Health Articles

What is angina or chest pain?

Angina is a chest pain caused by a brief and insufficient flow of blood to an area of the heart. The pain feels as if something were squeezing or putting pressure inside our chest causing a sensation of having a heavy weight on top of us.

This chest pain can irradiate to either one or both arms but most often it does to the left one. At times we can feel heaviness or numbness on the shoulder or in the arm, from the elbow to the fingers. In rare occasions, the symptoms of angina can be felt in the neck, throat, jaw, ears, stomach, or even between the shoulder blades. If the chest pain occurs when the patient is making a physical effort, he can also have difficulty breathing at the same time.

What triggers an episode of angina or chest pain?
Most of the times, angina is triggered by the following events:

1. Walking fast
2. Carrying a heavy weight
3. Psychological stress
4. Very cold weather
5. Heavy meals

When these triggering factors stop, the pain usually goes down in 10 minutes.

What causes angina or chest pain?
In most cases, the cause of angina is atherosclerosis, a build-up of fat as well as a loss of elasticity of the coronary arteries, the ones wrapping the heart which function is to carry oxygen and nutrients to the heart. Because of these two factors, the space inside the coronary arteries narrows causing not enough blood to reach the heart.

Other causes of angina
Angina can worsen by the following health conditions:

1. Tachycardia or abnormally rapid heartbeat
2. Anemia
3. Disease of the valves of the heart
4. Hypertrophy of the heart muscle
5. Spasms in the coronary arteries

Risk factors for angina or chest pain
As we have seen, atherosclerosis is almost always at the root of angina or chest pain because it causes the heart muscle not to receive enough blood, especially when we make a physical effort. Therefore, the best way to prevent angina is to prevent atherosclerosis.

Risk factors for atherosclerosis

1. Family history of atherosclerosis
2. High cholesterol, especially LDL
3. High blood pressure
4. Smoking
5. Diabetes type 1 and 2
6. Obesity
7. Stress
8. Lack of regular physical activity

How can you prevent angina?
In general, preventing angina means eliminating the risk factors mentioned above. The following advice can help you to accomplish this task:

1. If your weight is a risk for your health, lose weight.
2. Eat a healthy diet
3. Do not smoke.
4. Walk at least half an hour every day
5. If you have diabetes type 1 or 2, follow your doctor’s advice.

If you need more information on the subject you can visit my website where you will find many articles to guide you in this area.

Are you following a balanced diet?
Check with your doctor or dietitian if your diet is in accordance with their guidelines. A lot has been said about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, but the truth of the matter is that it is the diet that for centuries has protected the Mediterranean people from heart disease and many other chronic diseases.

As you may be aware, it is a diet based on fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, aromatic herbs, olive oil, fish, seafood, and very little red meat. It is also low in saturated fat which is mainly found in meats and whole dairies.

Final thoughts on angina
The word angina has its origins in the Latin language; it means strangulation or narrowness; in other words, something that presses, that is too tight. As you may guess or you may have experience, this type of chest pain is nothing to be taken lightly as it can be fatal.

The best course of action is to eliminate the risk factors above mentioned. A healthy diet and regular physical activity will go a long way to prevent angina or chest pain. It may require some changes in your life but the pay-off would be a longer life without heart disease.

When our heart did not receive the required oxygen to function it can lead to death of the muscles and heart attack occurs. That is one of the causes of this condition, how can we avoid those things? And what are the factors to be considered to avoid cardiovascular diseases like heart attack?

This heart problem usually happens when a blood clot develops in one of the blood vessels that lead to the heart muscle. If the clot is too big it can stop the blood flow to the heart. Blood supply to the heart can also be determined if the artery suddenly narrows, as in a spasm.

