5 types of Heart disease in children can be:

1. Congenital Heart Disease: If a child born with some heart defect, it is called congenital heart disease. There are some conditions of the heart that come under congenital heart disease like holes in the heart, heart valve disorders, underdeveloped heart. These congenital heart diseases are usually treated with surgery, medication, or heart transplant.

2. Arrhythmias: Arrhythmias is a condition in which children have an irregular heartbeat or abnormal heart rhythm. This heart defect is associated with fast Heart rate (Supraventricular Tachycardia), slow Heart rate (bradycardia), Long QT syndrome (a heart condition that can cause fast, chaotic heartbeats that might trigger a sudden fainting spell or seizure).

3. Kawasaki Disease: In this, children get swelling (inflammation) in the walls of medium-sized arteries throughout the body. This inflammation tends to affect the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle. Children having high fever and peeling skin can be symptomatic for Kawasaki disease.

4. Heart Murmur: Heart murmurs are basically the heart sound made by blood flowing in or near the Heart. It is not a disease but sometimes it may signify an underlying cardiovascular problem. Heart murmurs can be congenital or develop later in life.

5. Vascular Rings: Vascular rings are the malformation of the aortic arch and/or its associated blood vessels. The trachea and the esophagus are fully encircled and often surrounded by the “ring” created by these vessels, which may contribute to breathing and digestive problems. It is congenital heart disease. 

Diagnosis of Heart problems in children can occur soon after birth or during the first few months of life. The symptoms that children show can be:

If your child has any of the above signs or symptoms as he or she grows, call your child’s doctor or consult a cardiologist. They will let you know if your child’s symptoms are due to a heart defect or another medical condition.

Dr. Dinesh Sehgal, an Interventional cardiologist at Sapra Multispecialty Hospital explaining the diseases that affect the circulatory system or cardiovascular system. By observing the signs and symptoms of these diseases and visiting cardiologists on time, diseases can be prevented and treated.

The 7 main diseases that can affect the circulatory system or Heart includes

1. Atherosclerosis:  In atherosclerosis, the hardening of arteries occurs and it happens when plaque made of cholesterol, fat, and calcium builds upon the walls of arteries and eventually blocks blood flow. It is also known as coronary artery disease.  This blockage increases blood pressure.

2. Heart Attack: Heart attacks occur when there is a shortage of blood supply to the heart due to blockage in arteries causes the heart muscle to damage. Symptoms can be a pain in the center or left side of the chest, shortness of breath, severe sweating, etc.

3. Arrhythmia and dysrhythmia: arrhythmia means “no rhythm” and dysrhythmia means “abnormal rhythm.” which means both are related to abnormal heart rate or rhythm.

4. Heart failure: When heart muscle gets weakened or damaged causes heart failure or congestive heart failure. In this condition, the heart is not able to pump blood around the body.

5. Peripheral artery disease: Peripheral artery disease is a type of atherosclerosis that usually occurs in legs. It causes less blood supply to legs cause cramps and sores in the legs.

6. High Blood Pressure: When force or pressure of the blood flowing through the vessels gets high due to any blockage is known as High Blood pressure.

7. Stroke: A stroke can happen when one of the vessels that lead to the brain either becomes blocked by a blood clot or bursts. This stops blood flow and prevents oxygen from getting to the brain.

Conditions likely to raise chances of Circulatory diseases

High cholesterol causes narrowing of vessels which increases the chances of a person getting a blood clot. Overweight or obese people also have more possibility of developing circulatory diseases. Being active can reduce the risk. By doing regular exercise a person can keep the heart-healthy. Genetic factors are also there for the occurrence of heart diseases.

When to See a Cardiologist

Cardiovascular diseases like stroke, heart failure, heart attack are dangerous, life-threatening and need medical advice as early as possible. Always consult a cardiologist and medical practitioner for a healthy heart lifestyle.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. Jugaadin.com does not claim responsibility for this information.

Tachycardia is of three types:

Supraventricular

Ventricular

Sinus Tachycardia

Causes of High heart rate:

1. Irregular Blood Pressure (High Blood pressure/Hypertension)

2. Excessive exercise, sudden stress

3. Prolonged use of certain medications and their side effects

4. Drinking Alcohol and Caffeine included beverages

5. Heart failure, Heart Attack and reduced amount of blood supply to the heart (Atherosclerosis)

6. Thyroid

Dr. Dinesh Sehgal explains the symptoms of Tachycardia which include:

1. Shortness of breath

2. Dizziness

3. Sudden weakness

4. Fluttering in the chest

5. Lightheadedness

6. Fainting

7. Heart Palpitations

To prevent Tachycardia, the following tips can be followed:

Exercise, maintain a healthy weight, keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control, healthy diet, stop drinking alcohol and smoking, stay stress-free.

