What are the early signs of coronary artery disease?

Coronary artery disease is the impaired blood flow that occurs in the arteries. Arteries are the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. Coronary artery disease commonly called CAD is common heart disease. It affects 16.5 million people worldwide over the age of 20. The early signs of coronary artery disease are difficult to identify as many can get confused with the signs of heartburn or acid reflux. CAD is the leading cause of death for both men and women. It is estimated that at least one person is dying every 40 seconds because of the early sign of CAD, i.e, heart attack.

Kims Hospital Kondapur is a multi-specialty hospital that was established back in 2014. Be it cardiac science, orthopedic, neuroscience, gastroenterology, or any other disease, the hospital consists of a range of specialists taking care of every basic need of the patients.

What are the causes of coronary artery disease?

The most common cause of CAD is vascular injury. The injury may be caused because of the cholesterol plaque that builds up in the arteries. This is known as atherosclerosis. It accuses the reduction in the blood flow that occurs in one or more of these arteries when they become partially or fully blocked.

Four coronary arteries are located in the four positions of the heart:

• left main coronary artery
• right main coronary artery
• left circumflex artery
• left anterior descending artery

The primary function of these arteries is that they bring oxygen in the form of nutrient-rich blood to the heart. This causes the easy pumping of the heart muscles. According to a study, a healthy heart moves 3,000 gallons of blood throughout the body every day. Like any other organ or muscle, the heart receives an adequate and dependable supply of blood that it carries. But, in the case of CAD, this blood flow gets reduced. The primary or major cause of CAD is the blockage of the coronary artery that limits the flow of blood to the heart.

What are the symptoms of CAD?

Symptoms and early signs of coronary artery disease depend on the condition of the artery vessels. When the heart is not getting enough arterial blood, it can create a variety of symptoms. Angina or chest discomfort is one of the most common symptoms of CAD. some of the people describe this discomfort as:

• chest pain
• heaviness
• tightness
• burning
• Squeezing of the chest and severe pain

These symptoms or early signs can be mistaken for heartburn or indigestion. However, other symptoms may occur during this particular medical condition. These are:

• pain in the arms or shoulders
• shortness of breath
• sweating
• dizziness

A person may likely suffer more than these symptoms when the blood flow to the heart is restricted. If the blockage causes the restriction in the blood flow, this can produce the early signs of coronary artery disease is a heart attack. Under this condition, the heart functions get stunned and it needs to be restored.

If you are going through any of these symptoms, do not ignore them. It can be a sign of long-lasting heart problems that may require immediate medical care.

Do the symptoms of CAD for women differ from that of men?

Women may likely suffer the same symptoms as mentioned above. However, it is noticed that they experience the most common symptoms like:

• nausea
• vomiting
• back pain
• jaw pain
• shortness of breath without any kind of chest pain

This is because of certain factors like premenopausal effects, abnormal periods and menstrual flow, pregnancy complications, after-effects of pregnancy, and menopausal effects. Men may be more likely to develop heart disease than women. Premenopausal or menopausal side-effects the women of the age group of 30-70. Moreover, due to decreased blood flow, your heart may also experience these early signs of coronary artery disease:

• Weakness and fatigue
• Development of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia) or rates
• The inability of the heart to pump the blood as normally done without any medical condition

During such a condition, your doctor may check for abnormalities in the body or the functioning of the heart.

What are the risk factors for CAD?

Understanding the risk factors, symptoms, and early signs of coronary artery disease may help you prevent the disease. This may also help you take the necessary steps while taking care of your body. Moreover, the risk factors of CAD are:

• high blood pressure
• high blood cholesterol levels
• Smoking tobacco
• diabetes
• obesity
• inactivity
• unhealthy eating habits
• obstructive sleep apnea
• emotional stress
• excessive alcohol intake
• history of preeclampsia during pregnancy

There is also evidence stating that the risk factor for CAD increases with age. Based on the age factor, men may likely have a greater risk of heart diseases at the age of 45 than women where the beginning of heart diseases starts at the age of 55. Also, the risk of developing CAD or the early signs of coronary artery disease becomes higher if you have any family history with the same disease.

What are the diagnosing ways to check for CAD?

Diagnosing CAD requires the review of medical history, a complete physical examination, and other medical tests. This may include the following tests:

• Electrocardiogram
• Echocardiogram
• Stress Test
• Cardiac catheterization (left heart catheterization)
• Heart CT Scan

What are the ways to treat CAD?

To understand the steps to treat heart diseases and their early signs, the best part is to control the risk factors like diabetes, and weakness. The treatment for CAD may depend on the health condition of the person or patient. It may undertake the medications, risk factors, and overall well-being of the patients. Undertaking all these factors, your doctor may diagnose your medical condition and may give you the required medication to control the early signs of CAD.

The Takeaway

Lifestyle change is the best part of curing heart disease. You may require to quit smoking, stop the consumption of alcohol, exercise regularly, and work on your weight gain. Eating a healthy diet is the best part of keeping yourself away from these aggressive diseases. Try to improve your lifestyle, the time of eating food and intake of the food or meals. This may produce a beneficial effect on your body.

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