Here are the list of the symptoms:

• chest discomfort
• coughing
• crushing chest pain
• dizziness
• dyspnea (shortness of breath)
• face seems gray
• a feeling of terror that your life is coming to its end
• feeling really awful
• nausea
• restlessness
• the person is clammy and sweaty
• vomiting

As you notice these symptoms to yourself or even in other people you need to call emergency services immediately. This condition is a emergency, looking for help of health care provider is very important. A client who is having a heart attack usually feels the pain in their chest first and it even radiates or spread to the jaw, neck, arms, and wrist. Some of the people also experience the pain in their shoulder blades, back and abdomen. The patient usually describe the pain as one of pressure, something squeezing, it can last for a few minutes up yo many hours.

What causes heart attack? Here are the list:

• Age – considered to be the largest risk factor
• Angina – an illness where not enough oxygen rich the patient’s heart. This raises the risk of a heart problems, in some cases a diagnosis of angina was wrong- it could have been a mild heart problems instead. The difference between heart attack and angina is that the patient with angina will feel better about 15-30 minutes after taking medications, while the heart attack won’t.
• Blood cholesterol levels – having high cholesterol level is the number one factor that can cause heart attack because of the formation of the clot in the arteries.
• Diabetes – people with diabetes have a higher risk in developing several diseases and conditions, many of them contribute to a higher risk of heart attack.
• Diet – consuming a large amount of saturated fats like meat, can cause of having a high risk in developing this condition.
• Genes – we can inherit a high risk in having this condition if our parents or their parents had a history of this condition.
• Heart surgery – the patient who had heat surgery is at risk in having this disease.
• Obesity/ overweight- if a person is overweight there is a big possibility that in the future they can develop heart problems.
• Physical inability – these are the people who do not exercise regularly.
• Previous history – there is a high risk in having a heart attack to those people who already had it.
• Regular smoking can lead to this condition

It is very important to be knowledgeable about the causes and hings that we must to to avoid cardiovascular diseases.

73,600,000 Americans have High Blood Pressure.41,900,000 of them are estimated to be age 59 or younger. High blood pressure (HBP) is Defined as systolic pressure 140 mm Hg or greater and/or diastolic pressure 90 mm Hg or greater. High blood pressure is a serious health concern that can cause heart disease and increase your risk of having a stroke.
It is especially bad for your health because it often has no warning signs or symptoms. For millions, the first sign of heart trouble is… Sudden DEATH!One person Dies in America from Cardiovascular Disease every 37 seconds. One of every 2.8 deaths in the US is Cardiovascular Related. You need to track your blood pressure. Your blood pressure is your most crucial vital sign. High blood pressure reigns as the leading cause of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. Your BP gauges how your blood travels through your body.
High blood pressure diet
Simply put, blood pressure refers to the amount of force exerted by your blood on your arterial walls as it passes through. It is measured through the systolic pressure (the pressure on your arteries when your heart is at rest). If the force of that pumping is too high, it will gouge holes in the smooth inner lining of your arteries. This causes nicks in the arterial walls that trigger a chain reaction of grouting, then destructive inflammation and clotting, closing off the artery completely. This causes a blood flow traffic jam… A Heart Attack!
Erectile dysfunction
Cardiovascular Disease claims about as many lives each year as:

- cancer
- chronic lower respiratory diseases
- accidents and diabetes mellitus… COMBINED.Many factors can make your blood pressure soar higher than a helium filled saucer-shaped balloon (without a kid in it) such as:
- High levels of the mineral sodium (salt)
- Lack of the mineral calcium or potassium (from not eating enough fruits and vegetables)
- Lack of physical activityBut it is also clear that… Being Overweight leads directly to High Blood Pressure.

The average American drinks an estimated 60 GALLONS of soda every year. Sugar can cause serious health problems. But the fact is, fructose is the worst of the lot. Fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals. Fructose leeches micro-nutrients from your body. It is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar. Because most fructose is consumed in liquid form, as fruit juice or as soda, its negative metabolic effects are significantly magnified.

Until the 1970s, most sugar was sucrose, which is derived from sugar beets or sugar cane. But sugar from corn, especially High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is now more popular because it is much less expensive to produce. As a result, the use of HFCS in the U.S. diet increased a staggering 10,673% between 1970 and 2005! HFCS also contains nearly twice the fructose of the sugars that came before it. HFCS is the sweetener used in most sodas. It is a prime factor behind the current obesity epidemic, which is largely fueled by sugary sweet soft drinks. Soft drinks are the leading source for calories in America!

