Heart Blockage Treatment without Surgery

Heart Blockage Treatment without Surgery

Heart blockage is known as coronary artery disease in medical terms. It is mostly caused by deposition of plaque inside the walls of blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. This kind of disease takes place gradually over many years. Hence the symptoms do not come in the notice unless there is a significant blockage in the heart. The prime culprit to this is the sedentary lifestyle.

Signs and symptoms

  • Shortness of breath – When the blood is not able to pump enough blood to the heart, it leads to tiredness and shortness of breath.
  • Chest pain – This is a common symptom manifested as tightness or pressure in the chest. It may be triggered by any mental or physical stress. The pain may also radiate to the neck, back or arm.
  • Heart attack – This happens at the terminal stages when there is a complete blockage of the coronary artery. There is an extreme pressure in the chest radiating to the shoulder and the arm.
  • Abnormal perspiration

Conditions that may occur as a result of heart blockage:

  • STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) – This happens whenever there is a sudden blockage in the blood vessels, leading to a heart attack. A major area of heart muscles may be affected, which is seen through the changes in the ECG and in the chemical markers.
  • N STEMI (non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) – This is not noticed on the ECG or electrocardiogram. However, the chemical markers in the blood may warn you about the damage caused to the heart muscle. The blockage may be complete or partial.
  • Unstable angina –Angina can be a frequent sign. It can be relieved by taking oral medications instantly. However, unstable angina can lead to a heart attack.

How is it treated?

Primarily, the following treatments are most commonly used for coronary artery disease.

However, there is also heart blockage treatment without surgery which is discussed below.

What is the best treatment for heart blockage?

Some of the most commonly done treatments for heart blockage are surgical. However, there are some conditions which can also be treated non-surgically if the blockage is not too severe. Let’s go through some of the most effective ways to deal with the heart blockage:

Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery 

This is a surgery that involves creating a bypassed way around the blocked artery to facilitate the blood flow to the heart. The graft is taken from a blood vessel in another part of the body. The surgery is performed under general anaesthesia. The techniques used to perform the surgery can be either open-heart surgery, minimally invasive surgery, and off-pump surgery. The open-heart surgery is the traditional form of surgery which is performed in cases where a wide incision needs to be made to gain access to the blocked artery.

However, with the minimally invasive technique, the surgery can be performed with a smaller incision where there is easy access.

Off-pump surgery is quite similar to the open-heart surgery in which the chest bone is opened. But, the heart does not stop functioning during the surgery. Unlike the traditional technique, the heart-lung bypass machine is not used. This is also known as beating

 

Heart blockage removal without surgery

Many cases of heart blockage can be treated even without surgery. Some of the non-surgical treatments are given below:

Chelation Therapy

This is a new technique that uses chemical processes for the removal of toxic metals and minerals from the body. A substance called EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is used for the detoxification of the body. The EDTA solution is injected into the patient’s body and it binds with the calcium plaques that cause blockage of the coronary arteries, hence improving the blood flow.

Additional benefits of chelation therapy:

  • It is used in treating metal poisoning, including mercury, iron, arsenic, lead, uranium etc.
  • It may also be used to treat diseases like sickle-cell disease and thalassemia.
  • Moreover, it is used as an antioxidant by reducing the production of free radicals and lower down their negative effect.
  • Chelation therapy is also reported to be used for Alzheimer’s disease.

Lifestyle and dietary changes

A few basic changes in your lifestyle can help you in preventing a heart attack which might happen as a result of heart blockage. Some of these steps:

  • Regular exercise – It is important to walk or do any physical activity on an everyday basis. You may contact your doctor or physiotherapist to learn safe ways to do exercise.
  • Emotional stress – If you are an overly emotional person or take abnormally high stress, its significant to meditate every day. Excessive stress leads to constriction of blood vessels and may also increase the blood pressure.
  • Smoking – Smoking is a major obstacle to recovering from any illness. It should be the first step to be taken when it comes to making lifestyle changes.
  • Dietary changes – Prefer to eat foods which are low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Increase the number of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. You may also include fish or fish oil capsules in your daily diet.
  • Weight management – It is important to work on losing weight if you are obese or overweight and also regularly measure your BMI.

 

Can a heart blockage be treated with medicine?

When you visit a cardiologist after noticing certain signs and symptoms, a detailed cardiac evaluation is conducted. Only after the investigations, the doctor can decide the exact line of treatment for you. The medicinal treatment, however, can be used for multiple purposes such as:

  • To reduce the workload on the heart and dilate the arteries, so that the chest pain is relieved.
  • To prevent angina and other symptoms that may occur due to coronary artery disease.
  • To prevent further narrowing of the coronary arteries.
  • To open up the clogged artery.

