bowang0911/MedQuAD huggingface dataset:
Angina is a symptom of an underlying heart problem. Its usually a symptom of coronary heart disease (CHD), but it also can be a symptom of coronary microvascular disease (MVD). So, if youre at risk for CHD or coronary MVD, youre also at risk for angina.
                
The major risk factors for CHD and coronary MVD include:
                
Unhealthy cholesterol levels.
                
High blood pressure.
                
Smoking.
                
Insulin resistance or diabetes.
                
Overweight or obesity.
                
Metabolic syndrome.
                
Lack of physical activity.
                
Unhealthy diet.
                
Older age. (The risk increases for men after 45 years of age and for women after 55 years of age.)
                
Family history of early heart disease.
                
For more detailed information about CHD and coronary MVD risk factors, visit the Diseases and Conditions Index Coronary Heart Disease, Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors, and Coronary Microvascular Disease articles.
                
People sometimes think that because men have more heart attacks than women, men also suffer from angina more often. In fact, overall, angina occurs equally among men and women.
                
Microvascular angina, however, occurs more often in women. About 70 percent of the cases of microvascular angina occur in women around the time of menopause.
                
Unstable angina occurs more often in older adults. Variant angina is rare; it accounts for only about 2 out of 100 cases of angina. People who have variant angina often are younger than those who have other forms of angina.
Pain and discomfort are the main symptoms of angina. Angina often is described as pressure, squeezing, burning, or tightness in the chest. The pain or discomfort usually starts behind the breastbone.
                
Pain from angina also can occur in the arms, shoulders, neck, jaw, throat, or back. The pain may feel like indigestion. Some people say that angina pain is hard to describe or that they can't tell exactly where the pain is coming from.
                
Signs and symptoms such as nausea (feeling sick to your stomach), fatigue (tiredness), shortness of breath, sweating, light-headedness, and weakness also may occur.
                
Women are more likely to feel discomfort in the neck, jaw, throat, abdomen, or back. Shortness of breath is more common in older people and those who have diabetes. Weakness, dizziness, and confusion can mask the signs and symptoms of angina in elderly people.
                
Symptoms also vary based on the type of angina you have.
                
Because angina has so many possible symptoms and causes, all chest pain should be checked by a doctor. Chest pain that lasts longer than a few minutes and isn't relieved by rest or angina medicine may be a sign of a heart attack. Call 911 right away.
                
Stable Angina
                
The pain or discomfort:
                
Occurs when the heart must work harder, usually during physical exertion
                
Doesn't come as a surprise, and episodes of pain tend to be alike
                
Usually lasts a short time (5 minutes or less)
                
Is relieved by rest or medicine
                
May feel like gas or indigestion
                
May feel like chest pain that spreads to the arms, back, or other areas
                
Unstable Angina
                
The pain or discomfort:
                
Often occurs at rest, while sleeping at night, or with little physical exertion
                
Comes as a surprise
                
Is more severe and lasts longer than stable angina (as long as 30 minutes)
                
Usually isnt relieved by rest or medicine
                
May get worse over time
                
May mean that a heart attack will happen soon
                
Variant Angina
                
The pain or discomfort:
                
Usually occurs at rest and during the night or early morning hours
                
Tends to be severe
                
Is relieved by medicine
                
Microvascular Angina
                
The pain or discomfort:
                
May be more severe and last longer than other types of angina pain
                
May occur with shortness of breath, sleep problems, fatigue, and lack of energy
                
Often is first noticed during routine daily activities and times of mental stress
You can prevent or lower your risk for angina and heart disease by making lifestyle changes and treating related conditions.
                
Making Lifestyle Changes
                
Healthy lifestyle choices can help prevent or delay angina and heart disease. To adopt a healthy lifestyle, you can:
                
Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke
                
Avoid angina triggers
                
Follow a healthy diet
                
Be physically active
                
Maintain a healthy weight
                
Learn ways to handle stress and relax
                
Take your medicines as your doctor prescribes
                
For more information about these lifestyle changes, go to How Is Angina Treated? For more information about preventing and controlling heart disease risk factors, visit the Diseases and Conditions Index Coronary Heart Disease, Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors, and Coronary Microvascular Disease articles.
                
Treating Related Conditions
                
You also can help prevent or delay angina and heart disease by treating related conditions, such as high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and overweight or obesity.
                
