What Are the Signs of Heart Disease?

You know how important your heart
is, so it's no wonder people worry when they hear someone has heart problems.

Heart disease, also called
cardiovascular (say: kar-dee-oh-vas-kyoo-lur) disease, mainly
affects older people and means that there are problems with the heart and blood
vessels.

You might know someone who has
cardiovascular disease because 61 million Americans have some form of it. This
disease includes a variety of problems, including high blood pressure, high
blood cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, chest pain, heart attacks, and
strokes.

What Is Heart Disease?

The
heart is the
center of the cardiovascular system. Through the body's blood vessels, the heart
pumps blood to all of the body's cells. The blood carries oxygen, which the
cells need. Cardiovascular disease is a group of problems that occur when the
heart and blood vessels aren't working the way they should.

Here are some of the problems
that go along with cardiovascular disease:

• 
  

  Arteriosclerosis
  (say: ar-teer-ee-oh-skluh-row-sus). Also called hardening of
  the arteries, arteriosclerosis means the arteries become thickened and are no
  longer as flexible.



• 
  

  Atherosclerosis
  (say: ah-thuh-row-skluh-row-sus). People with atherosclerosis
  have a buildup of cholesterol and fat that makes their arteries narrower so
  less blood can flow through. Those deposits are called plaque.



• 
  

  Angina (say:
  an-jy-nuh). People with angina feel a pain in the chest that
  means the heart isn't getting enough blood.



• 
  

  Heart attack.
  This is when a blood clot or other blockage cuts blood flow to a part of the
  heart.



• 
  

  Stroke. when
  part of the brain doesn't get enough blood due to a clot or a burst blood
  vessel.

How Do You Get Heart Disease?

Heart disease is not contagious —
you can't catch it like you can the flu or a cold. Instead, there are certain
things that increase a person's chances of getting cardiovascular disease.
Doctors call these things risk factors.

Some of these risk factors a
person can't do anything about, like being older and having other people in the
family who have had the same problems. But people do have control over some risk
factors — smoking, having high blood pressure, being overweight, and not
exercising can increase the risk of getting cardiovascular disease.

What Are the Signs of Heart
Disease?

Many people do not realize they
have cardiovascular disease until they have chest pain, a heart attack, or
stroke. These kinds of problems often need immediate attention and the person
may need to go to the emergency department of a hospital.

If it's not an emergency and a
doctor suspects the person could have cardiovascular disease, the doctor can do
some tests to find out more about how the heart and blood vessels are working.
These tests include:

• 
  

  Electrocardiogram
  (say: eh-lek-tro-kar-dee-uh-gram). This test records the
  heart's electrical activity. A doctor puts the patient on a monitor and
  watches the machine to see the heart beat and determine if it's normal.
  



• 
  

  Echocardiogram
  (say: eh-ko-kar-dee-uh-gram). This test uses sound waves to
  diagnose heart problems. These waves are bounced off the parts of the heart,
  creating a picture of the heart that is displayed on a monitor.



• 
  

  Stress test.
  For this test, the person exercises while the doctor checks the
  electrocardiogram machine to see how the heart muscle reacts.



• 
  

  Catheterization
  (say: kah-thuh-tuh-ruh-zay-shun). This test uses a long, thin
  tube that is inserted into the patient's body to inject a special dye. It can
  locate narrowed areas in arteries due to plaque buildup and find other
  problems.



• 
  

  Carotid (say:
  kuh-rah-tid) artery scan. This test uses sound waves to check
  for blockages in the carotid artery, a large blood vessel in the neck that
  supplies blood to the brain.

If the doctor finds that a
patient has cardiovascular disease, he or she will talk with the patient about
how stopping smoking, losing weight, eating a healthy diet, and getting exercise
can help. The person also may need to take medicine, have surgery, or both.

There are different surgeries for
the heart and blood vessels. These include:

• 
  

  Angioplasty
  (say: an-jee-uh-plas-tee). This opens a blocked vessel by
  using a balloon-like device at an artery's narrowest point. The doctor may
  also insert a stent, which is a tiny, stainless steel tube that props the
  vessel open and makes sure it stays clear.



• 
  

  Atherectomy
  (say: ah-thuh-rek-tuh-mee). This involves cutting the plaque
  out of an artery, so blood can flow freely.



• 
  

  Bypass surgery.
  This involves taking part of an artery or vein from another part of the body
  (like the arm or leg) and using it to channel blood around a blocked area in
  an artery.



• 
  

  Pacemakers. A
  pacemaker is a small electronic device that's put inside the body to regulate
  the heartbeat.



• 
  

  Valve replacement.
  If a heart valve is damaged or isn't working, a surgeon can replace it.
  



• 
  

  Carotid endarterectomy
  (say: en-dar-tuh-rek-tuh-me). During this procedure, a
  surgeon removes plaque deposits from the carotid artery to prevent a stroke.
  

If someone you know is getting
one of these operations, you might feel worried. The good news is that these
surgeries can help prevent heart attacks, strokes, and other problems. The
amount of time the person will need to spend in the hospital will vary,
depending on the operation and the person's health. The person may be tired and
worn out after the surgery, but you can help by making a "Get Well" card and
paying a visit.

Can Kids Get Heart Disease?

Kids usually don't have any
symptoms of heart and blood vessel problems. But by starting heart-healthy
habits right now, kids can reduce the chance they will ever need to worry about
cardiovascular disease.

So what should you do? Don't
smoke, for one. And be sure to eat healthy, exercise, and maintain a healthy
weight. Your heart and blood vessels will thank you later!