The most common categories of medicines that are used in such cases are mentioned below:

  • Aspirin – Sometimes, the doctor recommends taking a daily aspirin or some other blood thinner to reduce the chances of blood clotting and thus preventing the obstruction of the coronary artery. However, aspirin cannot be used by all. People who have bleeding disorders or already taking blood thinners should not take it or consult a cardiologist before taking aspirin.
  • Beta-blockers – These medications are given to reduce the heart rate and hence the blood pressure. This, in turn, reduces the oxygen demand by the heart.
  • Cholesterol-modifying medications – These drugs help in the reduction of low-density cholesterol.
  • Calcium channel blockers – These are most commonly used with beta-blockers if they are unable to work alone. These help in improving chest pain.
  • Nitroglycerine – This medication is available in the form of tablets, sprays, patches etc. It is used to control chest pain by temporarily dilating the coronary arteries.
  • ACE Inhibitors – These are used to reduce blood pressure and indirectly also help in preventing the progression of coronary artery disease.

Can ECG detect heart blockage?

An electrocardiogram is a diagnostic test to examine heart-related issues by measuring the electrical activity of the heart as it pumps. It may be recommended by the cardiologist if you smoke or you are overweight, have diabetes or high blood pressure. People having symptoms like chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness or irregular heartbeats may also be advised to get an ECG.

An ECG may help in detecting enlargement of heart, abnormal position of heart, poor blood supply, inflammation of heart, congenital heart defects etc. However, it cannot tell much about blockage in the coronary arteries.

 

 How do you get rid of heart blockage naturally?

Most of us usually prefer to avoid getting treated by surgeries or medicines as these have their own side-effects. Hence, the researchers all over the world continue to find ways to treat such conditions in a natural way. Here are some of the most beneficial and the most commonly used ways to treat heart blockage:

Garlic 

Garlic is grown worldwide, which was originated from Siberia but then spread to other parts of the world in a span of 5000 years. It is often used to treat high blood pressure, low blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It is reported that garlic helps in restricting the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. It has the following effects on the body which ultimately help in preventing and treating the already existing heart blockage. These effects are:

  • Garlic has chloroform extracts which promote anti-thrombotic and antiplatelet aggregatory effect, which inhibits the platelets to accumulate and coagulate the blood.
  • It also helps in enhancing a process called fibrinolysis, which is carried out to dissolve the clots formed in the blood. This further helps in improving the blood circulation in the body.
  • Garlic also helps the management of heart rate and lowering the blood pressure.
  • It also helps lowering down the cholesterol levels in the body.

Co-Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

It is a good antioxidant that is naturally produced in our body. The levels are kept reducing with advancing age or those who have heart disease. It is most commonly found in meat, fish and whole grains. Other than this, these days campsure and tablets are also available. It is often used to treat heart conditions as well as migraines.

Flax seeds

The flax seeds are mainly composed of phytosterols, omega-3 and lignans, all of which help in boosting the heart health. Especially, phytosterols are the molecules which have a similar structure to cholesterol. These help in preventing the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine.Flax seeds also have huge amounts of fibre which is also in maintaining cardiac health.

 

HOW TO AVOID HEART ATTACK?

Coronary artery disease develops over a period of time with plaque accumulation in the coronary arteries leading to blockages in the artery which ultimately results in heart muscles receiving less blood supply to heart muscles. Patient do not experience any complains of chest pain or dyspnea till blockage accumulation reaches 70-80% in the coronary artery.  Heart attacks happens when the covering of the plaque ruptures. As the severity of the blockages increases the pressure on the inner walls of the arteries increases and chances of heart attack increases.

 

Blockages develop primarily due to error in diet. Eating fried food, cold food, eating non veg food, having skimmed milk, eating fruits daily etc. are primarily the diet one needs to follow. Yoga and daily walking for 30 minutes is necessary for keeping the body fit which in turn helps to avoid the heart attack. Stress management is one of the major important factor that patient needs to do in his daily life as stress in one of the  major reasons that can precipitate heart attack. One should analyses the stress factors that affect his life and learn to manage them. Pranayama and meditation also helps in reducing the stress of the patient.

