INTRODUCTION
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is a condition in which fatty deposits build up in the walls of the arteries that run to your heart. This may lead to angina (pain in your chest) or a heart attack (Myocardial Infarction).
SYMPTOMS
Coronary heart disease develops slowly over many years. Breathlessness when exercising may be your only symptom. You may not know anything is wrong until you develop chest pains (angina) or have a heart attack.
ANGINA: Angina usually happens if the blood flow in the arteries that supply your heart is restricted.
Symptoms may include the following.
* Discomfort or tightness across your upper chest
* Pain that spreads to your neck, jaw, throat, back or arms
* Feeling out of breath or as if you’re choking
Angina usually lasts for a few minutes and disappears quickly when you rest. Sometimes, if angina comes on when you’re exercising, it can go away if you carry on with what you’re doing. You may hear this described as ‘walking through the pain’.
HEART ATTACK: Sometimes a blood clot forms on top of the plaque in your coronary artery, blocking the artery completely. This may stop blood and oxygen from reaching part of your heart muscle, which can lead to a heart attack Symptoms of a heart attack. Symptoms of a heart attack may include the following.
* A feeling of heaviness, squeezing or crushing in the centre of your chest
* Pain that may spread to your arms, neck, jaw, face, back or stomach
* Feeling breathless
* Sweating
* Feeling sick or vomiting
HEART FAILURE : Coronary heart disease may weaken your heart and lead to heart failure. Heart failure means your heart isn’t strong enough to pump blood around your body effectively and you get tired and out of breath easily. It can also cause swelling in your ankles and legs.
ARRHYTHMIA: If your heart muscle is damaged or dies, this may make your heart beat abnormally (an arrhythmia). This may develop gradually as coronary heart disease progresses. You may feel an arrhythmia as a palpitation (a feeling of a skipping or thumping heart beat) or you may not notice it at all.
DIAGNOSIS
Your General physician will ask about your symptoms and examine you. He or she may also ask you about your medical history. Your GP may recommend you have one or more of the following tests. The tests you’re offered may be determined by your risk of coronary heart disease.
* Blood tests These can check the levels of certain fats. Cholesterol, sugar and proteins in your blood.
* An electrocardiogram (EGC) This is a test that measures the electrical activity of your heart to see how well it’s working. However, an ECG can be normal even if you have coronary heart disease.
* An echocardiogram, this is a test that uses ultrasound to produce a moving ‘real-time’ image of the inside of your heart. It gives information about the pumping action and structure of your heart. A stress echocardiogram is done while your heart is under stress (working harder). For example, you may be asked to walk on a treadmill to make your heart beat faster.
* A chest X-ray. This provides an overall image of your heart and lungs.
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