Guide to Herbal Remedies

Heart disease is not really disease of the heart itself, but of the blood vessels supplying it. Conditions such as “hole-in-the-heart” and problems with heart valves (sometimes a consequence of rheumatic fever) can occur, but most problems with heart valves are now the result of their becoming hardened and leaky with age. Heart valve disorders, especially of the main aortic and mitral valves, can cause stress in the heart muscle resulting in heart failure and are best corrected by surgery.
The wide variety of medical names used to cover what most people call “heart disease” ­cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary artery disease (CAD), coronary heart disease (CHD), and ischemic heart disease (IHD) - reveals that the main source of the problem is the arteries that surround and feed the heart (the “coronary arteries”). The real cause of “heart disease” is clogged and hard­ened arteries, a condition known as arteriosclerosis.

Heart Attack
A heart attack is the most dramatic outcome of heart disease. Known medically as a coronary thrombosis or acute myocardial infarction, it is the result of blockage in the coronary arteries feeding the heart. A heart attack invariably comes on suddenly and is often fatal. Symptoms are a vicelike pain in the chest and pains down the left arm and up the left side of the neck to the jaw, sweating, and breathlessness. A heart attack is a serious medical emergency.

Angina
Angina (angina pectoris in full) is a severe chest pain caused by a lack of blood to the arteries around the heart (coronary ischemia in medical terms) and is a clear symptom of heart disease. More common in middle-aged and older men than women, it usually comes on during or immediately after physical exercise or a period of mental and emotional strain. The main symptom is an aching or crushing pain in the center of the chest, sometimes mistaken for heartburn.

Treatment
Emergency medical treatment is with nitroglycerine but acupuncture can be an effective alternative for some people.

Stroke
A stroke is caused by damage to blood vessels supplying the brain. A clot (thrombosis) in one of the carteries causes part of the brain to die from failure of its blood supply (infarction). Another type of stroke is a cerebral hemorrhage or burst blood vessel. Both cause a similar picture clinically - the affected part of the brain ceases to work. This may lead to weakness in the limbs, blindness, or loss of higher functions such as speech. Many strokes are immediately fatal, but partial or complete recovery is possible, with skillful rehabilitation, for those who survive the first few weeks after the initial stroke.

Treatment
This concentrates on maintaining a healthy blood flow keeping muscles and ligaments strong and flexible
Herbal Medicine Yarrow tea (two teaspoons of dried herb in hot water three times a day).

Consult a qualified practitioner/therapist for:
Traditional Chinese Medicine Lovage tube!r be helpful.
Acupuncture should be used as soon as possible counter the effects of paralysis.
Homeopathy Arnica 6c and the biochemic tissue salt Kali mur. 6x twice daily may be helpful.
Massage, Osteopathy, Chiropractic, Hydrotherapy, and Yoga These manipulation and balance therapies can safely be used to maintain muscle tone and flexibility.

Heart is a muscle that is about the size of your fist. It pumps blood around your body and beats approximately 70 times a minute. Heart disease is any disorder that affects the heart’s ability to function normally. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. Almost 700,000 people die of heart disease in the U.S. each year. That is about 29% of all U.S. deaths. Heart disease is a term that includes several more specific heart conditions. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attack. Diseases affecting the heart may be structural or functional. Anything that damages the heart, makes it less efficient, reduces its ability to fill and pump, or decreases the heart’s supply of oxygen will disrupt the coordinated relationship between the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels. Angina affects about 1 in 50 people and, in the UK, there are an estimated 1.2 million people with the condition.
Sometimes it can be mild, and is mistaken for indigestion. Some people have a heart attack without experiencing pain. Cardiomyopathy literally means “heart muscle disease. It is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium for any reason. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia and/or sudden cardiac death. Cardiovascular disease is any of a number of specific diseases that affect the heart itself and/or the blood vessel system, especially the veins and arteries leading to and from the heart. Heart failure can occur in people with coronary heart disease. The heart becomes too weak to pump blood around the body which can cause fluid to build up in the lungs, making it increasingly difficult to breath. It affects men more than women. A heart attack occurs when one of the coronary arteries blocks completely. Heart failure can occur in people with coronary heart disease.

Heart Disease Treatment Tips :
1. Many different medicines are used to treat coronary heart disease, Mostly aspirin and ‘clot-busting’ medication.
2. Blood clots in the coronary arteries are a major cause of heart attacks.
3. Anticoagulants, such as warfarin, are sometimes used to stop the blood clotting.
4. Beta blockers are often used to prevent angina, and treat high blood pressure.
5. Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are commonly used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure.
6. Anti-arrhythmic medicine is sometimes used to control the rhythm of the heart. It is Important that the correct dosage is taken.
7. Cardiac glycosides, such as digoxin, strengthen and slow the heartbeat.
8. Laser surgery is a technique that creates channels in the heart to allow blood to flow more easily.

Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia is not a heart disease, but rather an uncomfortable condition that affects the upper chambers of the heart and makes it start and stop beating abruptly. In other words, your heart may be beating at a normal pace then suddenly, without warning, it will pick up the pace with absolutely no activity required to spark it. The rapid heartbeat causes such symptoms as lightheadedness, chest pain, sweating, and shortness of breath. But while the feeling is very uncomfortable, most doctors agree that the ailment is not life-threatening.
To date, doctors have not found an exact cause to the abrupt increase in heart rate with paroxysmal atrial tachycardia. However, a few possible causes have been pinpointed, including anxiety, caffeine, an over-active thyroid, and even menstruation in women. But according to the American Heart Association, it could also be caused by “a premature atrial beat that sends an impulse along an abnormal electrical path to the ventricles.”
Though my doctor was able to easily diagnose my problem, it seems the condition is not always easy to diagnose because the “attack” has normally long-ended before reaching a doctor. But if by coincidence the ailment is still happening, the doctor can administer an ECG for diagnosis. But what happens after diagnosis? Personally, I was expecting to have to take medication or wear a pacemaker for the rest of my life (keep in mind I was only 14-years-old), but the doctor simply explained that I could increase my potassium levels by eating bananas and potatoes, decrease my intake of caffeine, and stay healthy overall. If my episodes were to increase then I may need medication. But since my paroxysmal atrial tachycardia has only triggered on average about 1-2 times per year in the past 15 years, I was never placed on medication. And when I do get an attack, I take a cold shower if possible then lie down and elevate my feet; this normally works.
According to the American Heart Association its only in worst-case scenarios that a procedure called a catheter ablation may be necessary to remove the precise area of the heart responsible for triggering the fast heart rate, but this is extremely rare and only for those suffering from regular attacks - most people don’t have this problem.
If you have symptoms that sound similar to paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, like any other heart condition, it is advised that you seek medical attention to make sure that there are no other problems issues triggering the attacks. But rest assured, if you are diagnosed with it, the odds of your life being in danger are very slim; basic exercise and a good diet can hopefully keep your paroxysmal atrial tachycardia under control.

Endocarditis is an infection of the endocardium or the heart valves. The endocardium is the membrane lining the inner surfaces of the heart. Endocarditis can occur in people who have certain pre-existing heart diseases. It is important to seek medical treatment as soon as possible as this infection has the ability to severely harm or even destroy the hearts valves. There is a real need to be cautious with some dental and surgical procedures. This is because the risk of endocarditis is increased due to bacteria being introduced into the bloodstream. Other names Endocarditis is known by are ‘infective endocarditis or ‘bacterial endocarditis.
Acute bacterial endocarditis (ABE) symptoms can occur within a few weeks of the infection setting in. Symptoms of sub acute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) can take weeks or months to develop. Some general symptoms of endocarditis can include fever, chills, lethargy, and the loss of appetite and generalized aching throughout the body. Other symptoms include abnormal heart rhythms such as a murmur or tachycardia (rapid heart rate), increased breathing and a persistent cough.
Usually, an infection somewhere else within the body causes bacteria to circulate in the blood. The bacteria that cause most cases of endocarditis belong to the staphylococcus family, such as Staphylococcus aureus or otherwise known as ‘golden staph’.
The bacteria infect the already damaged and or diseased areas of the heart. Prosthetic devices (such as artificial heart valves) may become susceptible to infection as the immune system does not recognize these devices as part of the body. Thus the body may not protect them as aggressively as the body parts it does recognize and may not protect them as aggressively. The infection causes inflammation and blood clots, and the body’s natural healing process causes scarring. A scarred endocardium or heart valve is susceptible to infections in the future.

A heart murmur is a whooshing sound between the beats that a doctor hears through a stethoscope. The whoosh is just an extra noise that the blood makes as it flows through the heart. Doctors usually discover murmurs during regular checkups or when kids see the doctor because they’re sick. Normal heart sounds are called S1 and S2. They are the “lubb-dupp” sounds that are thought of as the heartbeat. These sounds are produced when the heart valves close. Because the heart is also divided into a “right side” and a “left side,” sometimes these sounds may be somewhat divided — most commonly noted is a “split S2,” caused when the right and left ventricles relax, and valves close at very slightly different times.
Healthy children with innocent murmurs do not need treatment because they have a normal heart. If your child has an innocent murmur, alert your pediatrician during regular checkups. Pregnant women with innocent murmurs due to increased blood volume also do not need treatment. If you have an innocent murmur due to an illness or condition such as anemia, hyperthyroidism, or fever, the murmur will go away once the illness or condition is treated.

Causes
The most common cause of abnormal heart murmurs is congenital heart disease. Congenital heart disease occurs when the heart, heart valves, or blood vessels attached to the heart do not develop normally before a baby is born. Some babies are born with a combination of heart defects.
Most heart murmurs are innocent: They are caused by blood flowing through healthy valves in a healthy heart, and do not require treatment. However, heart murmurs can be caused by blood flowing through a damaged or overworked heart valve. Heart-valve defects may be present at birth or heart-valve disease may result from other illnesses, such as rheumatic fever, heart disease, heart attacks, or infective endocarditis.

Symptoms
Most people with heart murmurs do not have any other signs and symptoms of a heart problem. The murmur is usually innocent (harmless).
Some children have what is known as an innocent murmur. These murmurs are not related to congenital heart defects, and usually resolve by the time a child reaches adulthood. If your child’s physician hears an innocent murmur, he/she may want to perform additional tests to ensure a heart defect is not present. A child with an innocent murmur can live a normal life and be as active as any other healthy child.

Treatment
Treatment for heart murmur depends on the cause. Many children and adults have innocent heart murmurs, which do not indicate disease and require no treatment. Sometimes, mitral valve prolapse requires no treatment, just periodic checkups by your doctor. When other conditions, such as high blood pressure, cause heart murmurs, your doctor will treat the underlying cause. Some types of valve disease may require medication or surgery.
Doctors used to recommend that most people with abnormal heart murmurs take antibiotics before visiting the dentist or having surgery. That’s usually not the case anymore. Guidelines released in 2007 reserve preventive antibiotic treatment only for a small group of people who are at high risk of serious complications. Most people with heart murmurs won’t need antibiotics. If you have questions about whether or not you should take antibiotics, talk to your doctor.