To better understand the correct treatment for heart disease we need to understand the different aspects of heart disease. Most of us think of heart disease as a heart attack which is quite likely to be fatal if the patient does not get medical attention at once. While that is indeed the most commonly perceived condition associated with the heart it is by no means the only one.
Treatment depends on the type of heart disease
Other diseases related to the vital organ include the coronary artery disease, the cardiac arrhythmias, heart rhythm problems, hypertension, congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, disorders associated with the heart valves such as blockages, heart infections and of course congestive heart failure. Thus it would follow that the treatment for heart disease will be based on the specific condition related to the heart from which the patient is suffering.
The function of the heart
The word disease and its treatment would indicate that there was something wrong with the vital organ that needed treatment for heart disease. So it is imperative for us to get an idea about the functioning of the heart.
What is it that the heart is supposed to do and what goes wrong when it is diseased.
The heart is essentially a muscular pump located within the confines of the rib cage in the chest of a human being. The main job of the heart is to continuously and rhythmically purify and pump oxygenated blood into the human body.
As long as it pumps blood the body can stay alive and function normally, but if the heart gives way for some reason, the trouble begins.
What can go wrong with the heart and why
The need for treatment for heart disease arises when the heart is in some way incapacitated from conducting its primary and vital function of pumping purified blood into the circulatory system for the human body. The problems can be in the muscles of the heart which may have signs of atrophy or it may arise from the coating of cholesterol in the veins and arteries which may result in partial blockage of the passage.
In either case the heart is unable to perform its function with accuracy and the body suffers for this. Some of this trouble is related to the sedentary lifestyle while other heart disease conditions may stem from a genetic defect that runs in the family.
The treatment for heart disease
Specialized treatment is available for the specific heart disease that a patient is diagnosed with. If the symptoms of the heart disease are caught in time, the patient will be put on medications which will help reverse or cure the disease. In some cases the symptoms do not appear till quite late and then emergency treatments such as balloon angioplasty and bypass graft surgery are undertaken at short notice.
These are surgery procedures in which the blockages in the arteries are cleared out. In an angioplasty a balloon sort of device in inserted into the artery and pushes the cholesterol layering the arteries away. In a bypass graft the weakened artery is bypassed and another stronger one gets the redirected flow of blood. These are specialized treatments that need cardiovascular surgeons to conduct them. The right treatment at the right time can save a life.
