“I’m very worried doctor, I’ve got these terrible palpitations.” Doctors often see patients who express this anxiety. What are palpitations? Palpitations are an awareness of the heart-beating either rapidly. missing beats or thumping in the chest. We have all experienced palpitations because they occur in everyday life. Emotion, exercise, fever, stomach upsets, alcohol ingestion and … Read more
Coronary Heart Disease -the facts by D G Julian and C Marley pwed by Oxford University Press. Heart Disease -what it is and how it is treated by John Wallwork and Rob Stepney published by Blackwell. Exercise for Life free chapter published by the British Heart Foundation, 14 Fitzhardinge Street, London WIH 4DH. The Light-Hearted … Read more
Raised blood pressure also increases the risk of stroke. It is now routine for adults to have their blood pressure measured at intervals when they visit their general practitioner. If you haven’t had it measured within appointment to see your doctor or the last 2 or 3 years it is worth making an practice nurse, … Read more
First, remember that your risk depends on the combination of all the risk factors mentioned above. Even if your blood pressure is slightly raised, for example, your risk may be no more than average if most or all of the other characteristics ar favourable. This conclusion applies especially to the blood cholesterol level, which is … Read more
How far you need to take up the suggestions in this chapter obviously depends partly on your risk of a heart attack. In the United Kingdom, no one is completely safe from the possibility of a heart attack. But the risk does differ considerably from one person to another according to a number of characteristics. … Read more
Heart attacks are the commonest serious illnesses suffered by men and women to-day. Heart attacks are the result of two main processes. One is known as ‘atherosclerosis’. In this condition, there is a gradual build-up of fatty substances in the walls of the coronary arteries which supply the heart muscle with blood. The second is … Read more
Most patients who have less severe forms of heart valve disease will undergo pregnancy without complication though very careful medical supervision is always advisable. If the valve disease is severe then the risk of pregnancy to both mother and baby is greater. This is a matter for detailed discussion between the patient and her doctor. … Read more
In about 5% of the population the mitral valve may be slightly deformed causing it to leak a little. This gives rise to a heart murmur but in terms of the heart is of little consequence; only very rarely does this condition give rise to any problems. The importance of this condition is that because … Read more
Any heart valve that is abnormal is susceptible to infection. This may occur even when the abnormality is mild and is not otherwise causing any trouble. Infection on the valve can be very serious causing a deterioration in the function of the valve and even quite mildly abnormal valves can become seriously leaky if treatment … Read more
The usual length of stay in hospital is about 8-10 days if there are complications. The stay may be longer, but is seldom less. The first four to six weeks after leaving hospital has to be regarded as a time of recovery. There is a wide variation in the rate at which different people get … Read more