Heart Disease and Psychosomatic Disorders

Heart Disease and Psychosomatic Disorders

Your Personality

There is an association between a Type A personality and heart disease. The person with a Type a personality juggles with events believes in doing two or more things at the same time, is ambitious, anxious and impatient. He or she wants things in life to move fast. Type A personalities besides being anxious can be angry, tense, pressurized and competitive. They are twice as likely to develop heart disease as compared to Type B personality.

Along with these personalities comes the modern era of competitive working, fast foods and sedentary lifestyles. Also added to it, is the party time. Many of us label it as “contact time”. Therefore the body and mind are not relaxed, but working overtime. At all working hours the whole body system is active and may be subconsciously too, while sleeping. Do you realize the pressure one is putting on oneself? How long will it last? Will you not crack down?

Depression

Depression is another area precipitation heart disease. Research shows that depression can trigger heart problems. Safeguarding mental health is also important for heart attack survivors. It was seen that depressed heart attack patients were more than twice as likely to die or have heart problems in the two years following a heart attack.

Perhaps, the most important way to deal with psychosomatic problems is to prevent heart disease.

Psychologists insist that it is our attitude and emotions which need to be tackled. Here are a few tips to help you achieve this:

ü  Write down what upsets you.

ü  Note your attitude towards things that disturb you.

ü  Take away negative thoughts from your mind, think of something pleasant or positive.

ü  Control your anger.

ü  Articulate what you feel.

ü  Don’t bottle up too much inside. Discuss your problems with people close to you (friends or relatives). Try solving them positively.

ü  Hear soothing music.

ü  Some people, when depressed or upset have a tendency to overeat. They become obese. Try and cut down on too many sweets and carbohydrates. If you feel like eating, combine some of them with salads, fruits, etc.

ü  Try to relax and meditate.

ü  Take nice long walks and exercise regularly.

ü  Stress management skills also help recognize and reduce emotional over reactions.

Help on the onset of a Heart Attack

Coronary Artery Disease and your Family History

In a member of your immediate family has developed heart disease, you are prone to the risk twice as much as the rest of the population.

                Genetic and environment differences determine the differences in our appearance and health. Your risk is higher if your relative had developed coronary disease at an early age. “Early age” is before age e.g. 55 in men and 65 in women. This follows a general rule in genetics: The earlier a disease occurs, the greater is the influence of genes in your life. While your genetics will determine your baseline likelihood for the disease, many factors in life will modify this risk. As in most common diseases, coronary artery disease results from an interaction between genes and environment.

Symptoms of a Heart Attack

A powerful crushing pain hits the chest. This pain seems to flow from the chest to the left arm, back, shoulder and heart. The patient experiences a cold, clammy sweat. Occasionally, vomiting due to severe pain can occur. Some people become unconscious. Urgent medical assistance is required. Call for your nearest doctor or rush the patient to a nursing home or a hospital nearest to you.

Silent Heart Attack

It is often mistaken for a usual bout of indigestion. About 25% of the heart attacks occurring are “Silent”. These silent heart attacks damage the heart muscles. Sometimes no noticeable symptoms occur.

Help on the onset of a Heart Attack

Ø   Immediately after the onset of a heart attack, the person needs to be made comfortable.

Ø  Place the person in a supine (Straight lying) position.

Ø  Loosen out any tight clothing (collar, belt, shirt cuffs, shoes).

Ø  If breathing seems to have stopped, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (mouth to mouth breathing).

Ø  Next, call medical help, as advised earlier.

Women and Heart Attack

Heart Attack

In the lining of the coronary artery, a blood clot forms on the top of a plaque. This causes blockage of that artery. The blood full of oxygen required for that artery. The blood full of oxygen required for the heart muscles is blocked off. This leads to starvation of that portion of the heart muscles. As a result, this part of the heart muscle in the left ventricle gets severely damaged or dies. This is known as infarction. As this occurs in the myocardium or muscle, it is medically termed as Myocardial Infarction (MI) or heart attack.

