People nowadays are getting prone to several Heart-related illnesses owing to the unhealthy lifestyle, stress and environmental change around us. However, many of these conditions can be improved with lifestyle modifications, the right medication and treatment. In some of these cases, surgery may become necessary. This article gives an overview of the various types of heart-related illnesses, their signs, symptoms and causes.

Types of heart disease:

The following are the most common types of heart-related illnesses –

• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) – this is the most common heart disease that causes blockage in the blood supply to the heart i.e the coronary circulation. This reduces the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart. The disease is multifactorial, the commonest cause being the thickening of the walls of blood vessels and the deposition of fat in the vessel wall (atherosclerosis), which can lead to complete closure(blockage) of the vessel. This can happen slowly over a long time or can be abruptly leading to myocardial infarction, which is known as ”heart attack” in the common language. The commonest pointers to CAD can be chest discomfort, breathing difficulty etc., especially while under physical or mental stress. There are some unusual symptoms of heart attack especially noted in females, the elderly and patients with diabetes. So, please consult your doctor to be sure regarding your CAD.

• Heart Failure – The work of the heart is to pump the blood. There are two sides of the heart – right and left. The right side pumps the blood to the lungs and the left side to the whole body. The term ”heart failure” means this pumping work is not being done as per the requirements of the body. So, the heart ”fails” to pump blood to the lungs (right heart failure) causing swelling over the body or to the body (left heart failure) causing increased water in the lungs and breathing problems. Heart failure is usually caused by an old or new-onset coronary artery disease, but can also happen due to long-term high blood pressure, thyroid disease, infections to the heart etc.

• Heart Arrhythmia – It refers to any abnormality in the heart rhythm. The normal heart is supposed to beat a certain number of times each minute. That is required to pump the blood to the body. If the heart of the patient beats lower than required, that is called ”bradycardia” (or low heart rate). If the heartbeats higher than required, that is called ”tachycardia” (or high heart rate). Sometimes, the heartbeat starts from a different part of the heart than normal. This can lead to irregular heartbeats causing different rhythm abnormalities. All these falls under heart arrhythmia. Patients with prevailing heart disease are prone to develop these. These abnormalities can also be noted in patients with an apparently normal heart. Your doctor will be your best guide to tell you whether some beat abnormalities that you are feeling are normal or otherwise.

• Congenital Heart Disease – this disease happens when the heart is not formed correctly while the baby is still in the womb. This sometimes gives rise to heart abnormalities right after the birth but other times the symptoms don’t arise till the child is an adult. Some of these abnormalities are – hole(s) in the heart, narrowing/shrinking of a part of the heart or lung, abnormal number and size of blood vessels entering or leaving the heart, wrong connection of heart chambers with each other etc.

• Pericardial Disease – the heart is surrounded by a sac that is known as the pericardium. This sac has a small amount of fluid normally and it has expansile properties. Any abnormality in the amount or type of the fluid or thickness of the sac can cause problems. The commonest cause of diseases of the pericardium is a viral infection or existing illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

• Cardiomyopathy – this is a heart disease that happens when the heart muscle gets stretched-thin, stiff or thickened. This might make the heart too weak to pump enough blood or increased the pressure inside the heart which makes it difficult to accommodate enough blood. Cardiomyopathy can happen as a reaction to certain drugs, toxins or alcohol. It can also be caused due to genetic heart conditions and viral infections.

• Heart valve diseases – there are four heart valves and any heart abnormality could lead to the improper functioning of the heart valves. One of the common illnesses leading to valve abnormality in the Indian subcontinent is rheumatic heart disease, which is a type of infection of the heart valves. Another common cause, which is rising by the day, is CAD.