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Understanding Coronary Disease Cardiovascular Disease; Ayurveda terms and
Symptomatology. |
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Cardiovascular
Disease from an Ayurvedic Perspective. Ayurveda
classifies Cardiovascular Disease under the following: ุ Adibalapravrutta:
Hereditary Cardiovascular Disease
e.g. metabolic diseases ุ Janmabalapravrutta:
Congenital Cardiovascular Disease ุ Doshabala
pravrutta: Vata, Pitta, Kapha, Sannipatika ุ Sanghatabalapravrutta:
(a) Traumatic. (b) Poisoning ุ Kalabalapravrutta:
Environmental or seasonal ุ Upasargaja:
Infectious diseases e.g.
Endocarditis, Myocarditis, Pericarditis ุ Swabhavabalakruta:
Natural diseases e.g. ageing, death ุ Adhyatmika:
Psychological factors leading to
Cardiovascular Disease or hypertension ุ Daivabalakruta:
Idoipathic, bad luck due to bad deeds
of previous lives. For
each of the above classifications of Cardiovascular Disease Ayurveda has a
different treatment approach Symptomatology - Ayurveda Pathogenesis
of Heart problems Cardiac
problems arise mainly due to improper diet and stressful life styles. "
These lead to thickening of arteries (dhamani praticaya) or hardening of
arteries (dhamani kathinaya) resulting in angio-obstruction (vata dosa) and
angina (ruja). High
blood pressure that hammers the arterial walls roughens them and causes the
arterial wall to thicken. Fatty
cholesterol particles get deposited under the inner lining of the arteries
(i.e. atherosclerosis). The higher the pressure more the deposits will occur.
Subsequently
these deposits become calcified due to fibrous growth and involved arteries
lose their elasticity. It prevents blood from flowing easily and may lead to
clotting. The
clot formation can suddenly choke off the blood supply and lead to a heart
attack, stroke or kidney failure. Causes of heart disease in Ayurveda | Vayaam tikshna ati
virechak vasti chinta bhay trasgada atichaara | ุPhysical exertion ุDrastic &
excessive purgation & enema. ุAnxiety. ุFear ุTerror ุFaulty
management of disorder ุSuppression of vomiting
& ama. ุInjury Cause of Heart Disease ?? Many
of us are told that cholesterol is the main culprit behind Heart Disease. BUT More
than half of Heart Attack patients in US have normal cholesterol levels.
& today's research says that the inflammation of blood vessels is the
main cause. Symptoms of Heart Disease | Vavivaraya murcha
jwara kash hikka swasasya vairasya trisna promoha| ุAbnormal
Complexion. ุFainting
ุFever
due to Inflammatory heart disease. ุCough ุHiccough
due to mitral Regurgitation or stenosis (narrowing). ุBreathlessness.
ุDistaste
of mouth due to coronary insufficiency. ุTendency
of Emesis. ุAnorexia.
ุThirst
ุChest
Pain ุGiddiness Types
of cardiovascular disease and their relation to Ayurvedic evaluation The
cardiovascular system consists of the heart and all blood vessels throughout
the body. Diseases ranging from aneurysms to valve disease are types of
cardiovascular disease. A
person may be born with some types of cardiovascular disease (congenital) or
acquire others later on, usually from a lifetime of unhealthy habits, such as
smoking, which can damage the arteries and cause atherosclerosis. Some
specific terms used to describe the various forms of cardiovascular disease
are: Coronary
artery disease. This
is a common form of cardiovascular disease. Coronary artery diseases are
diseases of the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood. Sometimes
known as CAD, coronary artery disease is the leading cause of heart attacks.
It generally means that blood flow
through the coronary arteries has become obstructed, reducing blood flow to
the heart muscle. The most common
cause of such obstructions is a condition called atherosclerosis, a largely
preventable type of vascular disease. Coronary artery disease and the
resulting reduced blood flow to the heart muscle can lead to other heart
problems, such as chest pain (angina) and heart attack (myocardial
infarction). Ayurveda
views atherosclerosis according to the symptoms. Degeneration
of the blood vessels is caused by increased Vata
in the blood vessels, which make them
hard, thin, dry and rough. Deposits of lipids and calcium represent
deposition of Kapha (water
& earth element) in the degenerated vessels resulting in irregular
thickening of blood vessels. Ayurveda therefore concludes that this disease
is caused by an increase of Vata and
vitiation of Kapha in
the blood vessels.
Heart
attack. A
heart attack is an injury to the heart muscle caused by a loss of blood
supply. The medical term for heart attack is "myocardial
infarction," often abbreviated MI. A heart attack usually occurs when a
blood clot blocks the flow of blood through a coronary artery a blood
vessel that feeds blood to a part of the heart muscle. Interrupted blood flow
to the heart can damage or destroy a part of the heart muscle.
