heart defects

What You Need to Know About Heart Disease

Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States and all over the world? Heart disease accounts for 697,000 deaths in the United States in 2020 alone. In addition, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 17 million people worldwide succumb to the disease every year.

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with heart disease and you want to keep yourself from becoming a statistic, or you recognize the importance of being proactive about your cardiovascular health, knowledge is key. Below are some of the things you need to know about the deadly condition.

Causes

The term “heart disease” encompasses various disorders and diseases that affect the structure and function of the heart and its blood vessels. The causes, therefore, vary depending on the specific type of cardiovascular disease.

Below are the most common types of heart disease along with some of their causes:

  • Arrhythmia – high blood pressure, excessive alcohol or caffeine intake, coronary artery disease, use of certain medications, hypertension, etc.
  • Heart failure – hypertension, damage to the heart valves, inflammation of the heart muscle, heart attack, etc.
  • Coronary artery disease – high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, etc.

How to Reduce Your Risk for Heart Disease

Heart disease is partly hereditary, in that your risk increases if someone in your family also suffers from it.

If you are concerned about your heart health and want to reduce your risk for the disease, below are some things you can do:

  • Getting regular exercise
  • Eating a healthy diet
  • Quitting smoking
  • Managing stress
  • Seeing your primary care provider regularly

Treatment for Heart Disease

Outlined below are the methods by which primary care providers treat heart disease:

  • Lifestyle changes – Healthy food choices (low-salt and low-fat diet); engaging in regular physical activity; managing stress; getting good sleep; and not smoking are all crucial for effective heart disease management.
  • Medications – There are many different types of medications used for treating heart disease. These include beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, statins, and more. Your primary care provider will work with you to find the right medication for your specific condition.
  • Use of cardiac devices –Types of implantable cardiac devices include pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), stents, and artificial heart valves.
  • Surgery – Surgery is often necessary for complex heart conditions or those that don’t respond to nonsurgical treatment.

There are various types of surgical interventions for heart disease. These include coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), angioplasty/stenting procedures, valve replacement surgery, and transplantation.

Heart Disease Treatment and Management in Wellington, FL

It’s time take to take “matters of the heart” seriously! Whether you’ve been diagnosed with heart disease and you need a primary care provider to help you effectively manage your condition, or you think you’re at risk for the condition and need a comprehensive evaluation, our team is here for you.

At Advanced Medical, our board-certified primary care providers – Dr. Ishan Gunawardene, an internal medicine provider; and Shariffa Gunawardene, a family nurse practitioner – recognize that patient education is an essential component of cardiovascular care. Thus, in addition to providing first-rate medical management, we delight in sharing useful information, which empowers patients to make the wisest decisions to stay on top of their cardiovascular health.

To schedule an appointment with one of our providers, call our primary care clinic today at (561) 434-1935 or use our convenient online appointment request form.

Symptoms of Heart Disease in Your Blood Vessels

Heart disease is an umbrella term for many heart conditions that affect the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently. The most common type of heart disease in the United States is coronary artery disease (CAD), which impedes blood flow to the heart. Certain people are at higher risk of heart disease. People who are sedentary, overweight or obese, smoke or drink excessively, have an unhealthy diet, or have diabetes can suffer from heart disease.

Many people may not have symptoms of heart disease until they suffer a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure. However, for some, it can present symptoms. Let’s discuss the symptoms of heart disease in your blood vessels.

Symptoms of Heart Disease

Heart disease symptoms usually occur when something happens in the arteries. Coronary heart disease can cause plaque – fat and cholesterol deposits – to build up in the walls of the arteries, the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the heart. The buildup of plaque causes a narrowing of an artery, which can partially or completely block the blood flow to the heart, also referred to as atherosclerosis.

Symptoms of atherosclerosis include:

  • Chest pain or angina (even while at rest)
  • Fatigue
  • Feeling hot and clammy (even at comfortable temperatures)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pain in the arms or legs. There are arteries in the arms and legs, and if plaque builds up in them, it causes peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which can cause leg pain, cramping, or numbness.
  • Unexplained stomach pain.

