A cardiologist who holds a doctorate in cardiovascular diseases, Dr. Shaima Abdel Maboud said that celebrating World Heart Day on September 29 of each year aims to increase awareness of heart preservation, noting that this year’s slogan is “Don’t miss a beat.” She stressed the importance of diagnosis, especially with regard to heart diseases such as high blood pressure and weak heart muscle, and advised “cardio” exercises that increase oxygen levels in the blood and burn sugar and fat, such as swimming, walking and running, in addition to paying attention to eating healthy food.
The most common diseases
Dr. explained. Shaima Abdel Maboud said that medical conditions that affect the heart include:
– Vascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease.
– Arrhythmia, or what is known as cardiac arrhythmia.
– A heart disease you are born with, called a congenital heart defect.
– Cardiomyopathy.
– Heart valve diseases.
Symptoms of heart disease
Regarding the symptoms of cardiovascular disease, she pointed out that coronary artery disease is a common heart condition and affects the main blood vessels that feed the heart muscle. The accumulation of fat, cholesterol and other substances in the arteries and on their walls usually leads to coronary artery disease. This buildup is known as plaque. The accumulation of these plaques in the arteries is known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis reduces blood flow to the heart and other parts of the body. This can lead to a heart attack, chest pain or stroke.
Dr. added: Shaima Abdel Maboud said that the symptoms of coronary artery disease include the following:
– Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure, and a feeling of discomfort in the chest, called angina.
– Shortness of breath.
– Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen, or back.
– Pain, numbness, weakness, or coldness in the legs or arms if the blood vessels in these parts of the body become narrow.
Coronary artery disease
She indicated that coronary artery disease may not be diagnosed until after a heart attack, angina, stroke, or heart failure. It is important to monitor heart symptoms, stressing the importance of talking to your health care team about any concerns, as heart disease can sometimes be detected early when regular health check-ups are performed.
She added that the symptoms of heart disease appear due to an irregular heartbeat, called arrhythmia, and the heartbeat may become very fast, very slow, or irregular. Symptoms of arrhythmia can include:
– Feeling pain or discomfort in the chest.
– Dizziness.
– Fainting or near fainting.
– Fluttering in the chest.
– Vertigo.
– Accelerated heartbeat.
– Shortness of breath.
– Slow heartbeat.
Congenital heart defects
Regarding the symptoms of heart disease resulting from congenital heart defects, Dr. Shaima Abdel Maboud said that a congenital heart defect is a heart condition that exists at birth. Serious congenital heart defects are usually discovered soon after birth. Symptoms of congenital heart defects in children may include:
– Skin color changes to blue or grey. These changes may be easier or more difficult to notice depending on skin color.
– Swelling of the legs, abdominal area, or areas around the eyes.
– Shortness of breath during breastfeeding, for infants, which leads to the infant not gaining weight naturally.
Some cases of congenital heart defects may not be detected until late in childhood or during adulthood, she said. Symptoms may include the following:
– Suffering from severe shortness of breath during exercise or activities.
– Feeling tired quickly during exercise or activities.
– Swelling of the hands, ankles or feet.
Symptoms of heart disease caused by heart muscle disease, called cardiomyopathy.
She added that cardiomyopathy may not cause noticeable symptoms at first. As the condition worsens, symptoms may include the following:
– Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, and fainting.
– Exhaustion.
– Feeling short of breath when doing physical activities or when lying down.
– Feeling short of breath during the night when trying to sleep or waking up from sleep due to shortness of breath.
– Feeling a rapid heartbeat, palpitations, or fluttering.
– Swelling of the legs, ankles or feet.
– Symptoms of heart disease resulting from heart valve disease
She explained that the heart contains four valves that open and close to transport blood through the heart, and heart valves may be damaged for various reasons. If the heart valve becomes narrow, it is called stenosis. If the heart valve allows blood to flow backwards, this is called regurgitation.
She explained that the symptoms of heart valve disease depend on the valve not working properly, and its symptoms include:
– Chest pain.
– Fainting or near fainting.
– Exhaustion.
– Heart rhythm disorder.
-Shortness of breath.
– Swelling of the feet or ankles.
Dr. added: Shaima Abdel Maboud said that a congenital heart defect occurs while the child is growing in the womb, and health care professionals may not know exactly what causes most congenital heart defects, but there are several factors that may contribute to their appearance, including genetic changes, some medical conditions, some medications, environmental factors, or those related to lifestyle.
Cardiomyopathy
Dr. noted. Shaima Abdel Maboud said that the cause of cardiomyopathy depends on the type, and there are three types:
– Dilated cardiomyopathy. This is the most common type of cardiomyopathy. The cause is often unknown. It may be transmitted between family members, which means it is hereditary.
– Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This type is usually transmitted between family members.
– Restrictive cardiomyopathy. This type of cardiomyopathy can occur without a known cause. Sometimes a buildup of a protein, called amyloidosis, causes this. Other causes include connective tissue disorders.
Regarding the causes of heart valve disease, she explained that there are many factors that can cause heart valve damage or disease, and some people may be born with heart valve disease, and if this happens, the condition is called congenital heart valve disease.
She continued: Other causes of heart valve disease could include:
– Rheumatic fever.
– An infection of the lining of the heart valves, called infective endocarditis.
– Connective tissue disorders.