If you have heart disease, you can consult a cardiologist to lower your risk of developing tachycardia.

Disclaimer: The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.

Dr. Dinesh Sehgal, Interventional cardiologist, Sapra multispeciality Hospital explain some signs and reasons that give you an alarm why you should visit the heart physician for maintaining a healthy heart:

1. High Cholesterol level: When the total value of Cholesterol (HDL and LDL) becomes high, your risk for heart disease increases. Always keep a check on cholesterol level with the guidance of your doctor.

2. High Blood Pressure: If you are suffering from high blood pressure and it constantly remains high, then you are at high risk of having heart disease.

3. If you are or were a smoker, you have an increased rate of heart disease. Cigarette smoking is injurious not only for lungs but it also damages the lining of arteries wall and causes blockages.

4. Genetics play an important role in determining the rate of Heart disease. If your parents or forefathers were having heart issues, then it is likely that you also can face Heart diseases.

5. Diabetic patients whose blood sugar level remains high are more susceptible to suffer from High BP, High Cholesterol and Obesity.

6. Preeclampsia: Preeclampsia is a condition in which an expectant mother develops high blood pressure. The condition has been linked to a fourfold increase in the risk of heart failure, making pregnancy the most dangerous time for a woman’s heart outside of the post-menopausal years.

7. Tooth and Gum Disease: Patients with swollen gums often have heart disease.

8. Last but not least, when your family doctor or Physician recommends you to see a cardiologist, you must pay attention to their words and visit the specialized physician as soon as possible.

Cholesterol being waxy in nature doesn’t dissolve in the blood. So to be transported in the bloodstream, it is divided into two forms known as LDL (low-density lipids) and HDL (High- Density lipids). LDL is known as Bad cholesterol and HDL as good cholesterol.

As cholesterol is produced by our own body, thus we do not require it from an outside source. The outside source like trans fat, saturated fats, a diet rich in cholesterol only increases the cholesterol level and trigger the body to produce more which is very much harmful to the Heart or coronary arteries.

Foods that are low in saturated fat and free of cholesterol can help in lowering blood cholesterol level. And these include plants that are rich in soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol by lowering the absorption of cholesterol and reduces the amount of cholesterol the liver produces. Oatmeal, barley, beans, nuts, and some fruits and vegetables are all good sources of soluble fiber.

There are many studies through which it is found that vegetarian diet holders as compared to non-vegetarian are less prone to heart diseases. It is recommended to adopt a low-fat, plant-based diet, get daily exercise, avoid tobacco, and manage stress to reverse the chance of heart disease.

This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general heart health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your cardiologist or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

There are many reasons which cause damage to the heart muscle:

1. Heart attack: Due to sudden blockage in coronary artery, heart pumping efficiency gets affected.
2. High blood Pressure: Blood pressure is the force that blood pushes to the walls of the arteries. High pressure will eventually weaken the heart muscle and its pumping efficiency.
3. Diabetes can cause damage to heart muscle due to high blood sugar level
4. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism
5. Myocarditis: Inflammation of heart muscle caused by virus also causes heart failure.

Types of heart failure are:

Left side Heart failure: This is the most common form of heart failure. From the left side of the heart, blood goes to all the parts of body. When muscle is not working properly, then blood backs up into the lungs and not effectively pumped.

Right Side Heart failure: This failure occurs due to left side heart failure as fluid occurs to build up in lungs in left side failure. The working of right side heart is to pump blood to the lungs for oxygenation.

Diastolic Heart failure: This is also known as diastolic dysfunction. When heart muscle becomes stiff, it can’t pump blood effectively.

Systolic Heart failure: when heart size is abnormal, then it fills improperly with blood causes no pumping or less flow of blood to the other parts of the body.

 If any person feel congested lungs, shortness in breath, fluid retention, swollen legs, increased weight, fatigue, tiredness, inability to do daily chores and fast heart beat, then they should immediately consult a cardiologist and ask for an evaluation of their heart.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist/cardiologist or your own doctor for more information. Jugaadin News does not claim responsibility for this information.

