What Is Red Sage?

When you're dealing with a serious, chronic issue, there are countless alternative and complementary medicines that claim to be able to manage symptoms. Are any of them right for you?

Danshen, sometimes called red sage, scientific name of Salvia miltiorrhiza, has been used for centuries to help treat a wide range of medical concerns, from high cholesterol to type 2

Ventricular Septal Defects

What Is a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)?

A ventral septal defect, more commonly known as a ventricular septal defect (VSD), is a hole between your heart’s lower chambers, or ventricles. The defect can occur anywhere in the muscle that divides the two sides of the heart.
There are varying types of VSDs. Smaller defects may close without any treatment and will not cause any long-term effects. Defects that don’t close on their own can usually be repaired by surgery.

Calcium Channel Blockers for Hypertension

Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are a class of medications used to treat high blood pressure. They’re also called calcium antagonists and are as effective as angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in reducing blood pressure. CCBs can differ in the following ways:

Diuretics for Hypertension

Diuretics, also known as water pills, belong to a class of medications that remove excess salt and water from the body. They are often used to treat hypertension, or high blood pressure. High blood pressure can be a contributing factor in the development of various forms of heart disease.

Blood Thinners for Heart Disease

What are blood thinners?

Blood thinners prevent blood clots, which can stop blood flow to the heart. Learn about how they work, who should take them, side effects, and natural remedies.
Blood thinners are medications taken orally or intravenously (through a vein) to prevent a blood clot. Blood clots can stop the flow of blood to the heart, lungs, or brain. They can cause a heart attack or stroke.

Taking an Aspirin a Day to Prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke May Be Risky

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning people that a daily aspirin regimen may not help prevent a heart attack or stroke, and may cause dangerous bleeding into the brain or stomach.

Although a daily low dose of aspirin has been shown to be effective in preventing a reoccurrence of a heart attack or stroke, the FDA is now warning people who have not had a first heart attack or stroke that taking an aspirin every day may not have a benefit. In fact, doing so may actually cause serious side effects.

Beta-Blockers for Heart Disease

 

Beta-Blockers

Beta-blockers are often prescribed for irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), high blood pressure, and after heart attacks. They’re a class of medication used to block the effects of stress hormones like adrenaline (also called epinephrine) on the heart.

Implanted Medical Devices for Heart Disease

Heart disease can become life-threatening if symptoms persist after less invasive treatments such as medication, lifestyle changes, or minor surgery have been tried.
Implanted medical devices may be recommended when other treatments don’t work. The options may effectively correct some heart conditions on a long-term basis. They may also act as a transition to a more invasive treatment plan, such as a heart transplant.

ACE Inhibitors for Hypertension

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is a serious condition that affects one of every three adults in the United States. It’s characterized by a blood pressure reading above 140/90 mmHg.
In people with hypertension, blood moves through the blood vessels at a higher pressure. This puts increased pressure on the delicate tissues and damages the vessels. People who have hypertension are often prescribed medication by a healthcare professional to help manage their condition. Medications that lower blood pressure are called antihypertensives and come in a variety of classes. ACE inhibitors are one class of

Heart Transplant Surgery

 

What Is a Heart Transplant?

A heart transplant is a surgical procedure used to treat the most serious cases of heart disease. This is a treatment option for people who are in the end stages of heart failure and for whom medication, lifestyle changes, and less invasive procedures haven't succeeded. People must meet specific criteria to be considered a candidate for the procedure.

Candidacy

Valve Replacement Surgery

Valvular heart disease is a form of heart disease that occurs when one or more of the heart’s four valves don’t function properly. Valve replacement surgery may be an option if the valves of your heart are too fragile, scarred, or otherwise damaged to repair.

Catheter Procedures

What is a catheter procedure?

A catheter procedure can be a diagnostic tool as well as a form of treatment for certain types of heart disease. Some types of heart disease stem from abnormalities in the heart’s structure. They may not be apparent immediately. Catheter procedures give surgeons an in-depth look at the arteries leading to the heart. They also allow them to correct structural problems that lead to irregular heartbeats, fatigue, and other potentially life-threatening symptoms.

