8 Different Types Of Heart Diseases You Should Be Aware About

You must have heard of heart attacks or cardiac arrest? Actually, these are not the only illnesses of the heart. ‘Heart disease’ is actually a term that refers to a wide range of cardiovascular disorders. Globally heart disorders are one of the leading causes of death. In fact, one in every five deaths happens because of a heart condition.

That is why it is vital that we all become more aware of the different heart illnesses because prevention becomes possible with knowledge.

# Congenital Heart Disease

You don’t acquire this illness, you are born with it. Congenital heart disease results from a structural deformity of your heart. This could be –

- A septal defect- a hole exists between the heart’s chambers.
- Obstruction defect- because of a blockage, blood cannot flow through the chambers of the heart.
- Cyanotic defect: the heart cannot circulate oxygenated blood and this creates a dearth of oxygen in the entire body.

# Arrhythmia

This is the scientific name for an irregular heartbeat. In this condition, the heart’s normal pace is disrupted and this triggers palpitations. There are several types of irregular heartbeat –

- Tachycardia- heart rate shoots up.
- Bradycardia- heart rate decelerates.
- Fibrillation- when your heartbeat is erratic, it may accelerate only to slow down rapidly.
- Premature ventricular contractions- extra beats originate in the ventricles or the lower chambers.

# Coronary Artery Disease

Why is the health of the coronary artery so vital? Because this is the vessel that carries blood to the heart. But sometimes it can get damaged. This usually happens when bad cholesterol or plaque accumulates in the artery and restricts blood flow to the heart.

Eventually, coronary artery disease will lead to a heart attack unless the person takes medication and adopts a healthy lifestyle.

# Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

This disorder causes the left ventricle of the heart to become thicker, which means your heart will not be able to pump blood efficiently. This happens especially in people with high blood pressure.

# Mitral Regurgitation

The mitral valve is the valve which is between the left atrium and ventricle (chambers of the heart). In mitral regurgitation, this valve does not function optimally and the blood flows backward into the heart.

# Pulmonary Stenosis

This is another valve disorder. If the pulmonary valve that is present at the right ventricle is constricted, the right ventricle cannot pump blood out into the lungs and has to work too hard. Infants are sometimes born with this disorder.

# Heart Failure

High blood pressure or other heart diseases can make the muscles of the heart stiff or even completely kill a few heart muscles. Naturally, the heart is unable to pump blood. This eventually leads to heart failure where the heart cannot function at all.

# Dilated Cardiomyopathy

All the chambers of the heart become dilated because of muscle weakness. Usually, coronary heart disease is the cause of it.

So what should you do?

Most of the acquired heart diseases like the ones that result from high blood pressure or bad cholesterol can be avoided by a healthy lifestyle. Here’s what you can do –

- Eat lots of fresh green vegetables.
- Avoid red meat.
- Do not smoke or drink.
- Exercise for 30 minutes at least 5 times a week.
- Go for regular health check-ups.