Being Told You Have Coronary Heart Disease

Being told you have coronary heart disease can be devastating. This is especially true if you have been a strong and independent person your whole life. Not only do you have to contend with the illness, but you also have to find a way to accept that you are not superman.

I remember the day my husband had to be taken to the emergency, complaining of chest pains. He’s a big, strong and tough guy, so calling the ambulance was out of the question. No, we had to drive to the ER and walk in all in our own strength. How shocking it was for him when they rushed a wheel chair over to him and told him he had to sit in it.

Once inside the ER room, the news was not good. His blood pressure was 190/115. Naturally they gave him nitroglycerin to bring it down. A few tests later, he was informed him he was now considered a coronary heart patient and that he had probably had a heart attack. The blood test would later confirm that he had cardiac enzymes in his blood, verifying the fact that he did indeed suffer a mild heart attack. I remember sitting there and hearing the news. I could hardly believe my ears, my husband of 37 years, had heart disease.

He was later operated on and had a stent placed in one of his arteries to open up the blockage. It was 100% blocked by plaque that was created by cholesterol deposits. Many months later after having this procedure done and finally coming to terms with him being told “you have coronary heart disease”, he is on the road to much better health.

The first noticeable symptom of him having coronary heart disease was angina. According to the medical dictionary, the definition of angina is “chest pain or discomfort that occurs when an area of the heart is deprived of oxygen. It is typically described as a crushing or squeezing sensation in the chest and may radiate to the jaw, shoulders, arm or back. It is usually a symptom of underlying heart disease, such as coronary artery disease.” If you are experiencing angina, you really should go to your doctor and have the appropriate testing done and get the treatment you need.

Statistics

According to the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Statistics show that in 2005, about 309,000 people died of a coronary heart attack after being taken to the emergency room for treatment for chest pain. In the Unitied States, there is a death every 34 seconds due to heart disease. Men usually are diagnosed with heart disease at least 10 years sooner than a woman is. Women however, are more likely than a man to die of a first time heart attack.

Treatment

If you survive having a heart attack and are treated for a blocked artery, you will the standard treatment is  to be placed on heart medication the rest of your life. If your artery is blocked,  surgically placing a stent in the artery is now the standard procedure over open heart bypass surgery. The doctors say that the standard drug treatment for coronary heart disease is blood pressure medication to control high blood pressure, along with statin drugs to lower cholesterol levels in the blood stream. Also, coronary patients are now prescribed plavix for at least a year.

Being told you have coronary heart disease can be devastating to an otherwise healthy individual. However, it can be the catalyst needed to help the person sort out what is important in life and what isn’t. The good news is, with expert medical care by a qualified cardiologist, your chances for a continued active life are great.