For those who survive after heart attack, the prevention of subsequent coronary events and the maintenance of physical functioning are the major challenges. Cardiac rehabilitation programs are recognized as integral to the comprehensive care of patients with heart attack said Dr. Dinesh Sehgal leading cardiologist (Sapra Multispeciality Hospital, hisar)

Follow below tips for healthy heart

•  Physical activity/Exercise is recommended /prescribed for patients with heart attack.

•  20- 60 minutes of Walking, running, cycling or swimming, etc. 3-5 days per week, 8-10 different exercises for both upper and lower body, 2-3 days per week.

•   Monitor for abnormal signs and symptoms, i.e., chest pain, dizziness, and dysrhythmias as exercise may precipitate cardiovascular complications in heart attack patients.

•  Patients with stable angina (Chest Pain) should always carry nitroglycerin and be educated in its use.

There can be individual variations in diet, but in general 50-60% calories come from carbohydrates like whole grains, peas, beans etc.  20-30% from fats like beef, lamb, dairy foods etc,15-20% from proteins Like fish, nuts, poultry etc. Meal should contain one portion of protein, two portions of grains and three portions of vegetables.

Avoid consumption of margarine, oily or fried foods, red meat, sweet preparations like cakes, (remove) pastries, margarine and carbonated drinks. Foods high in magnesium helps to protect heart, include foods such as broccoli, potatoes, spinach, and wheat germ.

•  Include servings of fresh fruits and vegetables in a diet.

•   Decrease salt and sugar intake, Stop smoking and decrease intake of alcohol.

•   keep a check on blood sugar and blood pressure value.

Here is how quickly we can get on with our day to day work

•   Patient can start driving after 6 to 8 weeks

•  Patient can resume to work after 4 to 6 weeks after myocardial infarction.

Continue your medications as prescribed by your doctor.

Disclaimer: Consult your doctor before starting/initiating any of the activity.

Follow below tips for healthy heart

• For the first few weeks after surgery use elevator, later can start climbing steps in gradual manner, by taking 30-60 secs break after every few steps.
• After complete recovery climb steps as a part of your everyday activity.
• Avoid pushing/pulling heavy objects.
• There can be individual variations in diet, but in general 50-60% calories come from carbohydrates (peas, beans, whole grains, and vegetables); 20-30% from fats (fatty beef, lamb, pork, poultry with skin, beef fat,  butter, cheese and dairy foods); and 15-20% from proteins (fish, beans, poultry, nuts, and low-fat dairy)
• Meal should contain one portion of protein, two portion of grains and three portions of vegetables.

• Avoid consumption of oily or fried foods, meat, sweet preparations like cakes, pastries, margarine and carbonated drinks.
• Include servings of fresh fruits and vegetables in a day’s diet.
• Decrease salt and sugar intake, and keep a check on blood sugar and blood pressure value.

• Stop smoking and decrease intake of alcohol.

• Exercise improves your strength after surgery and also helps to increase your cardiac capacity.
• Prefer walking at home during the first week, building compound or neighborhood.

Here is how quickly we can get on with our day to day work

• Patient can lift anything heavier than 3-4 kg after six weeks of surgery.
• Patient can start driving after 6 to 8 weeks of surgery
• Patient can resume to work after 4 to 6 weeks of surgery
• Continue your medications as prescribed by your doctor.

Disclaimer: Consult your doctor before starting/initiating any of the activity

How body works in Excessive Heat:

Our body maintains its temperature according to the environment. When temperature increases our bodies try to keep us cool mostly by evaporation (sweating) and radiation (directing more blood flow to the skin). But as humidity increases, the rate of evaporation decreases. Thus it strains the cardiovascular system because it affects the water and mineral balance in body.

Problem become worse for the persons having weak heart or person on a verge of heart failure. The loss of minerals( Sodium and Potassium) and releasing of stress hormones can become fatal. Increased blood flow and dehydration due to heat can drop blood pressure of the person. Other symptoms of heat related heat related Heart disease are: Nausea, vomiting, Headache, fatigue, etc.

Dr. Sehgal give some important tips for heart patient to follow during hot and humid summers.

Keep your Body Hydrated: Drik enough water to keep the body hydrated and safe from the sun heat. Avoid taking tea, coffee and other beverages.

Exercise: light exercise in morning and evening is also best.

Proper fabrication: one should prefer cotton clothes in summers as it absorbs the sweat.

Apply ice for heat exhaustion and cool compress for heat stroke.

If you think, after doing certain precautions, problem still persists, immediately call the doctor.