What is coronary heart disease?

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a type of heart disease due to the occlusion of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries serve to supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. When the arteries become narrow and stiff because of fatty plaques, this will affect the circulation to the heart and results in the damage of the heart muscle.

What causes it?

A number of risk factors, individually or in combination, can lead to coronary heart disease, including

• Smoking
• High fat diet
  
• Physical inactivity
  
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol levels
  
• Obesity
• Diabetes mellitus
• Stress
• A family history of coronary heart disease

What are the common symptoms?

The most common signs and symptoms are:

• Chest pain or feeling tightness, heaviness in the chest. The pain can spread down one or both arms, or up to neck, jaw, shoulder or back. The pain is usually induced by physical exertion (such as climbing stairs) and relieved by rest.
  
• Puffiness and shortness of breath.
  
• Paleness, sweating or weakness.
  
• Nausea, vomiting or indigestion.
  

How can I prevent it?

You can lower your risk of having a heart disease by:

• No smoking.
  
• Have a healthy diet, avoid too much fats, oils, salts and sweets.
  
• Take suitable exercise based on your physical condition.
  
• Control your weight.
  
• Get adequate rest and avoid stress.
  
• Control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels with regular checking according to doctor's instruction.
  

There are many treatments such as medication and surgery along with lifestyle changes which slow down the progress of this disease. The choice of an appropriate treatment is based on the severity of the symptoms, the extent to which they affect the patient's life, and the presence of any other medical conditions.

How can I help myself?

Consult a doctor if you have any suspicions. The doctor would check your history and arrange the necessary examination to make a diagnosis.

If you have a diagnosis of CHD, there are many things you can do to help yourself. All preventive advice applies. These include:

• Quit smoking.
  
• Maintaining a healthy weight.
  
• Having regular exercise under medical supervision.
  
• Eating a low fat and low cholesterol diet.
  
• Taking prescribed medications to treat chest pain and to control your high blood pressure and cholesterol.
  

If you have any suspicions, you should seek medical advice.