Heart Disease

 

What is Heart Disease?

By: Marco Bellucci

Heart disease is also known as cardiovascular disease. This condition has to do with issues involving blood clots that affect the heart, problems with the hearts blood vessels, and structural damage to the heart.

Who Can Get Heart Disease?

Everyone is at risk for heart disease. However, it is generally seen in men, and people ages 65 and older. This does not mean that you can not get diagnosed with heart disease at a younger age.

Many people do not realize that other health conditions can lead them to develop heart disease in the future.

Risk factors:

  • Diabetes,
  • Smoking,
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • High cholesterol
  • Poor diet
  • Sleep apnea
  • Stress

Men VS Women

Heart attack symptoms differ from males to females. Males have the “classic” signs which include: chest pain that radiates to their jaw and shoulder, and sweating, nausea, and shortness of breathe.

Females tend to have much different signs which often go unnoticed, or untold until it is too late. Signs such as indigestion, fatigue, dizziness, and arm pain are seen more often in women. Many women associate these symptoms to other things such as their period, and don’t pay attention to them.

FACTS:Death following a heart attack usually occurs within the first 2 hours of associated factors (chest pain, shortness of breath, indigestion). Recognizing symptoms early and getting seen can increase a patients chances of significant damage to their heart. 

By: Rosmarie Voegtli

MYTHS: 

  • Young people do not have to worry about heart disease: FalseHeart disease can happen to anyone, at any given time. Even if a patient lives a healthy lifestyle, they can still have cardiovascular problems.
  • Heart disease always runs in the family: False. Just because a family member has heart disease do not always mean that another family member will. If heart disease does not run in the family a person can get it from other risks factors.
  • Im not having a heart attack because I am not having chest pain. False. Heart attack symptoms are different for everyone. Often some symptoms can include indigestion, shortness of breathe, and fatigue.

How to Maintain a healthy lifestyle:

By: Qfamily
  • Routine doctors visits
  • 30 minutes of exercise daily
  • Eating a healthy diet
  • Quitting smoking
  • Knowing your family history

References

Cardoso, P.C, Caballero, L.G., Ruschel, K.B., Moraes, M.A.P., Silva, E.R.R. (2019). Profile of the nursing diagnoses in stable heart disease patients. Investigacion & Educacion en Enfermeria. 37(2). 1-11

Koc, S., Durna, Z., Akin, S. (2017). Interpretation of symptoms as a cause of delays in patients with acute myocardial infarction, Istanbul, Turkey. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal. 23(4). 287-294

Mendes, C. (2019). Heart disease: From living to living well. British Journal of Nursing. 28(14). 946