Coronary
Artery Disease causing heart attack Arteriosclerosis
This is a chronic disease of the arterial system resulting
in the abnormal thickening of and hardening of the walls of the blood
vessels. Smooth muscle cells and collagen fibres migrate into the tunica
intima, causing stiffness and thickening, which gradually narrow the arterial
lumen. It is believed that changes in the lipid, cholesterol and phospholipid
metabolism within the tunica intima also contribute to arteriosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis is the most common vascular disease, being the main cause of
death in approximately 50% to 60% of people in the developed world. It is the
main cause of ischaemic coronary Cardiovascular Disease, carotid artery
stenosis by occlusion or thromboembolism. In turn, this can cause ischaemia
in the cerebral arteries, presenting either as transient ischaemic attack or
cerebral infarction. Abdominal aortic atherosclerotic aneurysm, where the
main artery in the abdomen becomes abnormally wide with a thin wall, can
burst. Peripheral vascular disease (PVD), which causes intermittent
claudication or gangrene of the extremities, pain in the legs when walking,
can be relieved by rest. Cardiomyopathy Cardiomyopathy
means diseases of the heart muscle. Some types of cardiomyopathy are genetic,
while others occur for reasons that are less well understood. Cardiomyopathy
Types
of cardiomyopathy include ท
ischemic, which is caused by death or
loss of heart muscle from reduced coronary blood flow; ท
dilated, which means the heart
chambers are enlarged; ท
hypertrophic, which means the heart
muscle is thickened; and ท
idiopathic, which means the cause is
unknown. One
of the most common types of cardiomyopathy is idiopathic dilated
cardiomyopathy an enlarged heart without a known cause. Ayurveda
would look at this as being associated with a pathology of Mamsa
dhatu; and a blockage, caused by toxins in
the Mamsa Vaha srotas. Congenital
heart disease. Congenital
heart disease refers to a form of heart disease that develops before birth,
(congenital). Congenital heart disease is a broad term and includes a wide
range of diseases and conditions. These diseases can affect the formation of
the heart muscle or its chambers or valves. They include such conditions as
narrowing of a section of the aorta (coarctation) or holes in the heart
(atrial or ventricular septal defect). Some congenital heart defects may be
apparent at birth, while others may not be detected until later in life. Aneurysm. An
aneurysm is a bulge or weakness in a blood vessel (artery or vein) wall.
Aneurysms usually get bigger over time. Because of that, they have the
potential to rupture and cause life-threatening bleeding. Aneurysms can occur
in arteries in any location in your body. The most common sites include the
abdominal aorta and the arteries at the base of the brain. Ayurveda
classifies aneurysm as gulma and
understands that this is caused by weakness of muscular tissue (Mamsa)
and an increase in Vata
Valvular
heart diseases. These
are diseases of the heart valves. Four valves within your heart keep blood
flowing in the right direction. Valves may be damaged by a variety of
conditions leading to narrowing (stenosis), leaking (regurgitation or
insufficiency) or improper closing (prolapse). People may be born with
valvular disease, or the valves may be damaged by such conditions as
rheumatic fever, infections (infectious endocarditis), connective tissue
disorders, and certain medications or radiation treatments for cancer. Pericardial
diseases.
These
are diseases of the sac that encases the heart (pericardium). Pericardial disorders
include inflammation (pericarditis), fluid accumulation (pericardial
effusion) and stiffness (constrictive pericarditis). These can occur alone or
together. The causes of pericardial disease vary, as do the problems they may
lead to. For instance, pericarditis can occur after a heart attack and, as a
result, lead to pericardial effusion or chest pain. From and Ayurvedic
perspective the inflammation (pericarditis) is associated with Pitta,
while fluid accumulation (pericardial effusion) with Kapha
and stiffness (constrictive
pericarditis) with Vata. Heart
failure. Heart
failure, often called congestive heart failure, is a condition in which the
heart can't pump enough blood to meet the needs of your body's organs and
tissues. It doesn't mean your heart has failed and can't pump blood at all.
With this less effective pumping, vital organs don't get enough blood,
causing such signs and symptoms as shortness of breath, fluid retention and
fatigue. "Congestive" heart failure is technically reserved for
situations in which heart failure has led to fluid buildup in the body. Not
all heart failure is congestive, but the terms are often used
interchangeably. Heart failure may develop suddenly or over many years. It
may occur as a result of other cardiovascular conditions that have damaged or
weakened the heart, such as coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathy.