Soft Drinks are the major reason why about 9 percent of average dietary energy intake in the United States now comes from fructose. High Fructose Corn Syrup is a nutrient-free source of endless calories. It also harms organs like your liver and pancreas, leading to bone loss, anemia, diabetes and… HEART PROBLEMS. Fructose is clearly something you want to avoid, except for the small quantities obtained through the moderate consumption of whole fruit. However, fructose it is not as bad as artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners damage your health even more rapidly than HFCS. So ideally… Avoid ALL sodas, even diet sodas. Do NOT Get Your Quota of Soda.

Rheumatic heart disease is a specific cardiac condition that is caused when bacterial infections damage the heart valves. Genus Streptococcus is the bacterium responsible for such infections. It is the same bacterium that causes tonsillitis (commonly known as strep throat). When the condition of tonsillitis is left untreated, it may result in bacterial spread, which may have very serious consequences. The bacteria may travel to the heart and cause inflammation, eventually damaging the tissues in heart valves.

Signs And Symptoms:
As it is quite clear now, strep throat can be a big alert sign, especially if you are experiencing it for over a couple of weeks. However, in some cases, it appears that strep throat has been thoroughly treated, but in fact, the infection still remains there and it keeps on spreading in different parts of your body. It is very much likely that such bacterial infection will silently reach your heart and cause rheumatic heart disease. Therefore, strep throat infections must be taken very seriously. Even if your throat seems to be working fine, you should keep taking the medicine to completely remove the infection. Some common symptoms that you may experience when you have such heart infections include jerky movements in the muscles, extreme fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, and rash with rheumatic fever.

Risk Factors:
There are several risk factors that may be responsible for increasing the speed of bacterial infection. For example, those with prosthetic valves are highly susceptible to have such problems. Likewise, bacterial infection is more likely to cause heart valve complications in those who are already suffering from congenital heart problems. What is more, there are many underdeveloped countries where no proper treatment is available for strep throat. Therefore, the condition of not treating throat infection is also a major risk factor for rheumatic heart disease in various parts of the world.

Can It Be Prevented?
There is no guaranteed way to prevent such problems, but still, you can do plenty of things to substantially reduce the chance of such bacterial infection and the subsequent rheumatic complications. For example, Personal hygiene can play a very important role in this regard. The basic idea is to eliminate the chance of getting affected with a strep throat. Besides that, if strep throat still occurs, you must seek immediate medical help from experts. Any delay in treatment can be very dangerous for your heart health.

There are several antibiotics online that can be used to treat rheumatic heart disease. You may have to take these antibiotics for up to six weeks. However, in case of severe reactions and damage, the doctor may suggest you to go for surgical treatment. But such severe conditions occur only after several years of deterioration of the heart valves. If you take proper care regularly, the condition may not reach that severity level.

Blocked Carotid Artery

Blood and oxygen are carried to the brain through four arteries: the right carotid, left carotid, right vertebral and left vertebral. When the brain does not receive enough oxygen the carotid arteries become blocked; this is the number one cause of strokes, which account for the third-highest number of deaths in the US each year. An estimated 750,000 people suffer from them annually.

Carotid artery disease is a condition that occurs when plaque (a fatty material) builds up within the arteries. The medical term for this is atherosclerosis, or “hardening of the arteries,” and greatly restricts blood flow to the brain. Another cause of strokes is when blood clots form in the arteries, which happens when the plaque build-up eventually cracks. It’s important to be aware of potential indicators of these conditions, as it is possible for a stroke, or ‘mini-stroke,’ to be the first warning sign.

However, most people who have a stroke do not experience a mini-stroke first. Common symptoms include: numbness and/or weakness in the face or body (often just on one side), difficulty moving limbs, trouble speaking, a severe, sudden headache and dizziness.

