6 Complications of heart disease that are fatal

Heart disease (cardiovascular) indicates a problem with the function or structure of the heart and surrounding blood vessels. If you are diagnosed with this disease, your doctor will likely recommend taking medications such as valsartan, heparin, or warfarin. You may even need to undergo certain medical procedures and make lifestyle changes as recommended by your doctor. If not done, heart disease can get worse and cause complications. So, what are the complications?

Causes of complications of heart disease

Complications are disorders that arise when a certain disease becomes worse than the previous condition. This can occur in all types of diseases, including cardiovascular disease.

Usually, this is characterized by the worsening of heart disease symptoms, such as shortness of breath and chest pain. It can also cause symptoms to occur more frequently or cause new, annoying symptoms.

Basically, the cause of complications of heart disease is the patient's non-compliance with medication and treatment. Either that, patients do not take regular medication, are lazy to exercise, violate dietary restrictions for heart disease, or people with heart disease still stubbornly smoke.

These bad habits not only lead to complications, but also cause cardiovascular disease. This is because blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and body weight are out of control. As a result, the heart and blood vessels are increasingly overwhelmed to carry out their normal functions.

Complications of heart disease to watch out for

Launching the Mayo Clinic health website, there are various complications that can attack cardiovascular disease patients over time, including:

1. Heart failure

Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, occurs when the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as it should.

This condition is caused by narrowing of the arteries in the heart or hypertension (high blood pressure) which is getting worse every day, making the heart muscle weak and stiff. The following are congestive heart failure that you need to be aware of:

Shortness of breath when lying down and persistent cough with reddish white phlegm.
Swelling of the ankles or hands.
Irregular heartbeat.
Chest pain, decreased appetite, and the body is easily tired.

2. Heart attack

Heart attack is the most common complication of heart disease in people with atherosclerosis. This condition occurs when blood flow to the heart becomes blocked by plaque (accumulation of fat, cholesterol, and other substances). This plaque then breaks up and forms a clot and interferes with blood flow.

A person having a heart attack should get immediate medical attention. Pay attention to the various symptoms of a heart attack that may occur, such as:

A squeezing or squeezing sensation of the chest that extends to the neck, jaw, and left back.
Shortness of breath, accompanied by nausea, dizziness and cold sweats.

3. Stroke

Stroke occurs when the heart is not working effectively, blood clots are easy to form and can block blood vessels. As a result, the flow of nutrient and oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the brain is obstructed and causes a stroke.

Apart from heart attacks, this is a fairly common complication in heart disease patients. A person who has a stroke, generally experiences various symptoms, such as:

Difficulty speaking and walking.
Paralysis or numbness of the face, feet and hands.
The vision in one or both eyes becomes blurry and blackened.
Severe headache that occurs suddenly.

4. Cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest indicates the cessation of heart function, causing breathing problems and loss of consciousness.

This condition often occurs due to electrical disturbances in the heart so that the task of the organs in pumping blood becomes disrupted and stops blood flow to the heart. Cardiac arrest is an emergency condition because if it is not treated immediately it can cause death.

These complications of heart disease can occur without warning. Sometimes it can also cause symptoms before cardiac arrest, such as:

Shortness of breath accompanied by an irregular heartbeat.
Chest discomfort.

5. Peripheral artery disease

The disruption of blood circulation in the narrowed arteries can reduce blood flow to the limbs. As a result, this will lead to peripheral artery disease. Usually this condition causes cramps, numbness, or pain in the thighs, calves, and hips.

Some of them also experience hair loss, cold legs, and erectile dysfunction in men. These symptoms can be improved by diligently doing sports that are safe for heart disease, quitting smoking, and eating foods that are healthy for the heart.

6. Aneurysms

Aneurysms are a serious complication in heart disease patients. This condition begins with a lump in a blood vessel in the brain which can leak or burst at any time.

Before bursting, the lump may cause symptoms of pain in one eye, impaired vision, and numbness on one side of the face. When the lump bursts, symptoms include:

Severe and sudden headache.
Nausea, vomiting, accompanied by a stiff neck.
Seizures and loss of consciousness.
Shadowed vision and very sensitive to light.

If you experience symptoms related to complications of cardiovascular disease, get a doctor's examination immediately. As a precaution, have your health checked regularly.