List of Heart Conditions

The heart is the most vital organ of the body. Any alteration in the proper functioning of this organ can have drastic effects on a person's health and well-being. Due to the increasing stressful and chaotic lifestyles that we live nowadays, the incidence of heart diseases is on the rise. It is necessary that we are aware of the various complications that may arise.

Types of Heart Conditions

Medical conditions of the heart can be categorized according to the part of the organ that is affected and more often pathogenesis. This makes understanding these diseases easier. The various parts of the heart that lead to problems are as follows:

Heart Chambers - The diseases that affects the heart chambers is congestive heart failure due to a systolic or diastolic dysfunction.

Heart Muscle - This muscle when affected leads to a condition known as cardiomyopathy. The different types of cardiomyopathies are :

• Restrictive cardiomyopathy
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Dilated cardiomyopathy

Myocarditis is another condition that is caused due to inflammation of the heart muscle.

Heart Valves - There are a number of problems that develop due to a defect or alteration in the functioning of the heart valves.

• Mitral stenosis
• Mitral valve regurgitation
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Aortic stenosis
• Tricuspid regurgitation
• Tricuspid stenosis

Arteries and Veins - Heart diseases or disorders caused due to hardening of the arteries or blockage of the same are listed below.

• Angina
• Myocardial infarction
• Coronary artery disease or Ischemic heart disease
• Atherosclerosis - This is a condition where hardening of arteries takes place affecting the blood supply to the heart. Atherosclerosis is more of a risk factor causing heart diseases.

Electrical Conduction - The generic term for conditions developing due to alteration in the electrical system of the heart are known as arrhytmias. These arrhytmias mostly cause tachycardia. The different types of arrhythmias are:

• Sinus tachycardia
• Sinus bradycardia
• Atrial fibrillation
• AV block
• Premature atrial contractions (PAC)
• Atrial flutter
• Supraventricular tachycardia
• Multifocal atrial tachycardia

Heart Lining - The lining of the heart inside the muscle and the valves is known as endocardium. The outer lining is called pericardium. Based on the lining that is inflamed the conditions are called:

• Ebndocarditis
• Pericarditis

These conditions also cause squeezing chest pain. These were the conditions which develop when a part or a particular function of the heart is altered or compromised.

Congenital Heart Disease

This heart condition is the one an individual is born with, due to certain genetic defects or alterations. Congenital heart disease may affect any part or function of this organ. It is categorized separately only because the causative factor for this disorder is genetic or inborn. Following are the conditions that a person is born with.

• Hypoplasia
• Obstruction defects
• Septal defects
• Cyanotic defects

Each of the above mentioned defects has various conditions arising.

Rare Heart Conditions

This is a list of diseases that is not seen very often in people.

• Atrial Myxoma
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
• Long QT Syndrome
• Wolff - Parkinson - White syndrome
• Supraventricular tachycardia
• Atrial flutter

Unless congenital, maintaining a healthy and strong heart is completely in your hands. A balanced diet that maintains your cholesterol, along with regular exercises will keep you away from various problems that arise due to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Given this exhaustive list, you must now be aware how important it is to take care of this organ. A healthy heart is the key to a healthy body, mind and soul.