Understanding Heart Conditions: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Heart problems can range from relatively mild conditions, requiring little more than a healthy lifestyle and ongoing monitoring, to serious diseases and defects requiring life-saving surgery.

Angina

• Angina is chest pain caused by a lack of oxygen in the heart muscle. This is often, though not always, caused by clogged arteries.

Arrhythmia

• Arrhythmia is a disruption in the heart's rhythm, often experienced as palpitations, skipped beats or "flip-flops." Arrhythmia has a number of causes, including congenital heart defects, electrolyte imbalance, heart muscle conditions or heart attack damage.

Congenital Heart Defects

• A congenital heart defect is an abnormality in the heart's structure that is present from birth. These can range from very treatable conditions such as a "hole in the heart" to rare, often fatal defects such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, in which the left side of the heart does not develop properly.

Heart Failure

• Heart failure is when the heart's ability to pump blood is weakened, eventually resulting in further damage to the heart and, in many cases, a buildup of fluid within the body.

Heart Disease

• Also known as coronary artery disease, this condition is the result of a buildup of cholesterol deposits in the arteries, preventing blood from reaching the heart muscle.

Cardiomyopathy

• Cardiomyopathy is a weakening or thickening of the heart muscle, which can eventually lead to heart failure.