Heart disease Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, is a general term for diseases that involve the heart and is a common condition within the field of cardiology, caused by structural damage or functional abnormalities in the heart.

Heart disease is a general term for diseases that cause changes in the heart, it is a common disease in cardiology, caused by damage to the structure or abnormal function of the heart.

According to the etiology, heart disease can be divided into congenital heart disease and acquired heart disease.

Congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease, also known as congenital heart disease, refers to heart malformations caused by abnormal heart development during the fetal period. Common types include ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, and Tetralogy of Fallot. Some patients may have heart muscle damage due to congenital immune system abnormalities, which can also result in congenital heart disease.

Acquired heart disease

The term acquired heart disease is relative to congenital heart disease and refers to heart diseases caused by non-developmental factors, such as coronary artery atherosclerotic heart disease (coronary heart disease), rheumatic heart disease, infectious myocardial or endocardial diseases, hypertension heart disease, and pulmonary heart disease.

Hereditary diseases

If there are cases of heart disease occurring in males under 55 years old or females under 65 years old in the family, it often indicates that the patient's heart disease may be caused by genetics. For example, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is often hereditary, and Marfan syndrome is often associated with genetic factors causing heart damage.

Congenital defects

Excluding genetic possibilities, the child's heart structure or function is congenitally abnormal; or due to the congenital immune system abnormality of the patient, leading to damage to the heart. It can also cause heart disease.

Children with a history of threatened miscarriage in their mothers have a high probability of congenital heart disease, and premature infants have a high probability of congenital heart disease;

Mothers who are older, have diabetes, or phenylketonuria can induce congenital heart disease in newborns;

Infections, alcohol consumption, or drug use during pregnancy can induce congenital heart disease in newborns;

Exposure to toxic substances, radiation, or previous viral infections during pregnancy can cause fetal heart developmental defects.

Children with certain gene mutations that cause heart malformations directly lead to developmental abnormalities, such as gene mutations (cystic fibrosis and autoimmune diseases) leading to heart disease.

Infectious factors

Some infections that easily affect the heart can directly damage heart function or structure, causing heart disease.

Specific streptococcal infections lead to rheumatic heart disease;

Bacteria from oral diseases can cause endocarditis, further inducing related heart diseases;

Some respiratory virus infections can also trigger myocarditis, further developing into severe heart diseases.

Early symptoms

Different types of heart disease may have different early symptoms, including palpitations, dyspnea, chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, and even fainting.

When arrhythmia occurs

Refers to abnormal heartbeats, such as beating too fast, too slow, or irregular; manifested as palpitations, chest tightness, dyspnea, dizziness, and even fainting.

When there is a decrease in cardiac pumping function

Patients may experience dizziness, palpitations, decreased exercise tolerance, and in severe cases, low blood pressure or even fainting.

When myocardial ischemia occurs

Patients with myocardial ischemia due to arterial stenosis often experience angina, which can lead to myocardial infarction in severe cases.

When there is blood stagnation

Patients may feel bloating and decreased appetite, oliguria, edema, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and some patients may also experience nocturnal dyspnea, coughing up pink frothy sputum.

Different types of heart disease have characteristic symptoms, here are some typical symptoms of several common heart diseases.

Children with congenital heart disease may experience feeding difficulties, stop sucking after a few mouthfuls, vomit easily, and sweat a lot. They often prefer to squat to relieve difficulty breathing.

Patients with coronary heart disease may suddenly feel chest pain and tightness during physical labor or emotional excitement, which can last for several minutes to more than ten minutes, and can be relieved by rest or taking nitroglycerin.

Patients with rheumatic heart disease are easily fatigued and short of breath after activity. In the advanced stage of pulmonary arterial hypertension, they may experience coughing, coughing up frothy sputum, and hemoptysis.

Pulmonary heart disease mainly manifests as cough, sputum, dyspnea, palpitations, chest pain, and fatigue. In severe cases, dyspnea worsens at night, cyanosis of the tongue and fingers, sweating, daytime drowsiness, mental lethargy, cognitive impairment, and involuntary trembling of both arms.

Regulate medication: Adhere to medical advice, regulate medication, and do not stop, change, or adjust the dosage of medication without authorization.

Regular follow-up visits: Regularly follow up with the hospital to monitor the recovery of various indicators.

Improve diet: Maintain a balanced diet, may appropriately consume coarse grains, legumes, etc.; consume less oily, sugary foods, limit sodium intake; avoid consuming stimulating foods; avoid drinking strong alcohol, overeating, and sudden temperature changes.

Quit smoking: Patients should quit smoking completely and avoid secondhand smoke.

Exercise appropriately: Patients can engage in 30 minutes of exercise daily, such as walking, after the condition improves, but should avoid vigorous exercise or heavy physical work. If the patient has unstable angina or severe hypertension, heart failure, etc., exercise is not advisable.

Emotional management: Avoid extreme anger, anxiety, excessive sadness, etc.

Prevention of congenital heart disease

Pregnant women should avoid exposure to toxic substances and radiation during pregnancy to reduce the incidence of congenital heart disease; for genetically caused congenital heart disease, it can only be predicted through prenatal examinations.

Prevention of acquired heart disease

Heart disease can be prevented by improving daily lifestyle (quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding staying up late, fatigue, and adjusting emotions); if the patient has chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, controlling the damage to blood vessels and the heart through medication, improving diet, and appropriate exercise.