Blockage in Heart Vessels(CAD)

Service Description

Coronary artery disease is a narrowing or blockage of your coronary arteries usually caused by the buildup of fatty material called plaque. Coronary artery disease is also called coronary heart disease, ischemic heart disease and heart disease. Coronary arteries are the blood vessels that supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle to keep it pumping. The coronary arteries are directly on top of your heart muscle. You have four main coronary arteries: The right coronary artery. The left coronary artery. The left anterior descending artery. The left circumflex artery. Coronary artery disease is caused by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque inside your arteries. Plaque consists of cholesterol, fatty substances, waste products, calcium and the clot-making substance fibrin. As plaque continues to collect on your artery walls, your arteries narrow and stiffen. Plaque can clog or damage your arteries, which limits or stops blood flow to your heart muscle. If your heart does not get enough blood, it can't get the oxygen and nutrients it needs to work properly. This condition is called ischemia. Not getting enough blood supply to your heart muscle can lead to chest discomfort or chest pain (called angina). It also puts you at risk for a heart attack. Coronary artery disease happens in everyone. The speed at which it develops differs from person to person. The process usually starts when you are very young. Before your teen years, the blood vessel walls start to show streaks of fat. As plaque deposits in your artery’s inner walls, your body fights back against this ongoing process by sending white blood cells to attack the cholesterol, but the attack causes more inflammation. This triggers yet other cells in the artery wall to form a soft cap over the plaque. This thin cap over the plaque can break open (due to blood pressure or other causes). Blood cell fragments called platelets stick to the site of “the injury,” causing a clot to form. The clot further narrows arteries. Sometimes a blood clot breaks apart on its own. Other times the clot blocks blood flow through the artery, depriving the heart of oxygen and causing a heart attack. Symptoms of CAD are Chest discomfort (angina) described as heaviness, tightness, pressure, aching, burning, numbness, fullness, squeezing or a dull ache. The discomfort can also spread to or only be felt in your left shoulder, arms, neck, back or jaw, Feeling tired, Dizziness, lightheadedness, Nausea.