Heartsavers - Introduction
A heart attack is often described by doctors
as a Myocardial Infarction, this can be abbreviated in doctors notes to MI or 'infarc'.
A description of the condition.
What is heart disease
There are several major types of heart disease, by far the most common is coronary heart disease and that is what we are concerned with in this web publication.
Coronary Heart Disease
This is primarily a disease of the coronary arteries, these arteries come off the aorta, the main blood vessel leading from the heart, and are the first arteries to receive freshly oxygenated blood. They pass over the surface of the heart and supply it with blood.
In coronary heart disease these arteries become narrowed and the heart is starved of blood and oxygen. Upon exertion the coronary arteries may not be able to keep up with the demand for oxygen and this will be felt as a pain in the chest, (angina). If a coronary artery becomes completely blocked, the area of the heart muscle served by the artery will die resulting in a heart attack.
Terms Used to Describe Heart Disease
The term coronary heart disease covers the following:
Ischaemic Heart Disease: narrowing of the blood vessels leading to a lack of blood supply to the heart muscle.
Coronary Artery Disease: disease of the coronary arteries.
Heart Attack, Myocardial Infarction, Coronary Thrombosis: all refer to a death of heart muscle as a result of blockage of the blood supply.
Symptoms
Angina: chest pain during exertion, in some cases climbing the stairs can start the pain. Usually subsides when you rest. Is felt as a dull pain, unaffected by your breathing, usually in the middle of the chest but may spread into the arms, shoulders or neck. The pain has been described as a vice-like compression on the chest.
Heart Failure: breathlessness, swollen ankles when the heart cannot pump enough blood to cope with demand.
Arrhythmias: irregularities of the heart rhythm, can lead to palpitations and breathlessness.
Heart Attack: severe chest pain resulting in the death of an area of heart muscle.
Other Types of Heart Disease
Apart from coronary heart disease other heart problems include:
Congenital Heart Disease: abnormalities that are present at birth.
Cardiomyopathies: diseases that affect mainly the heart muscle rather than the arteries.
Valvular Heart Disease: abnormalities of any of the four valves that control blood flow in the heart.