Heart disease is a term that refers to the heart’s inability to function normally. Many forms of this disease exist and its causes are varied.

The damage of heart disease is furthered by high cholesterol. Once heart disease begins, cracks in the blood vessels walls begin to appear, most often near the heart. In an effort to prevent anymore damage, the body will begin to deposit fatty substances such as cholesterol and lipoproteins to repair the cracks. This may lead to more problems as the blood vessels may clog and narrow, preventing adequate blood to get to the heart and other parts of the body.

Lack of vitamin C is also damaging to your cardiovascular system. Vitamin C is important as it prevents blood vessel walls from cracking. Without it, the fatty substances used to patch the crack may prevent blood from going through the body, and may cause a heart attack or stroke.

Types of Heart Diseases

The most commonly found forms of heart disease are coronary heart disease, ischaemic heart disease, pulmonary heart disease, congenital heart disease, hyper tensive heart disease, inflammatory heart disease, and valvular heart disease.

Some forms of heart disease are attributed to congenital reasons such as heart valve malfunctions, the electrical rhythm of the heart going out of sync, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, aortic regurgitation, and a family history of heart attacks and heart failure.

Causes of Heart Disease

Known major causes of heart disease include obesity, smoking, hypertension, diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle. Other causes include menopause in women, being aged 65 and older, and also infection of the artery walls.

Heart disease can also be caused by congenital defects, inflammation, as well as viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic damage to the heart. Some genetic or autoimmune disorders in which cellular proteins in heart muscles are misused by the body or disrupt enzymes can also cause cardiac distress.

Other diseases may be precursors to heart disease. These include atherosclerosis, dermatomyositis, Friedrich’s ataxia, hemochromatosis, Kawasaki disease, and Paget’s bone disease. Although rare, rheumatic fever and syphilis can also cause heart disease.

Common Symptoms of Heart Disease

While symptoms are not always clear, there are some symptoms you should be wary of. This includes heaviness or pressure on the chest, unexplained dizziness or nausea, shortness of breath, back or shoulder pain, irregular or fast heartbeats, and excessive heart palpitations. If experiencing any of these, see your doctor as soon as possible.

Diagnosing Heart Disease

Heart disease should be a concern, and discussing it with a doctor is strongly advised, especially if there is a known family history or some lifestyle risks that are strong factors. Those with high blood pressure or cholesterol, frequent loss of breath, heavy smoking or drinking, obesity, inactivity and diabetes are good reasons to have heart disease tests performed.

Cure for Heart Disease

Once diagnosed with heart disease, doctors will most likely recommend lifestyle changes that may include more frequent exercise, healthier diets, and avoidance of alcohol and tobacco smoke. If these don’t improve current conditions, medication will be employed. The last resort is most often surgery.

While there are a variety of treatments for heart disease, there are no cures. Many theories have been suggested, but so far, none have proven to be reliable.

Cellular therapy, however, is revealing itself to be a possible cure for heart disease, and many are researching its potential benefits. The reason is that cellular products have great potential for repairing any damaged or diseased tissues in the body. Cellular products include bone marrow stem cells and peripheral blood, and also come from myoblasts from skeletal muscle cells. This method is a potential treatment for congestive heart failure and ischemic heart disease.

Current research continues to show promising results, and with the results of current treatment methods, a cure may be a reality in the future.

Treatment methods should be discussed with a physician, and keep in mind that many of the medications are available through prescription. If lifestyle changes and medication are not showing significant changes, surgery may be required. Like the treatments, there are many surgeries that are minimally invasive and require very small recovery times.

Heart disease is preventable as long as one consistently makes good lifestyle choices, such as regular exercise, consuming low sodium and fat diets, and avoiding alcohol and smoking are among these choices. After all, prevention is a step in the right direction.