Doctors usually choose one of two surgeries to treat this disease: carotid endarterectomy, usually for people whose arteries are blocked 50% or more and involves cutting into the neck and removing the plaque. The other procedure is called an angioplasty and is used to widen the carotid arteries, which restores blood flow to the brain.
Medical Articles
Recent studies have shown that heart attack damage can be limited by implemented certain anti-oxidants, notable GSH, or glutathione, a powerful protein that speeds up cell metabolism and contains what some medical professionals are calling miraculous anti-viral properties. Overwhelming evidence has shown that the administering of glutathione offers critical support in not just heart disease and strokes, but chronic fatigue syndrome, Alzheimer’s and cancer.
Montreal physician Dr. Jimmy Gutman is the author of “GSH, Your Body’s Most Powerful Protector, Glutathione,” and says that “in the next five or six years, people are going to be using the word glutathione as commonly as they use the word Vitamin C or antioxidant. Glutathione is virtually involved in dozens of critical cell processes and without it we would succumb to our environment literally within hours.”

Everyday, thousands of people are put on prescription medication for high blood pressure, high cholesterol or atherosclerosis because heart disease is the leading cause of death in Americans over the age of 45. The process seems to begin with an injury in an artery’s lining caused by high blood pressure, smoking or an amino acid called homocystein which is generated by the breakdown of protein in the body. Cholesterol and other fats get trapped at the damaged site and become oxidized or turn ‘rusty’ and attract an assortment of cells that turn to plaque. The problem with plaque is that it makes blood flow very difficult so it is important to feed your body with foods that can help prevent this oxidation process. Here are some foods to consider adding to your daily regimen:

1. Avocados – contain good fats and potassium that help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and help prevent cancer. You want to eat about 1/3 of an avocado per day or make some guacemole for a heart healthy snack.

2. Lentils – are loaded with all sorts of nutrients that protect the heart including folate and fiber. There are 9 grams of protein in 1/2 cup so they make a great substitute for meat.

3. Onions – contain sulfur compounds, also found in garlic, that thin your blood and lower blood pressure naturally. The most quercetin is found in red onions, followed by yellow and white onions, and help prevent oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol.

4. Sardines – contain Omega 3’s which decrease blood clotting, prevent heart arrhythmias and fight inflammation throughout the body.

5. Pumpkin Seeds – are high in Omega 3’s too and help clean up arteries and capillaries. Sprinkle them on salads or grind them up in a food processor and add to whole grain flour to coat chicken or fish for a delicious main course.

If none of these foods appeal to you, then consider taking an amino acid supplement L-Arginine which is great for men especially dealing with coronary artery disease or hypertension because it helps to open up blood vessels that lead to the heart, hence improving blood flow. Practice eating healthy for your heart!

A Secret Cholesterol Lowering Formula With An Amazing Result

Now come closer.. I’d like to tell you an amazing story about how I lower my total cholesterol from 376 mg/dL to 121 mg/dL in only two short months in a natural way. It was my secret.. but now I’ve decided to let everyone know it..

In 2008 I found out from my first ever medical checkup that my total cholesterol level was 376 mg/dL, and my doctor immediately put me on medication me with a daily dose of 20 mg Zocor (Simvastatin).

I took the medicine, and also..

- I stopped eating meat, fat and poultry altogether for 2 months

- I stopped taking dairy products

- I began to eat more fish to increase HDL

- I began eating more fruits and vegetables

- I started jogging 4 miles every weekend, and walk 10,000 steps a day

- I started eating more cereal which contains high fiber

BUT..

here’s the truth: what kind of vegetables, fruits and vitamins I took was the most important key in my success. Eat the wrong kind of them, and you won’t be reducing your cholesterol levels at all. To find out exactly what kind of diets will produce my kind of result, check out the guidelines on Good Cholesterol Foods. On this site you will also find a free booklet on cholesterol management and a free cholesterol chart to monitor your levels.