The Science of a Broken Heart

Heartbreak. That sinking feeling inside that tears you up and leaves you withered and lonely, like a discarded newspaper kicked to the curb. It’s not a fun feeling. Especially when it occurs around Valentine’s Day, a time of overpriced flowers, heart shaped candies, and love.
But unlike Valentine’s Day, which often feels manufactured, heartbreak is a real, occasionally fatal thing.

Pulse Oximetry

Pulse oximetry is a noninvasive and painless test that measures your oxygen saturation level, or the oxygen levels in your blood. It can rapidly detect even small changes in how efficiently oxygen is being carried to the extremities furthest from the heart, including the legs and the arms.

The pulse oximeter is a small, clip-like device that attaches to a body part, like toes or an

Essential Oils for Heart Health: What You Need to Know

When it comes to the leading of cause of death in the United States, cardiovascular disease trumps all others. And that’s true for both men and women. Heart disease kills 610,000 people in the United States every year — that’s roughly 1 of every 4 deaths.
Reducing your risk of heart disease involves

How Your Heart Works

 

 

 

The human heart is one of the hardest-working organs in the body. On average, it beats 72 times a minute. As the heart beats, it provides pressure so blood can deliver oxygen and important nutrients to tissue all over your body through an extensive network of arteries. In fact, the heart steadily pumps an average of 2,000 gallons of blood through the body each day.

Understanding Heart Palpitations After Eating

A heart palpitation is noticeable when it feels like your heart skipped a beat or had an extra beat. It may cause fluttering or pounding in the chest or neck. It can also be a sudden increase in your heart rate.
Heart palpitations don't always happen when you’re doing something strenuous or stressful, and they may not be a symptom of anything serious.

Food and the heart

What You Should Know About the Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT) Test

 

What the CIMT test is used for

  Your doctor may recommend a carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) test as a preventive measure for heart disease. A CIMT test measures the thickness of the inner layers of your carotid artery. The carotid artery is the artery that transports blood from your heart to your brain. If you have a thickening of your arteries, known as atherosclerosis, you may not have any noticeable symptoms or warning signs. Instead,

Abnormal EKG

What is an abnormal EKG?

An electrocardiogram (EKG) measures your heart’s electrical activity. This noninvasive test can measure many aspects, from how fast the heart beats to how well its chambers conduct electrical energy.

15 Remedies That Will Stop Snoring

Why do people snore?

If you snore, you’re not alone: Up to half of all American adults snore. It happens when air flows through your throat when you breathe in your sleep.

What Is Ozone Therapy?

Ozone therapy refers to the process of administering ozone gas into your body to treat a disease or wound. Ozone is a colorless gas made up of three atoms of oxygen (O₃).

Chronic Hiccups

What are chronic hiccups?

Hiccups happen when your diaphragm contracts involuntarily, which is also known as a spasm. The diaphragm is a muscle that helps you breathe.

Diagnosing COPD in Non-Smokers: Know the Facts

The link between smoking and COPD

Smoking is a major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). But not all smokers get COPD, and not everyone who has COPD smokes. Even people who have never smoked can get COPD.

How Do X-Rays Help Diagnose COPD?

X-rays for COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious lung disease that includes two primary conditions. Emphysema is a disease that injures the small air sacs in the lungs.

Diagnosing COPD in Non-Smokers: Know the Facts

The link between smoking and COPD

Smoking is a major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). But not all smokers get COPD, and not everyone who has COPD smokes. Even people who have never smoked can get COPD.

COPD vs. CHF: Similarities and Differences

What do COPD and CHF have in common?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure (CHF) can leave you feeling short of breath. These two serious conditions share many symptoms and common risk factors. However, the causes and treatments of each differ significantly.

Congenital Heart Disease

What Is Congenital Heart Disease?

Congenital heart disease, or a congenital heart defect, is a heart abnormality present at birth. The problem can affect:

Types of Heart Disease in Children

Heart disease in children

Heart disease is difficult enough when it strikes adults, but it can be especially tragic in children.
Many different types of heart problems can affect children. They include congenital heart defects, viral infections that affect the heart, and even heart disease acquired later in childhood due to