It is crucial to realize that heart disease can cause major health issues if left untreated if you have received a diagnosis. Even if your symptoms are not troublesome on a daily basis, you should keep all scheduled medical appointments and follow all advised lifestyle adjustments. Heart disease that is not properly controlled can have serious health effects, including an elevated risk for stroke.
Types of Heart Disease Associated With Stroke
A critical medical illness known as a stroke is characterized by a disrupted or diminished blood supply to the brain. The brain needs healthy, regular blood flow to ensure that it receives the nutrition and oxygen it needs to function. Because the heart pumps blood to the brain, there is a link between cardiac illness and a higher risk of stroke.
Heart disease of various sorts linked to strokes include:
Heart Rhythm Abnormalities (Arrhythmia)
A heart that is functioning properly can keep its beating steady and regular. About 60–100 times per minute, each heartbeat effectively pumps blood throughout your body.
A specific kind of cardiac condition is characterized by an erratic heartbeat. An arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. An abnormal heartbeat can set off a chain of events that may result in a stroke.
The term “atrial fibrillation” refers to the most prevalent type of arrhythmia. A malfunction of the heart’s natural pacemaker, which is housed in a chamber of the heart called the right atrium, results in aberrant electrical firing in the heart, which causes atrial fibrillation.
Heart Valve Disease
Heart valves are tiny structures that are found in the blood arteries and chambers of the heart. These valves are responsible for ensuring that blood flows in the right path to, through, and out of the heart.
Heart valve problems can have a number of significant effects. Blood clots may form as a result of stasis when blood leaks or “backflows” in the wrong direction. On the valves, blood, cholesterol, and other substances can adhere and develop in little bumps. These growths have the potential to separate, migrate to the brain, and obstruct tiny blood arteries there. Heart valve infections can even transmit debris and “sticky” material that can obstruct the blood supply to the brain.
Heart Attacks
Myocardial infarction, another name for a heart attack, is the term for when the heart muscle dies from a lack of blood supply. This painful condition is typically accompanied by intense shortness of breath and chest tightness. The area of the heart that sustains damage during a heart attack may malfunction as a result of the injury.
Heart Infections and Inflammation
In general, heart infections and inflammatory heart disease are uncommon. The likelihood of either an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke is increased by heart infections.
An infection or inflammation of the heart tissue is known as endocarditis. Risk factors for endocarditis may include prosthetic heart valves. Another risk factor for infective endocarditis is valve dysfunction, such as rheumatic heart disease. Endocarditis management necessitates very strict monitoring, and surgery may be required.
Inborn Heart Defects
An elevated risk of stroke is linked to a number of congenital cardiac abnormalities. Congenital heart defects are another name for inborn heart problems.
Congenital heart disorders can range from heart valve problems to abnormalities in the way the blood arteries of the heart are built. An opening or “hole” in the septum, the wall dividing the heart’s chambers, is the most typical congenital cardiac abnormality.
What Signs and Symptoms Indicate Heart Disease?
Depending on the particular heart problem, several heart disease symptoms exist. Some heart disorders result in weariness, while others cause palpitations, and yet others make you feel exhausted after exerting yourself physically. Heart disease is indicated by dizziness.
Your routine physicals are intended to help discover many illnesses, including heart disease, even though some heart disorders do not present any symptoms, especially if they are mild or still in the early stages. Being aware of any changes in your energy level and making sure that you schedule your recommended medical tests are the best ways to determine if you have heart disease.
A Word From Verywell
Even though heart illness is quite common, you should still take it seriously. Do not put off seeking medical care if you experience any heart disease symptoms. Heart disease treatment has advanced significantly, and the vast majority of heart conditions may be effectively controlled to avoid complications like stroke.
The greatest method to ensure that health issues are found early before they cause serious difficulties is to be sure to undergo routine medical examinations.
