According to the American Heart Association, an enlarged heart is identified through physical exam or other diagnostic procedure. It can occur as a result of damage to the heart muscle from heart attack, congestive heart failure and other...
Conjunctive heart disease---or, as it's called more commonly, conjunctive heart failure or congestive heart failure---refers to a condition in which the heart is not working the way it should. When this happens, the heart doesn't receive enough...
Fainting, known as syncope, is a brief loss of consciousness from lack of blood flow to the brain that results in a person falling or collapsing. According to the American Heart Association, cardiac, non-cardiac and idiopathic (unknown) causes can...
It can be frightening to hear your pediatrician say that your child has a weak pulse, but there are many common causes for this symptom, including hormonal and nutrient imbalances and overexposure to some drugs and toxins. Unusual causes include...
The pericardium is a connective tissue layer, like a sac, that surrounds the heart. It contains a fluid that lubricates the outside of the heart. The pericardium is opened during cardiac bypass surgery in order to access the heart for the...
Gluten intolerance occurs when the stomach lining reacts negatively to the presence of the protein gluten in the diet. It can lead to a range of symptoms and associated conditions, including arrhythmia, an abnormality in the rhythm of the...
If you're one of the thousands of people diagnosed with pericarditis each year, you might have felt you were having a heart attack because the symptoms are similar. Pericarditis can even affect healthy young athletes and children due to a viral...
Have your blood pressure taken by your doctor or a trained health care professional using a sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope. To get accurate readings, you should be sitting down and not have eaten or engaged in physical exercise for at least...
Excessive fluid buildup around the heart, known as pericardial effusion, can be diagnosed on fetal ultrasound. Pericardial effusion can interfere with the heart's ability to pump blood to the rest of the body. The fetus doesn't receive enough...
Fresh alfalfa juice can help to guard against a wide range of diseases and contribute to your overall health and well-being. A high-fiber, protein-rich plant, alfalfa roots as much as 30 or 40 feet into the earth and absorbs valuable trace...
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland produces less of certain hormones than the body needs. Symptoms include fatigue, muscle aches, brittle fingernails and hair, depression, swollen face, joint pain, weight gain and increased sensitivity...
The World Health Organization estimates that at least 15.6 million people have rheumatic heart disease. Rheumatic heart disease is caused by rheumatic fever and the associated inflammation of the heart. Andrew G. Moore M.D., co-author of "Mayo...
According to Mesothelioma.net, mesothelioma is a rare form of malignant cancer that occurs when the cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide extremely rapidly. Malignant mesothelium cells can invade and damage the organs they would...
The heart contains four one-way valves that open and close in sync with heart contractions. Malformation of a heart valve or damage acquired through disease sometimes necessitates heart valve replacement. A poorly functioning valve may be replaced...
