers joint pain, one theory is that it causes lower air pressure around the joints, says Li, which leads the surrounding soft tissues to expand, much like a balloon. This puts added pressure on the joint and causes pain. "Another possible theory is that cold weather directly causes contraction of the muscle, connective tissues, and ligaments surrounding joints, essentially pulling on the nerves," she says. One in every of the simplest stuff you will do to avoid joint pain is keep moving. "Exercise not solely keeps your body heat and loosens stiff joints, however helps forestall weight gain, which might conjointly place stress on joints," says Li.
WEAKENED HAIR AND NAILS

"In weather condition, the tiny blood vessels on your skin, fingers, and toes become slender, reducing the flow of blood and also the delivery of nutrition and chemical element," says Li. this will result in weakened hair and nails. Plus, cooler temps dry out your skin and nails, creating them a lot of susceptible to minor cuts and injuries. Confirm to remain heat and run your humidifier to stay that blood flowing and your skin wet, says Li. 
CANKER SORES

The explanation for these painful irritants are some things of a mystery within the dental world. "There's believed to be associate degree response element, and generally stress, illness, or injury to the realm will bring them on," says Kohn. They usually show up on movable tissue like the cheeks or floor of the mouth (as opposed to herpes lesions, which typically occur on the gums, roof of mouth, or on the lips). Although canker sores go away on their own, you can try to help the process along. "The goal is to decrease pain, speed up healing, and prevent them from coming back," says Kohn. "There's a whole variety of over-the-counter treatments, but there’s nothing that will really do all three." Some have a topical aesthetic to ease the pain, others can prevent infection but may prolong the sore, and there are also kinds to avoid a reoccurrence. Check the label to see which may work best for you.
BURNED ROOF OF YOUR MOUTH

So you downed your Starbucks too fast and need some relief from the strange tenderness and numbness that signal it was way too hot. This will often heal on its own in a day or so, but you can also try products to clean or cover the burn, much like you would a canker sore, says Kohn. Look for associate degree antiseptic mouth rinse marketed for mouth sores.
DRY MOUTH

A mouth as dry because the Sahara Desert could have a straightforward fix. "Usually your secretion glands place out enough spit to stay your mouth feeling wet. Once that’s not happening, it's generally simply a problem of association," says Kohn. If your mouth is suddenly a lot of drier than usual or you are conjointly experiencing condition in different areas like your eyes, ask your dental practitioner or doctor to create positive there isn't any general drawback happening.
TINY, PAINFUL TONGUE BUMPS

You may have detected these known as clogged style buds, but really, they are the results of inflamed papillae, that square measure larger circles on your tongue. "Papillae will become inflamed if food scrap gets stuck or one in every of them gets a microorganism infection," says Kohn. The simplest issue and do} is brush your tongue together with your toothbrush and check out an antiseptic rinse to stay it clean.
BAD BREATH
Your mouth is crammed with several microorganism. Once that microorganism settles, it will cause AN odor (this is that the issue behind morning breath that happens as a result of your body produces less secretion at night). Waterlessness is one common cause behind unhealthy breath, however generally it's simply biological. "Some people's bodies produce a lot of sulphur-producing microorganism, so that they have persistent unhealthy breath," says Kohn. "You will handle it to a point with mouth rinses, however if it is a real drawback that persists even when you've got brushed and flossed, see your medical man." And take care to brush your tongue regularly!
TEETH STAINS
Different beverages like low, tea, or wine will contribute to the present smile-dulling issue. It's over simply what you drink, though. "Some people's secretion tends to favour things attaching to the tooth surface and increase," says Kohn. "That will develop into plaque, which may be brushed away, or calculus, that may be a tougher material that should be scraped off the teeth." Over-the-counter lightening kits will facilitate, as will anti-tartar toothpastes that facilitate build the teeth slippery and keep build-up off the surface. Before you are trying those, though, head to your medical man for an improvement to create positive you are beginning with the simplest lightening foundation attainable. And the way this "drink through a straw" rule to avoid stains? Apparently, it does not extremely facilitate. "That's supported one study that was terribly little concerning fifteen years alone. It appears like wisdom therefore individuals keep speech communication it, however it does not have abundant advantage,"
BLEEDING GUMS
"Most of the time, a drag with hurt gums comes all the way down to your oral hygiene and periodontitis, that is AN inflammation of the gums," says Kohn.  As long as you sweep plaque off totally, not simply on your teeth however slightly below the gum line, you're set. however if the pocket between the tooth and gum is not cleansed by regular brushing and flossing, the blood vessels in your gums become larger, a lot of fragile, and a lot of probably to bleed once irritated. "This is definitely taken care of by brushing totally and flossing once daily. At intervals some days, the hurt ought to depart," says Kohn. If you are taking excellent care of your teeth and still seeing hurt, it is time for a visit to the medical man to rule out the other health problems.
SENSITIVE TEETH
If your teeth commonly aren’t sensitive however you expertise tenderness with hot, cold, or sweet foods, that will be an indication of a cavity, therefore head to your medical man. If you always agitate sensitivity, there square measure some potential ways that to induce relief. Sensitivity happens once the enamel wears away on the surface of the tooth or once the foundation of the tooth is exposed as a result of receding gums, which may occur over time. "There square measure over-the-counter merchandise that may be used, sort of a numbing dentifrice. You’ve got to use those for weeks before you notice abundant profit," says Kohn. "There's additionally a range of things your medical man will place on AN exposed root surface to uninteresting the pain sensation."


