What is heart disease ?

 Heart disease is the arise of any derangement in heart activities.

Heart diseases or the cardiovascular disease are very serious and inherently terrible disease. When any pathology hits the body which hamper the normal physiological function of heart  is knows as heart disease. The pathology may occur in any part of heart , it can be in the muscle, vessels or valves.

Cardiac diseases are the most common cause of death worldwide. One – third of men and one-fourth of women will die as a result of heart failure.

Heart diseases consists of –

Myocardial infarction, Angina, Cardiac arrest, Abnormal heart sounds, Heart failure, Cardiac arrhythmias, Tachycardia, Bradycardia etc.

In Ayurveda, text has mentioned five types of hridroga

Vataj, pittaj, kaphaj, sannipataj, and krimij

What are the causes of heart disease ?

Men and post menopausal women are more prone to have heart diseases.

•High cholesterol levels

•Hypertension

•Diabetes

•Obesity

•Alcohol intake

•Smoking

•Chest infection

•Electrolyte disturbances (disturbance in sodium, potassium, calcium level)

•Low platelet count

•Excessive exercise

•Physical inactivity

•Overeating and excessive fasting

Excessive intake of hot and spicy and oily food

•Excessive sleep

•Use of strong purgatives

•Any trauma

•Certain drugs

•Social deprivation

 

What are the early sign and symptoms of heart diseases?

Sign and symptoms of hearts disease may vary in different disease but the general sign and symptoms of hear disease are the following.

-Chest pain on exertion

-Breathlessness or dyspnea

-Polydypsia (excessive thirst)

-Dry or productive cough

-Anorexia (lack of appetite)

-Emaciation

-Dryness of mouth

-Needling or pricking sensation

-Sweating

-Heaviness in chest

-Swelling in legs

-Puffy eyes

-Giddiness

-Stiffness

-Nausea or vomiting

-Pallor / cyanosis

-Fever

-Fainting

-Syncope

-Cardiac murmurs

-Stupor

-Drowsiness

-Severe discomfort

-Darkness in front of eyes

-Palpitation

 

Diagnosis / Investigation-

Several investigations may required in the diagnosis of heart disease such as –

1.Assessment of blood pressure.

2.Assessment of arterial pulse.

3.Inspection and palpitation of heart.

4.Cardiac auscultation .

5.Electrocardiogram  (ECG/ EKG) – IT helps to assess the electrical activities of heart.

6.Echocardiography -  In this diagnostic procedure high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) are used, which penetrate the body, and reflect from relevant structures, and generate an image.

7.Cardiac biomarkers – Brain natriuretic peptide and Cardiac troponin are cardiac biomarkers which help in the diagnosis of heart diseases like myocardial dysfunction and ischemia.

8.Chest X-ray – helpful in determining the size and shape of heart.

9.Cardiac computed tomography ( CT ) – It is useful for imaging the heart chambers, muscles and vessels.

10.Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) -  it used to generate cross sectional image of heart, it gives better image than CT scan.

11.Coronary Angiography – It provides the information about the extent and severity of any blockage in the coronary arteries like coronary stenosis, thrombus and calcification.

12.Radionuclide imaging - Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and Positron emission tomography (PET) are used to evaluate heart disease like coronary artery disease (CAD).

13.Electrophysiology study (EPS) – Electrode catheters are placed subcutaneously into heart via femoral and neck veins.

14.Blood pool imaging - The radioactive substance is injected in patients intravenously and distribution is evaluated by camera after 4-5 minutes.

15.Myocardial perfusion scanning - The patient is given an intravenous injection of a radioactive isotope, such as ⁹⁹technetium tetrofosmin, and scintiscans of the myocardium are subsequently obtained by gamma camera at rest and during stress.

Treatment of heart diseases-

•Counselling – Explanation of nature of disease , self help strategies and treatment protocol

•Diet- Good general nutrition and weight reduce for obese.

•Reduces the in the intake of salt.

•Moderation or elimination of alcohol consumption.

•Cessation of smoking

•Regular moderate aerobic exercise

•Drug treatment (Drugs for heart disease)– A wide variety of drug treatment now available for the treatment of heart disease. Like- Diuretics, Angiotensin concerting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), Vasodilators, Beta adrenoceptor blocker.

*Theses drugs have side effects like – hypotension , impairment of renal function, hyperkalemia .

Surgical treatment included-

▪︎Implantable cardiac defibrillators

▪︎Coronary revascularization or Coronary artery bypass surgery

▪︎Cardiac transplantation .

 According to ayurveda , the treatment of hridroga is as follows-

1. First of all, one should give up on causative factors.
2. Should take care of mental health
3. The patient should be given complete rest (physical and mental).
4. Arrangements for healthy diet should be made for the patient.
5. Cardiotonic medicines should be used to strengthen the heart.
6. Immunity enhancing medicines should be used.
7. Knowledge and spirituality should be discussed.
8. Panchkarma procedure like – snehana, mridu swedana , vaman, virechana, basti and shirodhara should be used
9. Herbs like Arjuna, mulethi , amla, triphala, shilajit can be used on advice of ayurvedic physician.
10. Cow’s milk and goat’s milk should be used instead buffalo milk.
11. Fruits like mango, pomegranate, Banana, can be used.
12. Light exercise, yoga, and pranayam should perform.