Heart and blood vessels

Last update 20 - July - 2021



The heart is the main organ in the circulatory system in the human body, as it beats and pumps blood to the rest of the organs inside the body through regular contraction and relaxation and pumps and distributes blood to the rest of the organs inside the body. Cardiac diseases are a broad term, and the name came like this because it describes many diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels, including diseases that are under the name of heart diseases, namely:

  1.  Vascular diseases
  2.  Heart rhythm problems
  3.  Congenital heart defects that are present from birth with humans
  4.  Cardiomyopathy
  5.  Valvular heart diseases
  6.  Heart infection

Also, every disease has symptoms and has ways to prevent infection, and to avoid contracting one of the aforementioned diseases, you must follow up and adhere to healthy healthy lifestyle choices.


According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases are at the forefront of the causes of death worldwide, and that the death rate of people with cardiovascular diseases is higher than the death rate from other causes. As a person suffering from or at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, what you have to do is to consult a doctor for early detection and the conduct of all treatment measures, so as not to reach risks such as (high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood fats). As there are prevention methods From most cardiovascular diseases by abstaining from tobacco “The smoking” use, and adherence to a healthy diet and exercising regularly so as not to reach hiegh weight, and staying away from laziness and physical inactivity, and you should also reduce alcohol intake if you are one of the people addicted to it. The symptoms of heart and blood vessel diseases vary, depending on the type of injury you have.



  • Vascular diseases
  • Vascular disease is a narrowing or blockage of the blood vessels. Through the accumulation of fat in the arteries or arteriosclerosis, which prevents blood from reaching the heart, brain and body organs, and this leads to damage to blood vessels and the occurrence of a heart attack "angina pectoris" or a brain attack.

    Coronary artery disease differs between men and women, as the man is exposed to chest pain. But women are prone to contracting the chest, where they feel difficulty breathing, nausea, and extreme fatigue.

    Symptoms that are indicative of vascular disease include:

    • Severe chest pain and chest constriction "angina pectoris"
    • Breathing difficulties
    • You will feel cold feet or arms, pain or numbness when the blood vessels of these parts of the body are narrow
    • You may also feel pain in the back, upper abdomen, jaw, or throat

    Coronary artery disease may not be diagnosed until after a heart attack, stroke or heart failure occurs, so you should see a doctor if you have concerns or feel that you are exposed to infection, through periodic examinations and follow-up with the specialist doctor, until early detection. And conduct appropriate periodic treatments in the event of coronary artery disease.

  • Heart rhythm problems
  • Heart rhythm problems This happens when there is a "heart rhythm disorder", which means that the heartbeat is either too fast or too slow, and the symptoms that are indicative of heart rhythm problems are:

    • Pain in chest
    • The patient may have difficulty breathing
    • The patient may feel dizzy.
    • Dizziness or fainting

  • Congenital heart defects that are present from birth with humans
  • Congenital heart defects These defects are noticed shortly after birth, and they are malformations, and the symptoms that are indicative of congenital heart defects are:

    • Change in normal skin color to gray or blue
    • Swelling in the legs, the area around the eyes, or the abdomen
    • As for children who are infants, it is difficult for the child to breathe during breastfeeding, which results in no weight gain

    Sometimes less serious congenital heart defects go undiagnosed but are left for later in childhood or adulthood. As it is considered one of the diseases that do not threaten life immediately, and the symptoms that are indicative of it are:

    • Rapid drop in breathing during exercise
    • The patient feels tired and exhausted during exercise
    • The patient has swelling in the ankles, feet and hands

  • Cardiomyopathy
  • It is a pathological condition that affects the heart muscle, which may lead to its spasm in the early stages of the disease, and in the early stages, you may not show any of the symptoms. And cardiomyopathy may lead to a failure to pump blood from the heart to the rest of the organs in the body, and cardiomyopathy may lead to heart failure.

    Symptoms that are indicative of cardiomyopathy are:

    • The patient has swelling in the legs, ankles or feet
    • Difficulty breathing while exerting any effort
    • The patient has heart rhythm problems
    • Dizziness or fainting

  • valvular heart diseases
  • The heart has four valves: the mitral valve, the aortic valve, the tricuspid valve, and the pulmonary valve. Their function is to open and close and direct blood to the heart and from the heart to the rest of the body. Also, sometimes it is possible that the four valves are damaged for various reasons, which leads to them not performing their work properly.

    Among the symptoms that are indicative of valvular heart disease are:

    • Difficulty breathing, when exercising or doing routine activities
    • Swelling in the feet or ankles
    • Feeling chest pain, also when exercising or doing routine activities
    • Arrhythmia
    • Dizziness or fainting in advanced cases, especially in the narrowing of the aortic valve
    • Coughing and may be accompanied by blood, especially in the narrowing of the mitral valve

  • Heart infection
  • It is inflammation of the heart muscle, and it is most likely caused by a viral infection, and it may result from a drug reaction, or it may be part of a general inflammatory condition, where acute inflammation of the heart muscle occurs it affects the process that the heart muscle performs; Mean, this inflammation can cause a change in the heart's work system, as it may cause a decrease in the heart muscle's ability to pump blood, and it may cause a heart rhythm disorder. If the heart muscle's ability to pump blood is reduced through myocarditis, a stroke or heart attack can occur.

    One of the symptoms that is indicative of a heart infection is "myocarditis"

    When the case of myocarditis is mild or in the early stages of inflammation, you may not or may not have any of the symptoms, and you may also feel mild symptoms (such as chest pain, difficulty breathing).

    When myocarditis is serious, symptoms may vary according to age and disease. Where signs appear on men include:

    • You feel a pain in the chest
    • Heart rhythm problems
    • Difficulty breathing during any exertion
    • The patient develops fluid retention and swelling in the legs, ankles or feet
    • Stress
    • Signs of viral infection on the patient (headache, body aches, joint pain, diarrhea or fever).

    The symptoms of myocarditis in children are:

    • High body temperature
    • Breathing difficulties
    • Loss of consciousness for a certain period of time
    • Fast or slow heartbeat
    • Fast breathing
    • An irregular heartbeat that is either fast or slow

Heart disease prevention

There are many ways to help you prevent heart disease, but there is a disease that cannot be prevented, which is congenital heart defects, but following the methods of prevention may avoid the risk of heart disease, and these methods include:

  • Smoking reduction
  • Maintaining both blood pressure and blood sugar levels
  • You should exercise for at least half an hour on weekdays
  • Stay away from anxiety and stress
  • Eat a healthy diet, while maintaining a healthy weight

Read more: About diabetes


When should you see a doctor

In the event that you suffer from one of the symptoms of heart disease and you think that you are experiencing a heart attack, you must directly contact the emergency care team or go directly to the specialist doctor in order to conduct tests and analyzes so that all treatment measures are taken, as early detection of the disease facilitates the process Treatment and speed up the state of full recovery, as well as moving away from the stage of exacerbation of the disease because it may cause other problems.

Complications from heart disease

In the event that you suffer from heart diseases and have not taken all the necessary measures and procedures, such as communicating with the emergency medical team or consulting a specialist doctor, the disease may worsen and lead to many problems and complications, including:

  • Heart failure
  • Heart attack
  • Cerebral attack
  • Aneurysms, which can cause them to burst
  • Peripheral artery disease, which can cause atherosclerosis
  • Sudden loss of heart function and its cessation of work, which may lead to death