A Guide to Heart Disease Treatment

Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States as well as in other parts of the world, and it is also a major cause of disability. There are many different forms of heart disease, with the most common cause being a narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, which are the blood vessels that work to supply blood to the heart itself.

If you have heart disease then you will need to have some form of heart disease treatment in order to deal with the problem. There are a variety of treatment options that are available.

Heart Disease Treatment Options:

There are some milder and simpler forms of heart disease treatment, many of which can also be a form of prevention, if done before you actually have heart disease. Smoking is a big issue here, and so if you smoke, you must quit. This is one of the first lifestyle changes that you need to do. After three years of not smoking, your risk of heart disease will drop to the level of a nonsmoker.

You also want to lower the cholesterol level in your blood and lowering your cholesterol will work by keeping the plaques from building up in the coronary arteries. Your total cholesterol level should be kept to below 200mg/dL, and your LDL cholesterol level below 130mg/dL.

If you have a problem with blood pressure or diabetes, then you need to make sure that you keep it properly under control, as uncontrolled blood pressure and diabetes are both considered as being major causes of heart disease.

If your heart disease is more serious then most likely you will also have to use more serious methods of heart disease treatment. This includes medical treatment, which will usually be started immediately, even before a definite diagnosis of a heart problem is made.

This medical treatment may include oxygen through a tube in the nose, oxygen through a face mask, nitroglycerin under the tongue, pain medicines, and aspirin. There are also clot dissolving medicines which are often given, and the earlier these drugs are given, the better the chances of opening the blocked artery and protecting the cardiac muscle from further injury.

You should never start any type of treatment for heart disease without speaking to your doctor first, unless it is something that is obviously safe for you to do, such as quit smoking and drinking.