Ayurveda
recognises that a mild disturbance in the balance of Vata,
Pitta and Kapha
in the heart muscle results in the
impairment of the cardiac function, which is usually compensated by
increasing the heart rate and increasing the force of ventricular
contraction. Marked disturbance in the balanced state of Vata,
Pitta and Kapha
in the heart muscle give rise to
uncompensated heart failure. High
blood pressure. High
blood pressure (hypertension) is the excessive force of blood pumping through
your blood vessels. It's perhaps the most common form of cardiovascular
disease in the Western world, affecting about one in four Americans. Although
potentially life-threatening, it's one of the most preventable and treatable
types of cardiovascular disease. High blood pressure also causes many other
types of cardiovascular disease, such as stroke and heart failure. Ayurveda
has no corresponding condition in the ancient texts, rather the varying
symptoms are described in various sections. P.V. Sharma suggests that Rakta
Vata is possibly the most appropriate
ayurvedic equivalent. The cause is generally due to a low agni
which causes toxins (ama)
along with increased Kapha and
deposits of fat like substances in the blood vessels in the body resulting an
disturbance of Vyana Vata in
Rasa and Raktavaha
srotas which triggers hypertension. Stroke. A
stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted (ischemic stroke)
or when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures (hemorrhagic stroke). Both can
cause the death of brain cells in the affected areas. Stroke is also
considered a neurological disorder because of the many complications it
causes. Other forms of cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure,
increase your risk of stroke. Peripheral arterial disease and
claudication. Peripheral
arterial disease is a disorder in which the arteries supplying blood to your
limbs usually your legs become narrowed or blocked. When this happens,
legs receive less blood than they need to keep up with demand. Claudication
may then develop. "Claudication" which usually refers to pain in
legs during exercise. When
the obstruction is mild, you may have such symptoms as pain in your legs only
during strenuous exercise. As the disease progresses and arteries become more
obstructed, you may have pain or cramping in your legs even at rest. Arrhythmias. Heart
rhythm problems (arrhythmias) occur when the electrical impulses in the heart
that coordinate heartbeats don't function properly, causing the heart to beat
too fast, too slow or irregularly. Other forms of cardiovascular disease can
cause arrhythmias. Stable
Angina Also
known as Angina pectoris is chest pain caused by myocardial ischemia. It
usually last from 3 to 5 minutes and if the blood flow is restored no
permanent change or damage results. It is usually experienced by chest
discomfort ranging from a sensation of heaviness or pressure to moderately
severe pain. Discomfort may radiate to the neck, lower jaw, left arm and left
shoulder, or occasionally to the back or down the right arm. Discomfort is
commonly mistaken for indigestion. Stable
angina is caused by gradual luminal narrowing and hardening of the arterial
walls, so that affected vessels cannot dilate in response to increased
myocardial demand associated with physical exertion or emotional stress. Prinzmetal
angina. Prinzmetal
angina is chest pain attributed to transient ischemia of the myocardium that
occurs unpredictably and almost exclusively at rest. Pain is caused by
vasospasm of one or more major coronary arteries with or without associated
atherosclerosis. The pain often occurs at night during rapid eye-movement
sleep and may have a cyclic pattern of occurrence. The angina may occur from
hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, increases calcium flux in
arterial smooth muscle or impaired production or release of prostaglandin or
thromboxane. Silent
Ischemia. Myocardial
ischemia often does not cause detectable symptoms such as angina. Ischemia
can be totally asymptomatic which is referred to as silent ischemia. People
who do not experience angina often have silent episodes of myocardial
ischemia. Mental
Stress induced Ischemia. Recent
study has suggested that an artery is occluded in some individuals during
mental stress. Rozansky documented myocardial ischemia by radionuclide
angiography (RNA) during mental stress, the majority of cases (83%) were
silent without recognizable symptoms. These observations confirmed in
similar studies, suggest that the increases in blood pressure induced by mental
stress and the increase in myocardial oxygen demand play a role in the
pathophysiology of mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia. Chronic
stress has been linked to a hypercoagulable state that may contribute to
acute ischemic events. Hypertension. Hypertensive
Cardiovascular Disease is generally 1.
Left ventricular hypertrophy in the absence of other cariovascular pathology
and 2. A history of hypertension. Hypertension strongly predisposes to
atherosclerosis and so most patients with elevated blood pressure have
significant coronary atherosclerosis. The vascular disease increases
peripheral resistance and viscosity in the arteries. The heart then must
maintain a normal cardiac output against this increased peripheral resistance
and can accomplish this only by hypertrophy of myofibres causing cardiac
enlargement |
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