Other Heart Conditions

Angina is a type of chest pain or discomfort. Angina happens when your heart isn’t getting enough oxygen-rich blood. The most common cause of angina is coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is a condition where plaque builds up in your coronary arteries. This limits blood flow to your heart muscle. If you have angina symptoms that are severe, getting worse, or last for more than 10 minutes, call Triple Zero (000).

Heart valve disease means that your heart valve or valves don't open or close properly. If one or more of your heart valves is damaged or diseased, your heart may need to work harder to pump blood. This can disrupt blood flow to your body.

Atrial fibrillation (also called AF or Afib) is a type of arrhythmia. In atrial fibrillation, abnormal electrical activity in the top chambers of the heart overwhelms the heart’s own pacemaker (part of its electrical system) and the conduction messages become chaotic.

This causes the heart’s top two chambers (atria) to twitch rather than contract. The atria twitch rapidly and out of rhythm with the heart’s lower two chambers (ventricles).

As a result, your heart beats in a fast and irregular way. This reduces your heart’s ability to pump blood properly. It also increases the chance of blood clots forming in your heart and travelling up to your brain, where it can cause a stroke. Atrial fibrillation is not usually life-threatening when it's properly treated.  

Arrhythmia is a fault in the heart’s electrical system, which affects your heart’s pumping rhythm. The abnormal electrical activity makes the heart muscle beat too fast, slow or in an irregular way.

In a healthy heart, you don’t feel your heartbeat. That’s why if you feel your heart beating too fast, too slowly or irregularly, you should see your doctor. Most arrhythmias are not life-threatening, but can still cause complications that are best managed with your healthcare team. 

Inflammation is the body’s normal response to injury or infection. It helps your body to heal. Like the rest of your body, inflammation can happen in your heart.