Common heart conditions

Common heart conditions - Illnesses & conditions | NHS inform Home Illnesses and conditions Symptoms and self-help Tests and treatments Healthy living Care, support and rights Scotlands Service Directory 0 Home Illnesses and conditions Heart and blood vessels Conditions Common heart conditions Common heart conditions There are many different heart conditions and problems which are collectively called heart disease. Its always best to discuss your heart condition with your health professional or heart specialist who can advise you on the correct diagnosis and name of your condition and treatment plan. Heart disease and different conditions affect the hearts ability to work efficiently. It can be worrying and confusing to be diagnosed with a heart condition, but theres a lot of information and support available to you. Sometimes understanding what is happening can help you worry less. Coronary heart disease The most common heart condition in Scotland is coronary heart disease. This is caused when the hearts blood vessels  the coronary arteries  become narrowed or blocked and cant supply enough blood to the heart. It can lead to angina and/or a heart attack. Read more aboutcoronary heart disease Angina Angina is a pain or discomfort in your chest, arm, neck, stomach or jaw that happens when the blood supply to your heart becomes restricted because of your arteries becoming narrowed. This clogging is called atheroma. Angina is a symptom of coronary heart disease, not an illness in itself. Angina is your hearts way of telling you its not getting enough oxygen when youre doing something strenuous or youre feeling under stress. Many people learn to recognise how much activity will bring on an angina attack  this is called stable angina. If you have unexplained chest pain, seek urgent medical advice  you will need an assessment of your overall health. Unstable angina Unstable angina can be undiagnosed chest pain or a sudden worsening of existing angina. It happens when the blood supply to the heart is severely restricted and angina attacks occur more frequently, with less and less activity. These attacks may even happen at rest or wake you from sleep. They can last up to 10 minutes. You should see your doctor urgently, and you may be admitted to hospital. Until tests confirm the diagnosis, this is sometimes called Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). Read m ore about angina Heart attack A heart attack  also known as myocardial infarction or MI  happens when the blood supply to part of your heart muscle becomes completely blocked. This is most commonly caused by a piece of fatty materialbreaking off and ablood clot forms within a coronary artery. This can cause damage to the part of your heart muscle which that particular coronary artery was supplying. Read more about the symptoms of a heart attack Heart failure If the hearts pumping action cant work effectively, your heart muscle cant meet your bodys demand for blood and oxygen, and your body develops various different symptoms, like fatigue and shortness of breath. This is called heart failure because of the failure of your heart to work efficiently. Read more about heart failure Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythms) The heart muscle has its own electrical system which helps to stimulate the heartbeat. If the electrical signals within your heart are interrupted or disturbed, your heart can beat too quickly (tachycardia), too slowly (bradycardia) and/or in an irregular way. This is called an arrhythmia. Read about arrhythmia on theChest Heart & Stroke Scotland website Valve disease The valves open and close to regulate the flow of blood through the heart. Problems with the valves can increase the workload of your heart and can put a strain on your heart muscle, leading to a range of symptoms, like: shortness of breath swollen ankles fatigue chest pain (angina or palpitations) dizziness or fainting Read about heart valve problems on theChest Heart & Stroke Scotland website High blood pressure Another condition which can affect the heart is high blood pressure or hypertension. Although its not a disease in itself, hypertension can lead to an increased risk of developing serious conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. Read moreabout high blood pressure and reducing the risks to your heart Congenital heart conditions Congenital heart conditions occur when theres an abnormality or defect with the structure of the heart of a developing foetus while inside the mothers womb. A baby may be born with only one defect or with several defects. Some types of congenital heart defects are life-threatening, either immediately to the newborn or over time. Read more about congenital heart disease Inherited heart conditions Inherited conditions can be passed on through families. They are sometimes called familial or genetic heart conditions. They can affect people of any age and can be life-threatening. The first sign theres a problem is often when someone dies suddenly with no obvious cause. These conditions are different from most congenital heart conditions, although some congenital conditions can also be inherited. Read more about inherited heart conditions Source: Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland - Opens in new browser window Last updated: 09 November 2023 How can we improve this page? Help us improve NHS inform Thank You Your feedback has been received Dont include personal information e.g. name, location or any personal health conditions. 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