 

Patient should have complete knowledge of what are blockages and what are the factors that affect his health and what he can do to avoid risk factors and live a healthy life. Another important step patient is that medications should be taken on time. Certain medications help in keep blood thin and avoid blood aggregation and clot formation which in turn avoids heart attack. Patient should regularly get himself tested for lipid profiles, blood sugar levels etc. to ascertain his health level so that he can take preventive measures and avoid further complications. To know exact percentage of blockages one can undergo CT coronary angiography which is a non- invasive diagnostic test.  Patient having heart blockages should avoid going bypass surgery as the complications are many when it comes to open heart surgery. Patient should opt for a more safer, non-invasive procedure called EECP  which helps in establishing collateral circulation and improving the blood flow to the heart.

HOW TO REVERSE HEART DISEASE

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE BEING A LIFESTYLE DISEASE CAN BE REVERSED WHEN CERTAIN NECESSARY STEPS ARE TAKEN.

THE FOREMOST IMPORTANT THING IS REVERSAL OF HEART DISEASE IS DIET MANAGEMENT. HIGH TRIGLYCERIDES LEVEL IN THE BLOOD IS A RISK PARAMETER FOR A PATIENT. INTAKE OF OILY FOOD, FRIED FOOD, FATTY FOOD ETC INCREASES THE TRIGLYCERIDE LEVELS IN THE BODY. ANOTHER IMPORTANT POINT TO DIET MANAGEMENT IS TO STOP EATING NON VEG FOOD. INCLUSION OF FRUITS AND SALADS IN ONE’S DIEST IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT PART OF DIET MODIFICATION.

SECOND FACTOR AFFECTING THE HEART IS STRESS, SO STRESS MANAGEMENT BECOMES AN ESSENTIAL PART OF AVOIDING FUTURE CARDIAC EVENTS. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT CHRONIC EXCESSIVE STRESS CAN CAUSE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE HEART. DEEP BREATHING EXERCISES DURING MOMENTS OF STRESS CAN HELP MANAGE STRESS AND LOWER THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE.25-30 MINUTES MODERATE INTENSE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SUCH AS BRISK WALKING, PRODUCES ENDORPHINS WHICH ARE FEEL GOOD HORMONES OF THE BODYTHAT HELP YOU FEEL CALM AND SLEEP WELL AND KEEPS STRESS AT BAY

THIRD POINT IN REVERSAL OF HEART DISEASE IS YOGA AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE IS ONE OF THE MOFICATIONS ONE NEEDS TO MAKE FOR

REVERSAL OF HEART DISEASE. 30 MINUTES OF DAILY WALKING HAS LONG TERM HEALTH BENEFITS FOR THE BODY AS A WHOLE. YOGA IMPROVES STRENGTH, BALANCE, FLEXIBILITY AND HELPS IN HEART HEALTH.

APART FROM THESE BASIC LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS WE AT CORDIS HEART INSTITUTE ALSO PROVIDE NATURAL BYPASS TREATMENT CALLED EECP TREAMENT AND CHEALTION THERAPY TO PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE.

WHEN DO YOU KNOW CHEST PAIN IS HEART RELATED?

NOT EVERY CHEST PAIN THAT YOU SUFFER FROM IS OF CARDIAC IN ORIGIN. CHEST PAIN CAN ORIGINATE FROM PRIMARILY FROM 4 CAUSES

1 CARDIAC

2 GASTIC CAUSES

3 PULMONARY CAUSE

4 MUSCULAR CAUSE

CARDIAC CHEST PAIN IS USUALLY EXERTIONAL ONLY. SOMETIMES HEART RELATED CHEST PAIN COMES AT REST. BLOOD VESSEL SUPPLYING TO THE HEART ARE CORONARY ARTERY VESSEL. BLOCKAGE IN THESE ARTERIES HINDERS THE BLOOD FLOW TO THE HEART AND THIS HINDERANCE OF BLOOD SUPPLY CAUSES CHEST PAIN. WHEN THE PATIENT IS AT REST HEART MUSCLES REQUIRE 45 ML OF BLOOD. WHEN THE PATIENT IS EXERCISING THE HEART MUSCLE REQUIRES 55-60 ML OF BLOOD. DUE TO THE BLOCKAGE IN THE ARTERIES THE CORONARY ARTERIES ARE NOT ABLE TO MATCH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE HEART MUSCLE. DUE TO THIS DIFFERENCE THE PATIENT EXPERIENCES DISCOMFORT OT CHEST PAIN. WHEN THE PATIENT TAKES REST OR STOPS THE EXERCISE THE BLOOD REQUIREMENT REDUCES SO THE CHEST PAIN DECREASES.

TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR CHEST PAIN

1 E.E.C.P ENHANCED EXTERNAL COUNTERPULSATION. IT IS AN US FDA APPROVED TREATMENT FOR ANGINA AND LEFT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION. IT’S THE NEST TREATMENT FOR CARDIAC PAIN AS IT IS NON SURGICAL AND SAFE. EECP IS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE FOR BYPASS SURGERY AND ANGIOPLASTY

2 ANGIOPLASTY

3 BYPASS SURGERY

4 MEDICAL MANAGEMENT

Are all Heart blockages harmful?

Arterial supply of the heart

There are three arteries that run over the surface of the heart and supply it with blood (see the diagram above). There is one artery on the right side, and two arteries on the left side. The one on the right is known as the right coronary. On the left side, which is the main side, we have the left anterior descending (LAD) that runs down the front of the heart and supplies the front and main wall, and then the left circumflex that supplies the sidewall. If you look carefully, a major artery called the left main artery supplies the LAD and the circumflex.

 

Mild coronary artery disease

Heart blockage less than 40% is classified as mild coronary artery disease. Such blockages are clearly not causing restriction to blood flow and therefore very unlikely to be causing symptoms. It is important to note, however, that there is clear evidence here of progressive coronary artery disease and such patients need aggressive attention paid to risk factors for coronary disease (cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, blood pressure etc.), appropriate medicines, and healthy lifestyle changes such as exercise, weight loss and dietary modification. Paying close attention to these things can prevent progression of heart blockage and help to stabilize it.

 

MODERATE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

A moderate amount of heart blockage is typically that in the 40-70% range. Usually, heart blockage in the moderate range does not cause significant limitation to blood flow and so does not cause symptoms. Moderate coronary artery disease is treated much in the same way as mild disease, basically attention to risk factors, medications, and healthy lifestyle modification. Occasionally, heart blockage at the higher end of the moderate range (50-70%) may require additional testing to see if it is significant or not and may be responsible for symptoms.

 

SEVERE HEART BLOCKAGE

Severe heart blockage is typically that in the greater than 70% range. This degree of narrowing is associated with significantly reduced blood flow to the heart muscle and can underlie symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath. The severe heart blockage causes symptoms and are treated with placement of a stent  or sometimes bypass surgery is required in the setting of multiple severe blockages.

 

TOTALLY HEART BLOCKAGE.

 

100% blockage in coronary artery stopping blood flowing any further and, of course, leading to a heart attack. Such a heart blockage is typically accompanied by major symptoms, and treatment needs to be given in a very timely manner.  If the treatment for this isn’t done within good time (usually the first few hours, the sooner the better), then the heart muscle may die, and once dead, cannot usually recover, which results in reduced heart pumping function and heart failure.

Doctors successfully replace aortic valve without open-heart surgery

Abu Dhabi: A medical team at Prince Mohammad bin Nasser Hospital in Jazan has succeeded in replacing an aortic valve without open-heart surgery on a patient, local media reported.

Saudi surgeons successfully used the less-invasive technique, known as TAVR, on the patient who was suffering from severe aortic valve stenosis, with weakness in the heart muscle.

The patient has recovered and was discharged from the hospital.

The one-way valve inside your aorta opens to allow blood to surge from the heart to the rest of your body. But as you age, the valve’s leaflets may stiffen and become clogged with calcium deposits, restricting blood flow.

About 12% of people ages 75 or older have this condition, known as aortic stenosis. Symptoms include feeling dizzy, faint, tired, and breathless. Unless the valve is replaced, half of people with symptoms from aortic stenosis die within two years.

Until recently, open-heart surgery was the only option for replacing the valve. But a treatment called transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, offers a less invasive alternative with an easier, shorter recovery.

Traditional valve replacement surgery involves having your chest cracked open and going on a heart-lung bypass machine, followed by a week or so in the hospital and a lengthy recovery. It’s risky for everyone but especially for older people, who tend to be frail and have other health problems. Doctors use an online tool that accounts for those issues to estimate a person’s risk of dying during the surgery. Anything higher than 8% is considered high risk. In that case, TAVR is an option.

A Case of Isolated Infragenicular Arterial Lesions Successfully Treated with Open Endarterectomy

A 68-year-old man with a history of superior mesenteric arterial thromboembolism due to chronic atrial fibrillation had experienced intermittent claudication (IC) of his left leg for 3 years. Computed tomography angiography showed focal occlusive lesions in the left distal popliteal artery and proximal segments of the infrapopliteal arteries. Endarterectomy was performed for these localized arterial lesions, and a drastic symptomatic improvement of IC after revascularization was achieved. The endarterectomized segments remained patent for 4 years after the surgery. Endarterectomy could be a useful alternative to bypass surgery and endovascular therapy for the treatment of localized infragenicular arterial lesions.

IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE TO BYPASS SURGERY ?

IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE TO BYPASS SURGERY ?

 

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IS THE NARROWOING OR BLOCKAGE OF THE CORONARY ARTERIES DUE TO PLAQUE FORMATION IN THE ARTERIES. THIS NARROWING OF THE ARTERY CAUSES SYMPTOMS LIKE CHEST PAIN KNOWN AS ANGINA, SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND FATIGUE WHILE WALKING.

 

TWO PRIMARY TREATMENTS OFFERED IN MODERN MEDICINE ARE ANGIOPLASTY AND BYPASS. BYPASS SURGERY INVOLVES AN OPEN HEART SURGERY IN WHICH CHEST IS OPENED UP TO DO THE OPERATION FOR HEART BLOCKAGES. DUE TO THE RISK INVOLVED WITH BYPASS SURGERY TODAY PEOPLE LOOK OUT FOR MORE LATERNATIVE AND NATURAL METHODS TO TREAT HEART BLOCKAGES.

 

ONE OF THE TREATMENTS WHICH COULD BE A FRONTLINE TRERATMENT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT TO BYPASS SURGERY IS EECP. EECP IS AN US FDA APPROVED TREATMENT FOR CAD AND IS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE FOR BYPASS SURGERY AS IT INVOLVES NO RISK AT ALL.

How do know that you’re suffering from a heart problem?

 

alternative to bypass surgery

Patients who suffer from chest pain at rest or exertion or breathlessness on walking are the ones who could be suffering from heart blockages. They should undergo further test such as stress test or 3d vasculography to evaluate if there is decrease in blood supply to the heart.

If the stress test comes positive it’s highly suggestive that heart is receiving less blood supply and should go for further evaluation procedures like angiography.

 

What is angiography procedure?

Angiography is a diagnostic procedure that is done to evaluate the percentage of blockages in the heart. It requires one day admission to the hospital. When blockages are detected in any patient further treatment advised are angioplasty, bypass surgery or eecp.

 

What is angioplasty?

Angioplasty is an intervention procedure in which a stent is inserted in the blocked artery. The stent  help in widening the artery which facilitates to improve the blood supply to the heart. The disadvantage of angioplasty is that there is 15% chance of restenosis in the same artery.

 

What is a bypass procedure?

Bypass surgery is an open heart surgery procedure in which a blood vessel is taken from some part of your body and is used to divert blood flow around the blocked artery. But bypass surgery has its complications and risks. The major complication that can arise from bypass surgery is bleeding, arrhythmia, blood clot, chest pain, heart attack or stroke. Moreover in bypass surgery the recovery period is longer for the patient.

 

What is EECP?

EECP is a natural bypass therapy which is the safest and best alternative for patient suffering from heart blockages. It is the best alternative to bypass surgery and angioplasty as it has no side effects and provides a natural method to increase the blood supply to the heart.

Vulnerable ways to cure the problems of heart without any pain or surgery

When the large vessels that carry blood throughout the body stiffen and narrow down, it leads to Artery disease. In the case of carotid artery disease, the arteries that carry blood to the brain become clogged keeping the oxygen rich blood from flowing freely to the brain which can even cause a stroke. To diagnose these blocked arteries, doctors generally opt for Angioplasty surgery which is the most commonly known method. The angioplasty procedure involves opening of the arteries blocked by the plague and restoring normal blood flow to the brain, heart and other parts of the body. The procedure takes about an hour to be completed. However, angioplasty is not always necessary in all cases. Although safe, angioplasty may not be suited for everyone. Depending on the age, overall health and location of the blocked artery the procedures may differ.

Carotid Endarterectomise is one such alternative to angioplasty. This surgical procedure is used to restore blood flow in carotid arteries which are large arteries in the neck region that supply blood to the brain. In this procedure, the plaque is peeled away from the artery wall as a result of which the blood begins to flow normally again.

Coronary artery bypass graft is another alternative that can be used to restore blood flow to the brain by bypassing blocked arteries altogether. Segments of healthy blood vessels called grafts are taken from other parts of the body such as legs, arms or chest to create a new channel through which the blood can be directed past the blocked part of the artery. This allows more blood to get through the heart muscle. This process is usually more effective treatment option particularly for patients with diabetes based on evidence.

It is essential to discuss the risks and benefits of numerous surgeries possible with your surgeon and doctor before finalising on the best option suited for you.