The heart is a contractile muscle that works to supply blood to your body. It contains blood vessels that carry the oxygen and nutrients that your body needs. Sometimes, these blood vessels are blocked. In some cases, fluid can build around your heart. Your heart also contains an electrical conduction system that sets its rhythm. Sometimes, certain medical problems or diseases can disrupt the rhythm of your heart. A heart attack (myocardial infarction), ventricular fibrillation and pericardial effusion are deadly heart conditions.
Heart Attack
A heart attack occurs when the heart's blood vessels are obstructed and it receives no oxygen and nutrients. This can result in heart muscle death and irreversible damage. According to MedlinePlus, risk factors for suffering a heart attack include being male, being over the age of 65 and having diabetes, chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.
Physical symptoms of a heart attack include band-like chest pain that feels like bad indigestion, nausea, vomiting, a cough, trouble breathing and sweating. Sometimes, you may feel lightheaded or dizzy. In other cases, you may suffer a silent heart attack and exhibit few or no symptoms.
MedlinePlus says that treatment includes using blood thinner medications like coumadin to break up the blood clots in your heart. Sometimes, you will be given nitroglycerin to reduce your chest pain and anti-platelet medications such as clopidogrel to prevent blood clot formations. Beta-blocker medications such as metoprolol, ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitor medications such as lisinopril and lipid-lowering medications such as lovastatin are typically given following a heart attack. A coronary bypass is indicated when your coronary arteries (major heart blood vessels) are blocked. Here, your surgeon will take a vein or artery from your leg (or any other location) and use it to bypass the damaged part of your heart.
Ventricular Fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is a potentially life-threatening heart rhythm disorder in which the electricity going through your heart is erratic and disorganized. The Merck Manual says that manifestations of VF include sudden loss of consciousness and seizures. Permanent brain damage and death can ensue when VF is untreated. This is a medical emergency that necessitates cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation (using an external electricity source to jump-start the heart). Anti-arrythmic medications are also given to stabilize your heart rhythm.
Pericardial Effusion
According to the Mayo Clinic, a pericardial effusion is a condition in which you have large amounts of fluid surrounding your heart. This typically results from a bacterial or fungal infection, an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), trauma, HIV or AIDS, and radiation or chemotherapy treatments. Its usual symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, a fast heart rate, fatigue, weakness and painful breathing with respiration (pleuritic pain).
The Mayo Clinic says that treatment is dependent upon the amount of fluid around your heart. Initially, your doctor will give you aspirin, ibuprofen or colchicine to manage the inflammation in your heart. In certain cases, the fluid is so excessive that your heart can no longer beat. This is called a cardiac tamponade. In this instance, invasive surgical procedures such as a pericardiocentesis (using a needle to drain the fluid in your heart), open heart surgery, pericardiectomy (removing a portion of the heart) and intrapericardial sclerosis (injecting a solution to seal the layers of your heart) are indicated.
