Coronary Artery Disease (Essay Sample)

Coronary Artery Disease
Name:
HS200, Section #
Unit 4 Capstone Project: Coronary Artery Disease
Kaplan University
Date:
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is always diagnosed after the doctor has conducted a deep medical analysis of the patient’s body system in order for him to come up with conclusions that the patients suffers from the disease. The symptoms can be observed in a patient who cannot work out normally like the rest of the individuals, depending on his age. His heart in this case always has problems which require him to visit a doctor where cardiac catheterization can be done for the heart to sustain such heavy duty works. It is a life-threatening problem in which the doctor would be of much help when it comes to situations where the patient has severe attacks. For one to be diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease, then he must have undergone several tests to confirm that. Thus his condition should be taken seriously in order to save his life CITATION Cal96 \l 1033 (Califf, Armstrong & Carver, 1996).
Describe the diagnostic testing that is usually performed in order to formally diagnose the 
Particular disease or condition you are describing
CAD is a coronary illness that brings about problems in individuals who have most health issues. It affects women who are above the age of 55 and men above 47 years. It is always diagnosed after a long series of tests on your health and considering the previous health care records. A history of your family is also taken into consideration so as to tell whether the disease is in your lineage or not. This disease is where the artery that supplies blood to the heart is reduced due to accumulation of cholesterol and plaque in the internal wall of the artery. This therefore limits the amount of blood that goes into the heart thus reducing the amount of oxygen supplied to the heart. In return, a patient with this complication normally has cardiovascular attacks which cause the heart not to facilitate the pumping of blood to other parts of the body. Thus the patient can even be unconscious in this case.
Some of the other tests conducted in an individual are the stress tests where the individual is subjected to exercises that increase the pumping rate so as to tell if the blood pressure and heart rate would be abnormal. It also helps determine the hearts normal activity CITATION Cal96 \l 1033 (Califf, Armstrong & Carver, 1996). These two signs would help determine if a patient is suffering from the disease. There is also the Electrocardiogram where the records of the heart’s electrical activity are recorded. In the process, the doctor can be able to detect the damage that has occurred to the heart due to the previous heart attacks the patient underwent.
Echocardiography is where the doctor is able to use sound waves of your heart so as to produce a clear image of what is happening within your heart. This helps the doctor to tell whether the chambers of the heart have complications and if the valves are effective in their work. Just like electrocardiogram, echocardiography helps the doctor to tell the previous damages the heart had undergone. There is also the chest x-ray which help reveal the problem of the heart, blood tests can also be a good sign where if an individual has rates of sugar, protein and cholesterol not being in required amounts, the patient might be possibly suffering from CAD.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatments that may also benefit the patient
Patients suffering from CAD are advised to look for fats such as the mega-3 fatty acids which help reduce the inflammation of the arteries within the body. Sources of these acids are from fish which is greatly advised in relation to its oil. Examples of these fish with these fatty acids include salmon, tuna and also herring. The flax and flaxseed oil help reduce the levels of cholesterol in the blood. Most of this is gotten from the shell of flaxseeds which produce a fiber that is soluble and suitable for consumption. Other examples of sources of omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, soybeans and canola oil. These supplements are nutritious and also help maintain the stability status of the heart. When using garlic, barley and cocoa, these helps reduce one’s blood pressure thus helping curb the disease at an early stage CITATION Bar11 \l 1033 (Barsness & Holmes, 2008).
Identify the appropriate treatment is/her particular diagnosis
In situations such as those of employees who engage in activities such as smoking, just like Eric who was 47 years old and in the construction site, they are readily advised on the effects of smoking to the effective performance of the heart. They can also be given steps in which they can reduce their level of addiction CITATION Bar11 \l 1033 (Barsness & Holmes, 2008). After a diagnosis is made, the patient is always advised to maintain a healthy diet in which it would be helpful in maintaining their blood pressure. This also helps them maintain a manageable weight in which it helps reduce the rate of being affected by hypertension. Since most of these diseases are related to Coronary Artery Disease, most patients are advised accordingly so as to avoid contacting the diseases which would speed up their rate of having CAD since its first main symptom is a heart attack. Other symptoms are related to those of other diseases. They are also advised to exercise so as to reduce there prevalence of getting diabetes. This therefore helps control the attack of atherosclerosis. They are also advice on how they can help maintain their stress levels so as to avoid cause heart attacks. This is effectively done by the patient being able to manage his emotions CITATION Cal96 \l 1033 (Califf, Armstrong & Carver, 1996).
Describe typical prognosis for the disease
Most of these symptoms are observed when the body is not receiving the required amounts of blood. Heart attacks are also prognosis of the disease. They are most commonly caused when there is a blood clot (thrombosis) which hinders the normal flow of blood to all the body organs. It is also characterized by intense chest pain. Most of these are treated through giving of medicine that would help restore the vessel that was blocked to normal so that the blood would resume to its normal flow. If the coronary artery tightens, it is due to several reasons which included cig...