There are many questions about heart disease that you want to know, but you may never know the correct answers. Therefore, heart matters are not as far away as you might think. Paying attention to and understanding heart matters will help you stay ahead of heart disease.

Can the heart get cancer?

The heart is responsible for pumping blood to various parts of the body, while also returning blood to the lungs for filtration, causing blood to pass in and out of the heart all the time. The chance of the heart getting cancer is quite low or very rare, but it can be very dangerous and can be found in people of all ages. Most often, it is another type of cancer that spreads to the heart, such as liver cancer, kidney cancer, lung cancer, etc. The effective treatment for heart cancer is surgical removal of the cancer. However, if you experience abnormal symptoms such as easy fatigue, shortness of breath, low-grade fever, facial swelling, neck swelling, enlarged liver, or pitting edema, it is advised to see a heart specialist for a thorough examination.

How is chest pain from heart disease different from chest pain from other diseases?

Chest pain from heart disease is the most severe, especially if the coronary arteries are narrowed, the chest pain will be evident. The characteristic of heart disease is chest pain during exertion, such as climbing stairs or exerting more than usual daily activities. Therefore, if you exert yourself and pain arises, it should be initially assumed that it may be heart disease. Besides chest pain from heart disease, other conditions that cause similar chest pain include chest pain from heartburn or epigastric pain, chest muscle tear, pericarditis, etc.

Is it true that sweets can cause coronary artery disease?

If comparing the dangers of fat with sugar, if the fat is high, it will accumulate in the blood vessels. In the case of sugar, even though it does not accumulate directly in the blood vessels, sugar accelerates the accumulation of fat plaque or increases inflammation of the blood vessels. When sugar enters the body, it releases insulin to reduce the sugar level, preventing toxicity from sugar or blood vessel inflammation. Therefore, in diabetic patients where insulin functions very little or not at all, even a small intake of sweets can cause blood sugar levels to rise and not decrease due to lack of insulin. When blood sugar levels are very high, blood vessels become inflamed rapidly and high levels of fat accumulate in the arteries, posing a danger to the heart.

What kind of exercise-related fatigue increases the risk of heart disease?

If the heart is healthy, blood can adequately supply different parts of the heart at all times, regardless of how exhausting the exercise is, one can still continue exercising but decrease the intensity. However, if suffering from heart disease, such as coronary artery disease, the heart doesn’t function fully all the time, which might be about 50%-60% of what the heart should be doing. In daily life activities like walking, there won’t be any problem, but when engaging in more exerting activities, especially heavy cardiovascular exercises, it will feel very tiring and painful in the chest. If heart disease symptoms worsen, even with less exertion, one will easily feel exhausted. For example, if able to walk 1 kilometer, it might decrease to 500 meters. From climbing stairs from the first to the second floor without resting, it becomes climbing only a few steps before having to stop. This means that exertion activities will gradually decrease until not wanting to perform activities, which is a sign of heart disease that should prompt a visit to a heart specialist as soon as possible.

Can heart disease patients have sex?

First, it’s important to understand that having sex is not a general activity, but it is an activity that involves exertion to a certain extent. In assessing the intensity for coronary artery disease patients, the maximum oxygen consumption that the body can utilize or METs (Metabolic Equivalents) is considered, comparing intensity levels with the patient’s ability level. 1 MET equates to the body’s oxygen use at rest, 3.5 milliliters of oxygen/kg/min. Generally, the average sex equates to 7 METs, comparable to cycling or walking on a moderately inclined treadmill. Therefore, heart disease patients must test themselves if they can climb stairs or walk on a moderately inclined treadmill; it should not be an issue. It’s advised for heart disease patients to consult a heart specialist to have sex without worrying and to prevent any severe escalation of the disease.

Why must heart disease patients be cautious of tooth decay?

In fact, not all heart disease patients need to be cautious of tooth decay, but those with issues in the heart valve pathology, such as patients who have had heart valve replacement surgery, patients with valve regurgitation, or patients whose heart valve does not close tightly. If bacteria enter the bloodstream, it can adhere to the problematic heart valve, causing valve infection and increased regurgitation that can become severe, possibly requiring urgent surgery. Hence, maintaining strong dental and oral health is crucial for heart disease patients and should not be overlooked, as it reduces the risk of bacteria from tooth decay, which could occur unexpectedly.

Does drinking alcoholic beverages really nourish the heart?

Drinking a small amount of alcohol may help expand blood vessels, but it is mostly difficult to control the correct amount of alcohol consumption, especially in heart disease patients. Heart specialists never recommend that patients consume alcohol. However, if unable to quit, standard drinking (Standard Drink) means moderate drinking, one must know how to drink without harming health. For those who have never drunk, it is best not to start since, whether much or little, alcohol adversely affects the heart, brain, and various organs in the body.

Can heart disease patients with a stent or artificial heart valve fly on a plane? or artificial heart valve fly on a plane?

In the case of heart disease patients with a stent (Stent) to enhance the strength in expanding coronary arteries, or with an artificial heart valve, they can go through metal detectors and MRI machines as usual because the materials used are not electromagnetic. However, in cases where heart disease patients have a permanent pacemaker (Permanent Pacemaker – PPM) implanted in the chest to regulate heart rhythm, it is necessary to inform airport staff before flying each time, as it might trigger a response from metal detectors, hence special pathways should be used at the airport.

Which medication should heart disease patients use when experiencing chest pain? 

When heart disease patients experience sudden coronary artery narrowing due to blood vessel blockage or fat blockage, the blood vessels contract quickly, causing chest pain, thus requiring the intake of vasodilators. When the medication is taken sublingually, it dilates the blood vessels, alleviating the chest pain occurring at that moment. After that, it is crucial to visit a heart specialist to consider further treatment steps. However, medication for heart disease patients should never be taken without prescription; it must be according to a physician’s directions.

Hospitals specialized in treating heart disease

Internal Medicine Cardiology Clinic Bangkok Heart Hospital is ready to address every heart irregularity in all dimensions, by specialized doctors with expertise and multi-disciplinary teams enriched with experience, as well as state-of-the-art medical equipment, ensuring patients have strong, long-lasting heart health.

Doctors specialized in heart disease treatment

Dr.. Chattanong Yodwut Cardiologist Bangkok Heart Hospital

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Heart health check-up packages

Heart health check-up package prices start at 9,900 baht

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