If you have one or more of these conditions, talk with your doctor about how to control them. Follow your treatment plan and take all of your medicines as your doctor prescribes.
A heart murmur is an extra or unusual sound heard during a heartbeat. Murmurs range from very faint to very loud. Sometimes they sound like a whooshing or swishing noise.
                
Normal heartbeats make a "lub-DUPP" or "lub-DUB" sound. This is the sound of the heart valves closing as blood moves through the heart. Doctors can hear these sounds and heart murmurs using a stethoscope.
                
Overview
                
The two types of heart murmurs are innocent (harmless) and abnormal.
                
Innocent heart murmurs aren't caused by heart problems. These murmurs are common in healthy children. Many children will have heart murmurs heard by their doctors at some point in their lives.
                
People who have abnormal heart murmurs may have signs or symptoms of heart problems. Most abnormal murmurs in children are caused by congenital (kon-JEN-ih-tal) heart defects. These defects are problems with the heart's structure that are present at birth.
                
In adults, abnormal heart murmurs most often are caused by acquired heart valve disease. This is heart valve disease that develops as the result of another condition. Infections, diseases, and aging can cause heart valve disease.
                
Outlook
                
A heart murmur isn't a disease, and most murmurs are harmless. Innocent murmurs don't cause symptoms. Having one doesn't require you to limit your physical activity or do anything else special. Although you may have an innocent murmur throughout your life, you won't need treatment for it.
                
The outlook and treatment for abnormal heart murmurs depend on the type and severity of the heart problem causing them.
People who have innocent (harmless) heart murmurs don't have any signs or symptoms other than the murmur itself. This is because innocent heart murmurs aren't caused by heart problems.
                
People who have abnormal heart murmurs may have signs or symptoms of the heart problems causing the murmurs. These signs and symptoms may include:
                
Poor eating and failure to grow normally (in infants)
                
Shortness of breath, which may occur only with physical exertion
                
Excessive sweating with minimal or no exertion
                
Chest pain
                
Dizziness or fainting
                
A bluish color on the skin, especially on the fingertips and lips
                
Chronic cough
                
Swelling or sudden weight gain
                
Enlarged liver
                
Enlarged neck veins
                
Signs and symptoms depend on the problem causing the heart murmur and its severity.
A heart murmur isn't a disease. It's an extra or unusual sound heard during the heartbeat. Thus, murmurs themselves don't require treatment. However, if an underlying condition is causing a heart murmur, your doctor may recommend treatment for that condition.
                
Innocent (Harmless) Heart Murmurs
                
Healthy children who have innocent (harmless) heart murmurs don't need treatment. Their heart murmurs aren't caused by heart problems or other conditions.
                
Pregnant women who have innocent heart murmurs due to extra blood volume also don't need treatment. Their heart murmurs should go away after pregnancy.
                
Abnormal Heart Murmurs
                
If you or your child has an abnormal heart murmur, your doctor will recommend treatment for the disease or condition causing the murmur.
                
Some medical conditions, such as anemia or hyperthyroidism, can cause heart murmurs that aren't related to heart disease. Treating these conditions should make the heart murmur go away.
                
If a congenital heart defect is causing a heart murmur, treatment will depend on the type and severity of the defect. Treatment may include medicines or surgery. For more information about treatments for congenital heart defects, go to the Health Topics Congenital Heart Defects article.
                
If acquired heart valve disease is causing a heart murmur, treatment usually will depend on the type, amount, and severity of the disease.
                
Currently, no medicines can cure heart valve disease. However, lifestyle changes and medicines can treat symptoms and help delay complications. Eventually, though, you may need surgery to repair or replace a faulty heart valve.
                
For more information about treatments for heart valve disease, go to the Health Topics Heart Valve Disease article.
Heart block is a problem that occurs with the heart's electrical system. This system controls the rate and rhythm of heartbeats. ("Rate" refers to the number of times your heart beats per minute. "Rhythm" refers to the pattern of regular or irregular pulses produced as the heart beats.)
                
With each heartbeat, an electrical signal spreads across the heart from the upper to the lower chambers. As it travels, the signal causes the heart to contract and pump blood.
                
Heart block occurs if the electrical signal is slowed or disrupted as it moves through the heart.
                
Overview
                
Heart block is a type of arrhythmia (ah-RITH-me-ah). An arrhythmia is any problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat.
                