Women and Heart Attack

Heart attack in women is on the rise. One reason for this can be that more women are entering the previously male dominated world of business, industry and also the irregular working schedules. Also, stress, tension, unhealthy eating habits smoking, alcohol and lack of exercise have come into play. Scientifically, it has been proven that after menopause women become more susceptible to heart disease. Lack of estrogen is responsible for this.

Angina and a Heart Attack

Angina and a Heart Attack

Angina- Not a Heart Attack, Confirmation of Diagnosis

It is necessary to place an oxygen demand on the heart to stimulate the conditions which normally precede a heart attack. Using certain special studies, evidence of ischemia is noted. Conduction of further tests can also locate precisely the site of an arterial blockage.

Stress Electrocardiogram or Treadmill Test

The stress electrocardiogram stimulates those conditions which are prevalent preceding an angina attack. Early signs of ischaemia are detectable. The test is performed on a treadmill or bicycle.

Stress Echography

Ultrasound waves are directed at the chest. These waves bounce off the heart’s wall and valves.

An analysis of these rebounding waves helps us with the calculations of the size, shape and movement of the structures within the heart.

Two echoes are usually taken- one of the heart at rest and the other of the heart under stress e.g. after the patient exercises on a treadmill. A comparison between the two images helps detect areas of the heart not receiving enough blood.

The limitations of this test

The limitations of the ultrasound are that the resolution of the ultrasound is not high enough to see the arteries. We can only detect and highlight the big change in structures, e.g. that of the heart chamber and heart muscles.

Some people may be genetically more prone to heart disease than others. Still, there are plenty of ways to reduce your risk factors.

The comprehensive treatment of angina- for the prevention of heart attack includes eliminating or reducing the risk factors.

Stop Smoking: Smoking is known to contribute to coronary artery disease. Throw away your pack of cigarettes. It’s never too late to stop.

Lose Weight: Less weight in the body means less strain on your heart. Avoid fat and fatty products e.g. red meat, fried food, dairy products, sugar and sweet foods e.g. cakes pastries etc. Lower your cholesterol levels and other lipids in the body. This may help slow down the formation of fatty deposits and hardening of the arteries.

Exercise: Take guidance from your doctor for a fitness programme. A regular exercise programme will help you lose weight and improve your body fitness. You will feel good once you have adjusted to the exercise regime.

Reduce Your Stress: Take small breathers at work e.g. getting up for a glass of water or just stretching your legs after finishing a part of your job. Try stress busting exercises.

Meditation and Yoga: Meditation and yoga are other tools to relax your body. If you had a change in your angina pattern recently or your discomfort or pain is not relieved by medication and rest, consult your doctor.

Medical Treatment for Angina

Anti-anginal medication is prescribed to reduce your heart’s workload. The medication can be:-

Nitrates

Nitrate containing medications have been used for years and give prompt relief to the angina patient. Nitrates are small tablets which can be kept under the tongue, chewed or swallowed. They may also come in spray form.

Action: Nitrates ease the strain on the heart by reducing the blood pressure. Long acting nitrates include patches placed on the skin. These patches are available to help prevent angina attacks before they occur.

Beta Blockers

Site and Radiation of Cardiac Pain

Action: They act by directly reducing the heart’s demand for oxygen. They achieve this by slowing down the rate of heart and reducing the force of contraction of the heart muscles. The oxygen supply, which would be limited by blockages, remains adequate for the slower muscle contraction and a comparative resting heart. These are used for long-term angina patients.

Calcium Channel Blockers

They are used for the long-term angina treatment.

Action: They reduce the oxygen demand by slowing down the heart’s activity. This helps the narrowed coronary vessels to relax and widen. Thus the oxygen supply to the heart increases and at the same time the heart’s demand for oxygen decreases.