Heart disease. Comprehensive Health History Paper - Essay Example

? Comprehensive Health History Paper Comprehensive Health History Paper Identifying data Heart disease has been affecting several individuals in the United States including my long time friend, David Johnson. He is 25 years old, of medium build, 6 ft 1, African-American heritage, and has a slightly low blood pressure. He has been suffering from coronary heart disease (CHD) that has been affecting his performance for a long period since his early days in school. It has also made him vulnerable making it necessary for him to be constantly supervised. The disease has deprived him the privilege of moving or staying alone. He constantly needs assistance and encouragement. The condition has been affecting David’s coronary system and sending ripple effects to the brain, and kidney. The condition has become grave due to David’s unhealthy practices that include poor eating habits and failure to adhere to the medical prescriptions comprehensively. This explains the severity of the disease that remains the leading cause of death amongst both the old and young people. Past Medical History According to historical facts, David Johnson has been suffering from coronary heart disease since childhood. The disease has been affecting his coronary system consequently exposing him to severe pain. The disease has subjected him to continuous medication and treatment services that are costly and time consuming (Esselstyn, 2007). The disease has also compromised his social, economic and psychological capacity. This has been affecting his self-ego and esteem. These are fundamental elements for effective human development. The patient has experienced heart failure on a single occasion in the year 2012. Consequently, David increased the dosage and vigor of medication. The patient has been taking Asprins, Beta-blockers and Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors designed for coronary heart failures and will continue until his status improves. David has also been subjected to continuous therapeutic nursing care services. It is highly likely that David will need such services for a lengthy period until the disease heals completely. Health status, support and perceived barriers David’s health status is currently improving due to the medical assistance available to him. His rampant chest discomfort has been reducing because he is not exposed to the potential risk factors. Consequently, his rapid pulse rate and prolonged breath complications that used to affect him have been treated using Calcium channel blockers (Esselstyn, 2007). Consequently, David can perform several tasks making him hopeful. This has enabled him to realize the power of friends and medical officials in his medication process. Various individuals including his friends, doctors and community members in the state have been treating him with care. These individuals are instrumental because they allow him to recuperate and ensure that necessary support is available. As noted, the friends and other concerned parties have been supporting him with material, spiritual and physical assistance. The incentives are to make him regain his potential and recuperate faster. However, various barriers compromise the effectiveness of the initiatives. These barriers include lack of adequate resources, poor diet and effective prevention of preventing atherosclerosis Chief complaint (CC) and History of present illness (HPI) The Chief Complain during the time of the interview included chest pain compounded with the shortness of breath. It is crucial to highlight that David has been taking Asprins to address the chest pain. However, the shortness of breath has not been fully addressed. David attributes his illness to high blood pressure, tobacco smoking, atherosclerosis and high cholesterol levels. Indeed, atherosclerosis is the leading cause that attack individuals from childhood (Gregson, 2001). The disease hides in the body cells and pronounces itself at maturity stage. This high risk factor is what exposed David to coronary complications at his age. Its severe effects prompted David’s friends and relations to engage in intense deliberations with the intention of addressing the ensuing effects. Family and/or social history (PFSH) It is essential to note that, David’s complication is hereditary. This is because of the history of the disease in his family lineage since it was the cause of his grand father’s death. This explains why David started suffering from coronary heart complications at an early age. The predisposal factors include poor dietary systems, lack of exercises and rampant smoking of tobacco. These form key social issues that cause the development of the disease on individuals. Heart complications require constant body check up to ensure early identification of symptoms something that David’s lineage has not been keen to follow. Individuals should visit doctors for check-ups that entail screening. This identifies health conditions that may compromise their body functionality. For example, if David could have been performing consistent body screening, his disease could have been detectable earlier. Review of Systems (ROS) 1. Claudication- The level is determined as non-existent in the patient 2. Consciousness- The patient has never experienced mild or extreme loss of consciousness 3. Chest Pain- The degree of chest pain is determined as high 4. Exercise intolerance- The patient exudes mild exercise intolerance 5. Oedema- The patient has no swelling 6. Breath-The patient records extreme levels of shortness of breath 7. Palpitations- The patients exudes extreme palpitations 8. PND- The patient rarely coughs at night Age, spiritual values, and cultural Age, spiritual values and cultural variables are key elements that influence historical findings or interviews. In this study, age was a key element since historical findings state that heart complications mostly attack old people. This was an interesting element since David is 25 years old. This shows that the disease currently affects several individuals irrespective of age bracket (Taylor, 2005). Due to this, people should adopt excellent health practices such as exercising and consumption of healthy meals irrespective of age. Spiritual and cultural values are also important aspects that are under consideration when conducting historical analysis. These values determine whether an individual will accept specific care and treatment. David is an African-American with distinct roots to Africa. This means that he values the care he receives only to a certain extent, and believes that supernatural forces play a role in his health. These values establish whether individuals believe in hereditary or scientific explanation of coronary disease contraction. References Esselstyn, C. B. (2007). Prevent and reverse heart disease: The revolutionary, scientifically proven, nutrition-based cure. New York: Avery. Gregson, S. R. (2001). Heart disease. Mankato, Minn: LifeMatters. Taylor, R. B. (2005). Taylor's cardiovascular diseases: A handbook. New York, NY: Springer. Read More