Heart Disease

Heart disease is not just one disease, and covers a whole range of heart problems, but the commonest heart diseases are coronary heart disease (heart attack and angina) and heart failure.

Coronary heart disease is caused by the blood vessels carrying blood to the heart muscles becoming blocked. This can be a partial block, so that when the heart beats faster the blood can not supply enough oxygen causing temporary oxygen starvation and the pain of angina; or a complete block causing some heart muscles to die through complete oxygen deprivation, causing a heart attack.

Heart failure occurs when the pumping action of the heart fails to meet the demands of the body. This causes fatigue and lack of energy, and means that extra exertion causes a shortness of breath. So just walking down the road becomes a huge effort, and you have to keep stopping for a rest.

To prevent and control heart disease look after these aspects of your health -

• Control your homocysteine level
• Control your blood pressure
• Give up smoking
• Control your cholesterol level
• Control your alcohol consumption
• Exercise regularly
• Healthy Eating is important especially low fat, low salt and high fibre
• Dieting & losing weight are important if you are overweight to avoid metabolic syndrome and diabetes
• Get a good night's sleep
• Control migraine headaches