What Is Heart Disease
When people talk about heart disease, they’re usually talking about coronary heart disease (CHD). It’s also sometimes called coronary artery disease (CAD). This is the most common type of heart disease.
When someone has CHD, the coronary arteries (tubes) that take blood to the heart are narrow or blocked. This happens when cholesterol and fatty material, called plaque, build up inside the arteries.
Several things can lead to plaque building up inside your arteries, including:
Too much cholesterol in the blood
High blood pressure
Smoking
Too much sugar in the blood because of diabetes
When plaque blocks an artery, it’s hard for blood to flow to the heart. A blocked artery can cause chest pain or a heart attack. Symptoms of coronary heart disease may be different from person to person even if they have the same type of coronary heart disease. However, because many people have no symptoms, they do not know they have coronary heart disease until they have chest pain, blood flow to the heart is blocked causing a heart attack, or the heart suddenly stops working, also known as cardiac arrest.
If you have coronary heart disease, you may need heart-healthy lifestyle changes, medicines, surgery, or a combination of these approaches to your condition and prevent serious problems.
A sudden heart problem, such as a heart attack, may cause the following symptoms:
Angina, or chest pain caused by the heart can feel like pressure, squeezing, indigestion, burning, or tightness, and is sometimes related to physical activity. The pain or discomfort usually starts behind the breastbone, but it can also occur in the arms, shoulders, jaw, throat, or back.
Cold sweats
Dizziness
Light-headedness
Nausea or a feeling of indigestion
Neck pain
Shortness of breath, especially with activity
Sleep disturbances
Weakness
Women are less likely than men to experience chest pain with a heart attack. Instead, they are more likely to experience:
Dizziness
Extreme tiredness
Nausea
Pressure or tightness in the chest
Stomach pain
You may also have some symptoms of a sudden heart problem, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or neck pain, that go away with rest and come back with activity. These symptoms may get worse as the buildup of plaque continues to narrow the coronary arteries. Chest pain or discomfort that does not go away or happens more often or while you are resting might be a sign of a heart attack. If you do not know whether your chest pain is angina or a heart attack, call 9-1-1 right away. All chest pain should be checked by a healthcare provider.
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