Arun Kumar Shrivastav
Heart disease is a wide-ranging term that denotes any disorder related to the heart. A more common type of heart disease that frequently figures in our discussions is cardiovascular disease or coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is the second biggest cause of death in Singapore where 1 out of 3 persons die due to this disease. On an average 17 people die due to CAD every day in Singapore.
However, a heart disease would refer to problems in the heart itself. Heart disease is one of the most common causes of death in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Singapore.
Key facts
- Heart disease accounts for 1 in every 4 deaths in the US
- Myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and coronary heart disease are some common heart diseases
- If detected early, heart diseases respond well to medication and surgery
- Regular exercise and quitting smoking can produce good results in preventing heart diseases
Types of heart diseases & symptoms
There are at least 20 or more types of heart diseases that include deformity in the heart, irregular heartbeats, clogging of arteries, and more.
Though symptoms would vary according to the exact condition, there are some common symptoms that indicate there is something seriously wrong with the functioning of the heart. These symptoms include
- Chest pain
- Breathlessness
- Heart palpitations
The chest pain is known as angina and is caused by insufficient supply of oxygen to the heart. It can be triggered by stress or physical exertion and last for less than 10 minutes.
A heat disease can lead to heart attack and the signs are similar to chest pain or angina. However, as an exception, this angina may not be triggered by physical exertion or stressful event. It can happen at rest and the symptoms could be severe.