Some people are born with heart block, while others develop it during their lifetimes. If you're born with the condition, it's called congenital (kon-JEN-ih-tal) heart block. If the condition develops after birth, it's called acquired heart block.
                
Doctors might detect congenital heart block before or after a baby is born. Certain diseases that may occur during pregnancy can cause heart block in a baby. Some congenital heart defects also can cause heart block. Congenital heart defects are problems with the heart's structure that are present at birth. Often, doctors don't know what causes these defects.
                
Acquired heart block is more common than congenital heart block. Damage to the heart muscle or its electrical system causes acquired heart block. Diseases, surgery, or medicines can cause this damage.
                
The three types of heart block are first degree, second degree, and third degree. First degree is the least severe, and third degree is the most severe. This is true for both congenital and acquired heart block.
                
Doctors use a test called an EKG (electrocardiogram) to help diagnose heart block. This test detects and records the heart's electrical activity. It maps the data on a graph for the doctor to review.
                
Outlook
                
The symptoms and severity of heart block depend on which type you have. First-degree heart block may not cause any severe symptoms.
                
Second-degree heart block may result in the heart skipping a beat or beats. This type of heart block also can make you feel dizzy or faint.
                
Third-degree heart block limits the heart's ability to pump blood to the rest of the body. This type of heart block may cause fatigue (tiredness), dizziness, and fainting. Third-degree heart block requires prompt treatment because it can be fatal.
                
A medical device called a pacemaker is used to treat third-degree heart block and some cases of second-degree heart block. This device uses electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate. Pacemakers typically are not used to treat first-degree heart block.
                
All types of heart block may increase your risk for other arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation (A-tre-al fih-brih-LA-shun). Talk with your doctor to learn more about the signs and symptoms of arrhythmias.
Heart block has many causes. Some people are born with the disorder (congenital), while others develop it during their lifetimes (acquired).
                
Congenital Heart Block
                
One form of congenital heart block occurs in babies whose mothers have autoimmune diseases, such as lupus. People who have these diseases make proteins called antibodies that attack and damage the body's tissues or cells.
                
In pregnant women, antibodies can cross the placenta. (The placenta is the organ that attaches the umbilical cord to the mother's womb.) These proteins can damage the baby's heart and lead to congenital heart block.
                
Congenital heart defects also may cause congenital heart block. These defects are problems with the heart's structure that are present at birth. Often, doctors don't know what causes these defects.
                
Acquired Heart Block
                
Many factors can cause acquired heart block. Examples include:
                
Damage to the heart from a heart attack. This is the most common cause of acquired heart block.
                
Coronary heart disease, also called coronary artery disease.
                
Myocarditis (MI-o-kar-DI-tis), or inflammation of the heart muscle.
                
Heart failure.
                
Rheumatic (roo-MAT-ik) fever.
                
Cardiomyopathy (KAR-de-o-mi-OP-a-the), or heart muscle diseases.
                
Other diseases may increase the risk of heart block. Examples include sarcoidosis (sar-koy-DOE-sis) and the degenerative muscle disorders Lev's disease and Lenegre's disease.
                
Certain types of surgery also may damage the heart's electrical system and lead to heart block.
                
Exposure to toxic substances and taking certain medicinesincluding digitalis, beta blockers, and calcium channel blockersalso may cause heart block. Doctors closely watch people who are taking these medicines for signs of problems.
                
Some types of heart block have been linked to genetic mutations (changes in the genes).
                
An overly active vagus nerve also can cause heart block. You have one vagus nerve on each side of your body. These nerves run from your brain stem all the way to your abdomen. Activity in the vagus nerve slows the heart rate.
                
In some cases, acquired heart block may go away if the factor causing it is treated or resolved. For example, heart block that occurs after a heart attack or surgery may go away during recovery.
                
Also, if a medicine is causing heart block, the disorder may go away if the medicine is stopped or the dosage is lowered. Always talk with your doctor before you change the way you take your medicines.
The risk factors for congenital and acquired heart block are different.
                
Congenital Heart Block
                
If a pregnant woman has an autoimmune disease, such as lupus, her fetus is at risk for heart block.
                
Autoimmune diseases can cause the body to make proteins called antibodies that can cross the placenta. (The placenta is the organ that attaches the umbilical cord to the mother's womb.) These antibodies may damage the baby's heart and lead to congenital heart block.
                
Congenital heart defects also can cause heart block. These defects are problems with the heart's structure that are present at birth. Most of the time, doctors don't know what causes congenital heart defects.
                
