Heart disease can take many forms, including coronary artery disease, heart-muscle damage, rhythm disorders and valve abnormalities, according to the Swedish Health Center, a nonprofit healthcare provider in Seattle, Wash. Some heart problems are acquired over time, while others are present at birth, and some can significantly affect a person's quality of life. Relatively common types of heart problems include angina pectoris, patent foramen ovale and enlarged heart.
Angina Pectoris
Angina pectoris affects many Americans. According to the American Heart Association, or AHA, angina pectoris, or simply angina, is the medical term for chest pain or discomfort associated with coronary heart disease, and angina is symptomatic of a condition known as myocardial ischemia. Angina occurs when the heart does not receive sufficient blood flow and oxygen, and a common cause of angina is a narrowing or blocking of one or more of the heart's blood vessels or coronary arteries. Angina may occur in people when they are exercising, experiencing strong emotions or being exposed to extreme temperatures. Angina can even occur while a person is resting, depending on the type of the disorder. Three types of angina are stable angina, unstable angina and variant angina pectoris. The AHA notes that angina signals an increased risk of heart attack, cardiac arrest and sudden death.
Patent Foramen Ovale
The foramen ovale is a small hole situated between the heart's atria, in the atrial septum, that's used during fetal circulation to accelerate the passage of blood through the heart, according to the Cleveland Clinic.The foramen ovale typically closes at birth when elevated blood pressure on the heart's left side forces the opening shut. An atrial septum that fails to close properly is called a patent foramen ovale, or PFO, and is a defect that operates as a flap valve. The defect opens only under certain circumstances, such as while coughing, sneezing or having a bowel movement. If the pressure inside the chest cavity is sufficient, blood may directly pass from the right atrium to the left atrium. Clots or particles entering the right side of the heart can cross the PFO, enter the left atrium and get pumped to the brain or into a coronary artery. If the clot goes to the brain, a stroke may result. If the clot goes to the coronary arteries, a heart attack may occur.
Enlarged Heart
The Mayo Clinic states that enlarged heart, or cardiomegaly, while itself not a disease, is symptomatic of other conditions. Enlarged heart often is a reference to a larger-than-usual heart visualized on chest X-rays, and is one of the first indications that some other pathology may be present. Common medical conditions that cause heart enlargement include the weakening of the heart muscle, coronary artery disease, heart valve problems or aberrant heart rhythms, according to the Mayo Clinic. Other factors may cause a temporary enlargement of a person's heart, such as excessive stress on the body, pregnancy and even aerobic exercise training. The Mayo Clinic notes that, while the conditions causing an enlarged heart may not always be preventable, the disorder is usually treatable, and that treatment targets the underlying cause. Conventional biomedical approaches to treating an enlarged heart and its associated condition or conditions include medications, medical procedures and surgery.
