by Jenni Ingram

Created on: March 15, 2008   Last Updated: April 24, 2008

Heart disease can be a debilitating and painful condition, however, in many cases it is treatable. When many people think of heart disease they think instantly of heart attack. Actually, heart attacks are just one facet of coronary disease (heart disease). Heart attacks are caused by blocked arteries in the heart and symptoms can range from very mild, "a slight feeling of indigestion" to severe, as in cessation of beating of the heart. You may feel tired, "gassy", have pain in one or both arms (particularly the left arm, shoulder, and neck), pain in your jaw, trouble breathing, a gray skin pallor, sweating, and pressure in the chest are some of the most prominent symptoms. This condition is severe and if you have one or more of these symptoms contact 911 immediately and get assistance. Your lifestyle, your blood pressure, cholesterol, tobacco usage, and previous history of heart disease all make you a candidate for a heart attack. Treatments vary and will be discussed later in this article.

Heart disease can be congenital in nature, meaning the damage occurs when the baby's heart forms and it affects how the blood flows through the heart and flows through the veins and arteries surrounding the heart. Some congenital heart problems can be as "simple" as a hole in the heart which is repaired by surgery in many cases, or just careful watching of the patient to see how the heart develops; to severe such as a missing valve or missing heart chamber. Women who have diabetes during pregnancy and babies who are born with genetic disorders such as Downs Syndrome, have a higher instance of congenital heart defects. No one knows what causes these defects, but tobacco and alcohol use during pregnancy, and the use of illegal drugs have definitely been seen as factors in congenital heart disease. While symptoms vary from child to child, you can look for a baby that has trouble breathing, gets tired very easily, does not gain weight normally, has fewer wet diapers, is puffy or swollen, passes out, or has a bluish tint. In some cases, congenital heart problems are not diagnosed until the child has reached their teenage years.

Ischemic heart disease is simply put heart disease in which the lack of oxygen to the heart due to lack of blood flow. This condition is caused by narrowed arteries, and is also called coronary artery disease and coronary heart disease. Some of the symptoms of Ischemic heart disease is angina pectoris (chest pain or discomfort), symptoms of a heart attack,

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