Heart

Valvular Heart Disease is a diagnosis for a problem with any of the four heart valves. Usually the disease affects the valves on the left side of the heart. There is no cure. But certain lifestyle changes and medication can help you live a longer, fuller life. When symptoms become too serious, surgery to repair valves may be necessary.

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is sometimes called a mini-stroke. It is actually your body warning you that you are at risk for a stroke. Unlike a stroke, it is not long-lasting.

Infective endocarditis is a rare but life-threatening bacterial infection that attacks the lining of the heart and heart valves. People with heart conditions may be more at risk for endocarditis, but it can occur whenever bacteria enters the bloodstream.

Heart palpitations are sensations in your chest caused by a racing, slow, or erratic heartbeat. They’re often nothing to worry about, but they can also be a sign of serious medical conditions such as heart problems. Here’s how to tell the difference.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a serious condition in which your heart no longer pumps enough blood for your body’s needs. CHF makes it hard to breathe, and interferes with kidney function. Changing your lifestyle and taking medications can help slow the disease.

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular, often rapid heart rate that commonly causes poor blood circulation with shortness of breath, fatigue, and palpitations as symptoms.

A dissection (tear) in the aorta, the large artery that delivers blood throughout your body, causes sudden, intense chest or back pain—and getting diagnosed and treated quickly can be a matter of life or death.

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Some people normally have a slow heart rate, especially young adults and physically fit people. But a slow heart rate along with symptoms such as dizziness and sweating may be a sign of a serious condition.

A heart attack means the blood flow to your heart has been cut off. Know the signs and symptoms, when to seek help, and how heart attacks are treated.

You can dramatically lower your risk of heart disease by staying on top of your risk factors, like being overweight and high cholesterol.

Aortic stenosis occurs when the heart's aortic valve stiffens and narrows. This can disrupt blood flow and cause dizziness or chest pain. There are usually no symptoms at first. Left untreated, aortic valve stenosis can lead to serious heart problems.

There are a lot of lifestyle steps you can take to prevent high blood pressure from developing. And ways to help treat it without using drugs or along with drugs. These include improving your diet, exercising, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol use.

Aortic valve regurgitation is when the aortic valve fails and allows blood to flow backward through it, putting pressure on the heart and decreasing forward (normal) blood flow.

Sick sinus syndrome is a condition in which the normal pacemaker of the heart is unable to keep the heart beating at a normal rate to deliver blood to the body.

Carotid artery dissection is a separation of the layers of the artery wall that supplies oxygen-bearing blood to the head and commonly causes strokes in young adults.

Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) is a condition in which the heart beats abnormally fast due to electricity incorrectly traveling between pathways in the heart.

Sudden cardiac arrest is an emergency condition that is described by when the heart suddenly stops beating. Symptoms include a loss of consciousness, lightheadedness or dizziness, or a lack of pulse or breathing. Treatment includes trying to restore the heartbeat via defibrillation.

Vasovagal syncope is sudden fainting caused by a drop in heart rate and blood pressure when your body overreacts to certain emotional or neurologic triggers.

Hypertensive crisis occurs when your blood pressure becomes dangerously high (systolic BP 180/diastolic BP 120 mm Hg), to a level that can damage your organs.

Arrhythmias are irregularities in the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat. They are caused by changes in the electrical signals that make the heart beat normally. Different types of arrhythmias have different treatments—and there are ways to lower your risk of having one in the first place.

A thoracic aortic aneurysm, or TAA, is a bulge in the wall of the aorta. TAA's can lead to a dissection or rupture of the aorta, leading to a life-threatening condition.

A heart attack in a woman is a life-threatening event caused by a disruption in the blood flow to the heart. Women tend to have "silent" attacks and show unusual symptoms.

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy is a condition that is poorly understood, but mimics symptoms of a heart attack such as chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, and palpitations.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy is a type of heart disorder in which the walls of the heart become stiff, preventing it from filling with blood normally.

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are extra, abnormal heartbeats that begin in the lower chambers of the heart instead of the upper chambers.