Monday, 13 March 2017

What is Cardiovascular Disease?



Cardiovascular disease is includes all the diseases of the heart and circulation including coronary heart disease, Angina, Heart Attack, Congenital Heart Disease and Stroke. It is also known as heart disease.

What increases my risk of cardiovascular disease?


Smoking –smoking is a big reason for increase cardiovascular disease and Heart disease. Smoking damage lining of artery. In Tabaco smoke carbon monoxide reduce present of oxygen in blood for this reason heart has to more pump for oxygen supply in blood. Nicotine also stimulate adrenaline in body which make heart beat faster and raise blood pressure in body.
High blood pressure- High blood pressure is common reason for CVD and heart disease.

High blood cholesterol- Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in blood. If there too much cholesterol in blood, it can increase risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases.

Being physically inactive- Physical activity helps control weight, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol and improve mental health which help to look and feel great. Many health problems can be helped by regular physical activity.
Being overweight or obese- If any are overweight or obese any are more high risk to develop coronary heart disease than someone who is a healthy weight.
Diabetes- Diabetes causes high levels of glucose in your blood. This is because of a problem with a hormone pancreas produces called insulin.  Insulin is responsible for moving glucose from bloodstream and into the cells of body for energy. If there little or no insulin being produced, or your body has become resistant to insulin, glucose stays in the bloodstream and can’t move across to cells to give them energy to work properly.
Family historyof heart disease-  If any have family history of cardiovascular disease, make sure tell doctor. They may want to check your blood pressure and  If any are over 40 years of age, they can visit their doctor and ask for a heart health check to find out their risk of getting cardiovascular disease.

There are different type of heart disease –
Common cardiovascular conditions
Rheumatic heart disease
Rheumatic heart disease is caused by one or more attacks of rheumatic fever, which then do damage to the heart, particularly the heart valves. Rheumatic fever usually occurs in childhood, and may follow a streptococcal infection. In some cases, the infection affects the heart and may result in scarring the valves, weakening the heart muscle, or damaging the sac enclosing the heart. The valves are sometimes scarred so they do not open and close normally.
  1. aValvular heart disease- The heart’s valves keep blood flowing through the heart in the right direction.  But a variety of conditions can lead to valvular damage.
    Hypertensive heart disease
    High blood pressure of unknown origin (primary hypertension) or caused by (secondary hypertension) certain specific diseases or infections, such as tumour in the adrenal glands, damage to or disease of the kidneys or their blood vessels. High blood pressure may overburden the heart and blood vessels and cause disease.
  2. Aneurysm– An aneurysm is a bulge or weakness in the wall of a blood vessel.  Aneurysms can enlarge over time and may be life threatening if they rupture. They can occur because of high blood pressure or a weak spot in a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms can occur in arteries in any location in your body. The most common sites include the abdominal aorta and the arteries at the base of the brain.
  3.  Atherosclerosis– In atherosclerosis the walls of your arteries become thick and stiff because of the build-up fatty deposits. The fatty deposits are called plaques.  When this happens, the flow of blood is restricted. Atherosclerosis can happen throughout the body.  In the arteries of the heart it is known as coronary artery disease, in the legs, peripheral arterial disease. Atherosclerosis happens over a period of time and its consequences can be grave and include heart attack and stroke.
  4. High blood pressure (hypertension)– High blood pressure is the excessive force of blood pumping through your blood vessels. High blood pressure causes many types of cardiovascular disease, such as stroke and heart failure, and renal disease.
  5.  Peripheral arterial disease– Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is caused by atherosclerosis, which is the narrowing and / or blockage of the blood vessels in the legs.  PAD manifests as pain in the legs when walking, which is relieved by rest.