Heredity may play a role in certain heart defects. For example, a parent who has a congenital heart defect might be more likely than other people to have a child with the condition.
                
Acquired Heart Block
                
Acquired heart block can occur in people of any age. However, most types of the condition are more common in older people. This is because many of the risk factors are more common in older people.
                
People who have a history of heart disease or heart attacks are at increased risk for heart block. Examples of heart disease that can lead to heart block include heart failure, coronary heart disease, and cardiomyopathy (heart muscle diseases).
                
Other diseases also may raise the risk of heart block, such as sarcoidosis and the degenerative muscle disorders Lev's disease and Lenegre's disease.
                
Exposure to toxic substances or taking certain medicines, such as digitalis, also can raise your risk for heart block.
                
Well-trained athletes and young people are at higher risk for first-degree heart block caused by an overly active vagus nerve. You have one vagus nerve on each side of your body. These nerves run from your brain stem all the way to your abdomen. Activity in the vagus nerve slows the heart rate.
Signs and symptoms depend on the type of heart block you have. First-degree heart block may not cause any symptoms.
                
Signs and symptoms of second- and third-degree heart block include:
                
Fainting
                
Dizziness or light-headedness
                
Fatigue (tiredness)
                
Shortness of breath
                
Chest pain
                
These symptoms may suggest other health problems as well. If these symptoms are new or severe, call 911 or have someone drive you to the hospital emergency room. If you have milder symptoms, talk with your doctor right away to find out whether you need prompt treatment.
Treatment depends on the type of heart block you have. If you have first-degree heart block, you may not need treatment.
                
If you have second-degree heart block, you may need a pacemaker. A pacemaker is a small device that's placed under the skin of your chest or abdomen. This device uses electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate.
                
If you have third-degree heart block, you will need a pacemaker. In an emergency, a temporary pacemaker might be used until you can get a long-term device. Most people who have third-degree heart block need pacemakers for the rest of their lives.
                
Some people who have third-degree congenital heart block don't need pacemakers for many years. Others may need pacemakers at a young age or during infancy.
                
If a pregnant woman has an autoimmune disease, such as lupus, her fetus is at risk for heart block. If heart block is detected in a fetus, the mother might be given medicine to reduce the fetus' risk of developing serious heart block.
                
Sometimes acquired heart block goes away if the factor causing it is treated or resolved. For example, heart block that occurs after a heart attack or surgery may go away during recovery.
                
Also, if a medicine is causing heart block, the condition may go away if the medicine is stopped or the dosage is lowered. (Always talk with your doctor before you change the way you take your medicines.)
Espaol
                
Asthma (AZ-ma) is a chronic (long-term) lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. The coughing often occurs at night or early in the morning.
                
Asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts during childhood. In the United States, more than 25 million people are known to have asthma. About 7million of these people are children.
                
Overview
                
To understand asthma, it helps to know how the airways work. The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of your lungs. People who have asthma have inflamed airways. The inflammation makes the airways swollen and very sensitive. The airways tend to react strongly to certain inhaled substances.
                
When the airways react, the muscles around them tighten. This narrows the airways, causing less air to flow into the lungs. The swelling also can worsen, making the airways even narrower. Cells in the airways might make more mucus than usual. Mucus is a sticky, thick liquid that can further narrow the airways.
                
This chain reaction can result in asthma symptoms. Symptoms can happen each time the airways are inflamed.
                
Asthma
                

                
Sometimes asthma symptoms are mild and go away on their own or after minimal treatment with asthma medicine. Other times, symptoms continue to get worse.
                
When symptoms get more intense and/or more symptoms occur, you're having an asthma attack. Asthma attacks also are called flareups or exacerbations (eg-zas-er-BA-shuns).
                
Treating symptoms when you first notice them is important. This will help prevent the symptoms from worsening and causing a severe asthma attack. Severe asthma attacks may require emergency care, and they can be fatal.
                
Outlook
                
Asthma has no cure. Even when you feel fine, you still have the disease and it can flare up at any time.
                
However, with today's knowledge and treatments, most people who have asthma are able to manage the disease. They have few, if any, symptoms. They can live normal, active lives and sleep through the night without interruption from asthma.
                
If you have asthma, you can take an active role in managing the disease. For successful, thorough, and ongoing treatment, build strong partnerships with your doctor and other health care providers.