Diseases and disorders of the heart affect all ages from congenital heart disease at birth to congestive heart failure in the elderly. Statistics from the American Heart Association reported by New York-Presbyterian Hospital in 2008 state that heart disease causes more deaths in the United States than the combination of the next five causes of death. With 80 million Americans suffering from some type of heart disease or disorder, more than 2,400 deaths occur daily as a result.
Congenital Heart Disease
Rush University Medical Center reports that of every 1,000 births in the United States, eight have a congenital heart abnormality. Congenital heart defects occur while the heart develops during the first eight weeks of pregnancy. One type of congenital heart defect allows too much blood flow into the lungs due to failure of the closure between the aorta and pulmonary artery. A condition restricting blood flow into the lungs is the lack of a tricuspid valve. Aortic stenosis caused by improper development of the aortic valve restricts blood flow to the entire body. Treatment of congenital heart disease requires the expertise of a pediatric cardiologist.
Endocarditis
Enotes, an online nursing encyclopedia, reports that endocarditis, an infection of the inner lining of the heart, results from bacteria such as staphylococcus or streptococcus. Damaged heart valves account for most cases of endocarditis. When a heart valve, such as the mitral valve, works improperly by allowing blood to regurgitate into the heart, the bacteria multiply and can damage the valve. Bacterial endocarditis symptoms include difficulty breathing, a low-grade fever, loss of appetite and chills. Hospital admission with intravenous antibiotics is the first line of treatment to get the symptoms and disease process under control. Expect the continuation of antibiotic therapy for six weeks or longer at home.
Heart Attack
The Texas Heart Institute reports that more than 1.2 million Americans experience heart attacks every year. Causes of heart attacks include a buildup of plaque, a blood clot in an artery to the heart and a coronary artery spasm. Heart attack symptoms include chest pain, pain in the jaw, neck or shoulder, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath and sweating. Symptoms in women often differ from those in men with upper abdominal burning without the left-side chest pain. Treatments for a heart attack depend on the cause and include medication to break up a clot, medication for rhythm irregularities and heart surgery to restore adequate blood supply.
Heart Failure
Merck Manual states that heart failure is the inability of the heart to pump blood adequately to avoid backup of blood and reduction in blood flow. The heart's failure to pump blood efficiently, leading to an accumulation of blood on the left side, causes lung congestion. Right-side accumulation affects areas such as the legs. Heart failure consists of two types---systolic dysfunction and diastolic dysfunction. Causes of systolic dysfunction include coronary artery disease, myocarditis and heart valve disorders. Causes of diastolic dysfunction leading to heart failure include high blood pressure and diabetes.