Heart disease symptoms are not always severe. If you experience these symptoms, no matter how mild, seek medical care. These are not to be taken lightly, as they could lead to fatal outcomes.

What To Do About Heart Disease

Heart disease requires life-long management to improve quality of life and reduce the risk of mortality. Medicine to reduce cholesterol levels helps prevent the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Lifestyle changes, which involve eating a high-fiber, low-fat diet, cutting down on smoking and drinking, and exercising regularly may also help.

Heart disease patients need support from a primary care provider, who can order some tests to evaluate their heart function and monitor their weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. A primary care provider is experienced in disease management and can design a treatment plan that can help with maintaining a normal weight, as well as controlling your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. In severe cases, primary care providers can perform surgery to remove plaque or create a detour around a clogged artery.

Heart Disease Treatment in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, FL

For individualized treatment from a primary care provider, choose Advanced Medical. Dr. Ishan Gunawardene is a board-certified internal medicine provider trained in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of medical conditions that affect adults, including heart disease. Dr. Gunawardene will help get your heart condition under control and reduce your risk of complications.

Dr. Gunawardene uses a compassionate approach to each patient. He will oversee your care from diagnosis to recovery and long-term maintenance. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gunawardene, call our clinic today at (561) 434-1935 or use our online request form.

The Different Types of Heart Disease

It’s the leading cause of death in the United States.

More than 62 million Americans have some form of it.

And to top things off, there are many different types of this disease that health care providers must contend with.

What are we talking about? Cardiovascular disease: Some are born with it, but most cases of heart disease develop later in life.

Several of the most common forms of heart disease include:

  • Coronary artery disease – This is a condition in which the heart muscles receive insufficient blood and oxygen due to blockage in the coronary arteries. This can lead to a heart attack or other heart damage with the possibility of sudden death.
  • Silent ischemia – This is a condition in which blood flow to the heart muscle is reduced but there are no symptoms and little if any pain. Usually, discomfort is only experienced during physical exertion.
  • Angina – When your heart doesn’t get enough oxygen and nutrients it can cause a narrowing of the coronary arteries or muscles spasms. This can be triggered by strong emotions, cold temperatures, cigarette smoke, or other factors. It’s not a heart attack and usually doesn’t cause permanent heart damage, but angina is nonetheless discomforting or painful. It occurs primarily in the chest and can radiate down the left arm, across various parts of the upper torso, and even in the neck, throat or jaw, usually when your heart is working harder than normal.
  • Arrythmia – When one’s heartbeat becomes slow, irregular, or skips a beat because the heart’s electrical system is not functioning normally. Its electrical signals aren’t moving in the proper sequence. Instead, the heart is beating slower, faster, or erratically, causing symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain.
  • Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) – This is a condition in which fatty plaques or arteriosclerosis prevent oxygen-rich blood from flowing from the heart to other areas of the body such as the legs and feet. Symptoms of PAD include brown spots on the skin, coldness, numbness and tingling, pain or cramping when walking short distances, ulcers, swelling, or the slow healing of wounds.
  • Heart defects – These include obstructions called stenosis that partially or completely block the flow of blood. They can occur in the heart valves, arteries, or veins. Examples include aortic stenosis, pulmonary stenosis, and subaortic stenosis.

If left untreated, heart disease can lead to myocardial infarction – the clinical term for a heart attack – in which part of the heart muscle can be damaged or die from a lack of blood flow and oxygen.

Warning signs of a heart attack include:

  • A heavy feeling, pressure, or intense pain in the chest lasting more than a few minutes
  • Pain radiating to the shoulders, neck, or arms
  • Lightheadedness or fainting
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Shortness of breath
  • Severe weakness
  • Profuse sweating

If you experience any of these symptoms for more than several minutes, call 911 or have someone transport you to the nearest emergency room as quickly as possible.

Of course, there are ways to prevent or manage heart disease by consulting with a family medicine provider.
The friendly staff at Advanced Medical is well-versed in the diagnostics and treatment of heart disease and looks forward to serving you. If you have any questions about our primary care services, please call our office at (561) 434-1935. To schedule an appointment, you can call us or use our secure online appointment request form.