Heart diseases affect numerous people across the United States. According to the CDC, heart diseases are the leading cause of death and cause more than 659,000 deaths each year. Moreover, heart disease are more common in women than in men.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to check if there’s something wrong with your heart. In fact, many heart diseases don’t have clear warning signs at all. Some heart symptoms don’t even occur in the chest. As a result, many people can mistake serious heart issues for something else.
Here’s everything you need to know about heart disease and how heart disease prescription assistance can help.
What Are Heart Diseases?
Heart disease is an umbrella term that includes a range of different conditions involving the heart. Here are some of them.
- Aortic stenosis
- Arrhythmia
- Congenital heart defects
- Coronary artery disease
- Dilated cardiomyopathy
- Heart attack or myocardial infarction
- Heart failure
- Heart Valve Disease
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Mitral valve prolapses
- Mitral valve regurgitation
- Pericardial Disease
Symptoms Of Heart Disease
The symptoms a patient might largely depend on the type of heart condition they have. That being said, some heart conditions show no symptoms at all. However, some common heart disease symptoms are listed below.
Chest Discomfort and Pain
The most common sign of heart disease is feeling pain or discomfort in the chest. The patient might also feel tightness or pressure in the chest area if they are experiencing a blocked artery or a heart attack.
Patients can get a feeling of discomfort and pain at any time and usually it lasts more than a few minutes. However, if the pain is very brief, it’s not something related to your heart at all.
Fatigue and Exhaustion
Another sign of heart disease is feeling fatigued or exhausted very easily. This is especially true if you feel tired after doing a task you never had a problem doing before.
These activities include but aren’t limited to:
- Climbing stairs
- Carrying groceries
- Running
That’s because extreme and unexplained exhaustion and weakness that lasts for days is a sign of heart disease. This is especially the case when it comes to women. That’s why it’s vital that you call a medical professional if you’re experiencing fatigue from doing simple tasks.
Irregular Heart Beat and Palpitations
Feeling your heart race is a common and natural experience that we all feel when we’re excited. Your heartbeat becomes irregular when you’re happy, nervous, scared, etc.
However, it’s worrying if you feel that your heart is skipping beats or beating in a fast pattern for more than a few seconds. It’s important that you contact a medical provider if this happens frequently.
Though caffeine or lack of sleep can also cause irregular heartbeat and palpitations, it could also be atrial fibrillation. So, it’s better to have it checked immediately.
Pain spreading to Other Areas
Pain or ache that travels down the left side of the body is a major sign of a heart attack. If you experience pain that starts in the chest and travels down your arm, then it’s time to call a medical professional.
Nausea, Dizziness, Lightheadedness
Though not eating or sleeping enough can make you feel dizzy, this is another point of concern. It’s especially true if you also feel shortness of breath or discomfort in your chest often.
Swollen Ankles, Leg, and Feet
Swollen ankles and feet can be a major sign that your heart isn’t pumping blood as effectively as it should. That’s because blood backs up in our body’s veins and causes bloating when our heart doesn’t pump it fast enough. Moreover, heart failure can also cause kidneys to take out extra water and sodium. This also causes bloating.
Treatment Options For Heart Disease
Since there are various heart diseases, there are quite a few treatment options available. All of these depend upon the patient’s condition.
Medications For Heart Disease
There are many prescription medicines that can help manage and alleviate symptoms associated with heart disease. These include:
- Anticoagulants
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors
- Angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors
- Beta-blockers
- Cholesterol-lowering medications, like atorvastatin (Lipitor)
- Diuretics
- Vasodilators
Heart disease is a serious condition that can worsen over the course of time if not treated properly. However, heart medication can be expensive, which causes people to avoid getting treatment.
If you need heart disease prescription assistance, let Advocate My Meds help.
Advocate My Meds is a well-known full-service prescription assistance organization that offers full-service prescription assistance programs across the U.S. They provide prescription assistance to underinsured and uninsured families in America in over 1,500 brand-name and generic medicines.
Check if you’re eligible for their prescription assistance enrollment or contact them to learn more.
About the Author
The author is a nurse with over 20 years of experience in dealing with various kinds of heart conditions. In the past time, they also provide medical help for uninsured Americans. That’s why they’re working with Advocate My Meds to ensure patients get the help they need.