Do not wait.. you can start reducing your cholesterol level today. Act Now! Visit the website mentioned above and find out how you can copy my method to reduce your total cholesterol by as much as 255 points naturally.
Source: ezinearticles.com

LDL levels should be lower than 100mg/dL to be considered healthy. Over 190mg of LDL is considered very high risk for heart disease and stroke. It would be unusual, but if the total cholesterol level was 200mg, but the LDL number was 190, a person would still be at risk. In such case, usually doctors will resort to the use of cholesterol lowering drugs.

Total cholesterol reading below 160mg is considered low, so try to keep the balance. Balance is the key to overall good health. Try to choose foods that are highly nutritious and contain a variety of antioxidants.

Having more food which are derived from plants in your daily diet such as fruits, vegetables, nuts , cinnamon and whole grains can help you get and keep a healthy cholesterol range, which, in turn, protects your heart.
Cholesterol levels
Of course there are other ways to lower cholesterol level, such as consumption of cholesterol lowering statin medicines (Zocor, Lipitor, Lescol, etc). But these are rather risky ways, since the statin drugs themselves have numerous side effects. One of the most dangerous effect of these kind of medication is “muscle breakdown”, which is the “melting” of your muscle tissues.. It’s very dangerous for your kidneys (can cause kidney failure), and also weakens the whole body in the process.

So, stay with natural methods to control your numbers as much as possible. Eat the right food, do the right exercise, take supplements where necessary, live the right lifestyle. It’s for your own good. Resort to medicine treatment only if you can not do any of the natural approach. You are raising the possibility of unnecesarry complication if you try the medical approach too early.

The healthy cholesterol range for human beings is below 200mg/dL. These numbers are the normal total cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream, which includes LDL (bad), HDL (good) and triglycerides. Just as important as the total is the HDL amount. When it comes to HDL, more is better, with the ideal ratio of LDL to HDL to be 4.4:1.

You can check your own ratio by doing this simple calculation: divide your LDL measurement value with your HDL measurement value. If this ratio is below 4.4, you should try to raise your HDL level by exercising more.

A healthy person should have their blood profiles screening test done on a regular basis. The American Heart Association recommends testing every five years for anyone aged 20 or older. Doctors may recommend a test for younger people if they are obese or have other risk factors, such as high blood pressure and smoking (yes, smoking is a risk factor.. that’s why life insurance premium is higher for smokers than non smokers).

If you smoke, controlling this habit to the stage where you can quit can be very difficult.. but you must try to stop. Your heart is at risk, because smoking causes the LDL in your blood to be oxidized, and oxidized LDL forms plaques in blood vessels quickly.. This is no new information to a lot of smokers, so make a wise decision yourself.

Some of the things that cause unhealthy cholesterol levels include obesity and excessive alcohol intake. Lack of exercise plays a role as well. Hormonal imbalances and dysfunction of the glandular system are less common causes. Certain genetic diseases and heredity are also factors.

In order to stay in the healthy cholesterol range, a diet that is very low in saturated fat is recommended. Less than 7% of daily calories should come from saturated fats, which include egg yolks, cheese, beef, pork and poultry.

Trans-fats, which are partially hydrogenated unsaturated fats, should be avoided. Total fat intake plays a larger role in blood serum levels than does the cholesterol itself. The type of fat that you eat is also important.

Plant foods, such as nuts and flax seed, contain healthy cholesterol-like substances, called phytosterols. This is the kind of fat that is a necessary dietary components. Most nutritionists recommend 25-30% of your total caloric intake should come from fat, but plant oil and fatty fish are the best choices for dietary fat.

A healthy HDL or good cholesterol range is 60mg/dL or higher.. however, if yours is higher than this, it’s better. There’s no “highest” limit when it comes to HDL. Just remember the 4.4 ratio mentioned above.

According to the American Heart Association, higher HDL levels provide some protections against heart disease. As HDL travels through the bloodstream, it picks up LDL particles and carries them back to the liver, thus causes the reduction of LDL concentration in your blood. This prevents the particles from building up inside the arterial walls and forming hard plaques.