Ischemic heart disease– Heart ailments caused by narrowing of the coronary arteries and therefore a decreased blood supply to the heart.
  1. Angina– Angina manifests as pain in the chest that results from reduced blood supply to the heart (ischemia). Blood carries oxygen around your body and depriving the heart of oxygen has serious consequences.
    Angina is caused by atherosclerosis, that is the narrowing and / or blockage of the blood vessels that supply the heart. The typical pain of angina is in the chest but it can often radiate to the left arm, shoulder or jaw. If you have angina you will have noticed that the pain is related to exertion and is relieved by rest. An angina attack is also associated with shortness of breath and sweating. If you are a woman you may experience angina slightly differently. Women appear to have more pain in their shoulder and middle back area, and more throat, neck, and jaw pain than men.
  2. Atherosclerosis– In atherosclerosis the walls of your arteries become thick and stiff because of the build-up fatty deposits. The fatty deposits are called plaques.  When this happens, the flow of blood is restricted. Atherosclerosis can happen throughout the body.  In the arteries of the heart it is known as coronary artery disease, in the legs, peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Atherosclerosis happens over a period of time and its consequences can be grave and include heart attack and stroke.
  3.  Coronary artery disease– Coronary artery disease is also known as ischemic heart disease. It is caused by atherosclerosis, that is the narrowing and / or blockage of the blood vessels that supply the heart. It is one of the most common forms of heart disease and the leading cause of heart attacks and angina.
  4. Coronary heart disease– Coronary heart disease refers to the disease of the arteries to the heart and their resulting complications, such as angina, heart attacks and heart failure.
  5.  Heart attack– A heart attack (myocardial infarction) occurs when the heart’s supply of blood is stopped.  A heart attack need not be fatal, especially if you receive medical attention and treatment to deal with the blockage soon after you have your heart attack.  But you are likely to be left with a damaged heart post heart attack.
  6.  Sudden death– Sudden death occurs when there is an abrupt loss of the heart’s ability to pump blood. This may be because of heart attack or serious abnormality of the heart’s rhythm
Cerebrovascular disease– Disease pertaining to the blood vessels in the brain. A cerebrovascular accident or stroke is the result of an impeded blood supply to some part of the brain.
  1. Atherosclerosis – In atherosclerosis the walls of your arteries become thick and stiff because of the build-up fatty deposits. The fatty deposits are called plaques.  When this happens, the flow of blood is restricted. Atherosclerosis can happen throughout the body.  In the arteries of the heart it is known as coronary artery disease, in the legs, peripheral arterial disease. Atherosclerosis happens over a period of time and its consequences can be grave and include heart attack and stroke.
  2. Cerebral vascular disease– Cerebral vascular disease is caused by atherosclerosis, that is the narrowing and / or blockage of the blood vessels that flow to the brain.  If the flow of blood is cut off this can lead to strokes and transient ischemic attacks.
  3. Stroke– A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted. This can happen either when a blood vessel in the brain or neck is blocked or bursts. If this happens, your brain is deprived of oxygen and parts of your brain may be permanently damaged. The consequences of a stroke can include problems with speech or vision, weakness or paralysis.
  4. Transient ischemic attacks– Just as stroke occurs when the flow of blood is blocked, TIAs happen when there is a brief blockage. The temporary loss of blood to the brain causes a brief, sudden change in brain function.  This may manifest as temporary numbness or weakness on one side of the body, loss of balance, confusion and blindness in one or both eyes, double vision, difficulty speaking, or a severe headache. But these will disappear quickly and permanent damage is unlikely.
Inflammatory heart disease – Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis), the membrane sac (pericarditis) which surround the heart, the inner lining of the heart (endocarditis) or the myocardium (heart muscle). Inflammation may be caused by known toxic or infectious agents or by an unknown origin.
  1. Atherosclerosis– In atherosclerosis the walls of your arteries become thick and stiff because of the build-up of fatty deposits. The fatty deposits are called plaques.  When this happens, the flow of blood is restricted. Atherosclerosis can happen throughout the body.  In the arteries of the heart it is known as coronary artery disease, in the legs, peripheral arterial disease. Atherosclerosis happens over a period of time and its consequences can be grave and include heart attack and stroke.
  2. Cardiomyopathy– Cardiomyopathy refers to diseases of the heart muscle. Some types of cardiomyopathy are genetic, while others occur because of infection or other reasons that are less well understood. One of the most common types of cardiomyopathy is idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, where the heart is enlarged. Other types include ischemic, loss of heart muscle; dilated, heart enlarged; hypertrophic, heart muscle is thickened.
  3. Pericardial disease– The sac that encases the heart is called the pericardium and it can be affected by a variety of conditions such as inflammation (pericarditis), fluid accumulation (pericardial effusion) and stiffness (constrictive pericarditis).
  4. Valvular heart disease – The heart’s valves keep blood flowing through the heart in the right direction.  But a variety of conditions can lead to valvular damage.  Valves may narrow (stenosis), leak (regurgitation or insufficiency) or not close properly (prolapse).