Heart disease
How to read the stories

Heart disease

Heart disease or coronary heart disease (CHD) happens when your arteries become narrowed through a process called atherosclerosis. When this happens the blood and oxygen supply to the heart muscle is reduced, particularly when you exercise and the demands on the heart muscle increase.

The heart muscle needs oxygen to make it work, and it needs more oxygen when people do exercise. Oxygen gets into your blood when you breathe and the blood takes the oxygen to your heart. If the arteries are narrowed, then it’s hard for the heart to get enough oxygen.

What are the symptoms of heart disease?

The main symptom of heart disease is chest pain. This is known medically as angina, caused by insufficient oxygen reaching your heart muscle. Angina is a feeling of heaviness, tightness or pain, usually in the middle of your chest. You may have pain in your arms, neck, jaw, face, back or stomach. It usually starts during exercise. For example, it may come on if you run for a bus, play a game such as tennis or football, climb stairs or walk uphill. It may come on in cold weather, after a heavy meal, or when you are feeling stressed. It can stop once you stop what you are doing, or when you take medication.

Unfortunately for many people the first sign that something is wrong is a heart attack. This is medically known as myocardial infarction, which happens when the blood supply to a part of the heart muscle stops altogether.

Usually a heart attack happens because of a blood clot in one of the arteries (known as coronary arteries).The pain of a heart attack may be very bad, or may be mistaken for indigestion, but unlike angina it does not go away. Other symptoms may include sweating, light-headedness, feeling sick or breathlessness. Unlike angina, these do not get better by resting.

How to read the stories

There is no right or wrong way to read the stories.

Some people are not used to reading stories. Start at the beginning and read the story in each picture. Encourage the reader to move through the pages at their own pace.
Encourage the person to tell the story in their own words. You will discover what they think is happening, what they already know, and how they feel. If you are using the pictures to help explain a procedure to someone, you may need to describe or clarify the actions being shown in each picture to help them understand. Try not to challenge the reader(s) or suggest their ideas are wrong.
Some pictures may be more difficult to understand. It can help to prompt the people you are supporting, for example:
•   Who do you think that is?
•   What is happening?
•   How is he or she feeling?
•   Do you feel like that? Has it happened to you/ your friend/ your family?
Allow people enough time to follow the pictures at their own pace. Allow time for discussion of each picture.
Some people may benefit from reading the larger story from which the extract has been taken. This will allow them to explore their feelings and experiences in more depth. To buy the complete book, follow the link to the bookshop that appears at the end of the story.