A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked. The blockage is often the result of a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances, which form plaque in the arteries that supply the heart (coronary arteries).
The plaque eventually breaks off and forms a clot. The interrupted blood flow destroys or damages part of the heart muscle.
Symptoms
Common signs and symptoms of a heart attack include:
Pressure, tightness, pain, or a squeezing or aching sensation in the chest or arms that may spread to the neck, jaw, or back
* Nausea, indigestion, heartburn, or abdominal pain
* shortness of breath
*cold sweat
*fatigue
* Sudden dizziness or lightheadedness
Symptoms of a heart attack vary
Not all people with heart attacks have the same symptoms or the same severity.
Some people experience mild pain, while others experience more severe pain. Some people have no symptoms, while for others the first sign may be a heart attack.
Some heart attacks happen suddenly, but many people have symptoms and warning signs hours, days, or weeks before a heart attack.
The first warning may be recurring chest pain or pressure (angina) caused by exertion and may be relieved by rest. Angina is caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the heart.
What to do if you see someone having a heart attack
If you meet someone who is unconscious and you think they are having a heart attack, first seek emergency medical help. Then check to see if he is breathing and has a pulse.
If there is no breathing or pulse, then just start CPR to keep the blood flowing
Press firmly and quickly into the person's chest with relatively rapid, regular strokes, about 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
Doctors recommend chest compressions only if you haven't had CPR training. And if you're trained in CPR, you can open your airway and give it rescue breaths.
risk factors
Certain factors contribute to the unwanted buildup of fatty deposits (atherosclerosis), which narrows the arteries throughout your body. You can improve or eliminate many of these risk factors to reduce your chances of having your first or another heart attack.
Risk factors include:
age
Men age 45 or older and women age 55 or older are more likely to have a heart attack than younger men and women.
Tobacco
It includes smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke over a long period.
high blood pressure
Over time, high blood pressure can damage the arteries that supply your heart. Also, high blood pressure associated with other conditions, such as obesity, high cholesterol or diabetes increases this risk even more.
High fat in the blood
High LDL cholesterol can narrow your arteries. High triglycerides, a type of blood fat related to your diet, can also increase the risk.
While a high level of HDL cholesterol reduces your risk of a heart attack
obesity
Obesity is associated with high blood cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Merely losing 10 percent of your body weight can reduce this risk.
diabetes
Not producing enough of one of the hormones your pancreas produces (insulin) or not responding to insulin properly leads to high blood sugar levels in your body, which increases your risk of a heart attack.
Metabolic Syndrome
This is what happens when you have obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. And having metabolic syndrome doubles your risk of heart disease more than you don't.
A family history of heart disease
If your siblings, parents or grandparents have had early heart attacks (at age 55 for male relatives and age 65 for female relatives), there may be an increased risk of having the same attacks.
lack of physical activity
Inactivity contributes to high levels of cholesterol in the blood and to obesity. Those who exercise regularly have better cardiovascular fitness, and lower blood pressure.
Stress
You may respond to the stresses around you in a way that increases your risk of having a heart attack.
Complications
Complications are often related to damage to your heart during a heart attack, which can lead to:
An abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia). "Short circuits" can develop, resulting in an abnormal heartbeat, some of which can be serious or even fatal.
* Heart failure
A heart attack may damage so much heart tissue that the remaining heart muscle cannot pump enough blood out of the heart. Heart failure may be temporary, or it can be a chronic condition caused by significant and permanent damage to your heart.
*sudden cardiac arrest
Without warning, the heart may stop due to the electrical disturbance that causes the arrhythmia. Heart attacks increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest, which can be fatal without prompt treatment.
prevention
It's never too late to take precautions to prevent a heart attack, even if you've already had one. Some ways:
pharmaceutical
Regularly taking medications reduces the risk of a heart attack and increases the efficiency of your tired heart. Take the medications your doctor prescribes regularly, and ask him or her about reasonable intervals between exams.
prevention
Follow healthy lifestyles
You know the story: maintain your ideal weight and heart-healthy diet, quit smoking, exercise regularly, control anxiety, or other factors that might trigger a heart attack, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes.
Diagnosis
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
This first test used to diagnose heart attacks records the electrical activity of your heart.
Because the affected heart muscles do not conduct electrical impulses normally, the EKG may show that a heart attack has occurred, or is already occurring.
blood tests
Some heart proteins slowly leak into your blood after a heart attack. Emergency room doctors will take samples of your blood to test for the presence of these enzymes.
Chest X-ray
When doing a chest X-ray, your doctor can check the size of your heart and blood vessels and look for fluid in your lungs.
echocardiogram
During this test, sound waves are directed at your heart from a wand-like device (transducer) attached to your chest, bounced off your heart and processed electronically to produce video images of your heart. An echocardiogram can help determine if an area of your heart has been damaged and not pumping blood normally.
Coronary angioplasty (angiogram)
A liquid dye is injected into the arteries of the heart through a long, thin tube (catheter) that passes through an artery, usually in your leg or groin, to the arteries of your heart. The dye makes the arteries visible on an X-ray, revealing areas of blockage.
Exercising stress test
In the days or weeks following a heart attack, you may also have a stress test to measure how your heart and blood vessels respond to exertion. You may be asked to walk on a treadmill while connected to an ECG machine, or you may be injected with an intravenous drug to stimulate the heart
Nuclear stress test
You may be asked to perform this test, which is similar to an exercise stress test, but uses a dye injected into the body and special imaging techniques to produce detailed images of your heart during exercise.
Computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the heart
These tests can be used to diagnose heart problems, including the extent of damage caused by heart attacks.
treatment
pharmaceutical
Medications prescribed to treat heart attacks may include:
aspirin
An EMT may give you aspirin directly. Aspirin reduces blood clots; Which maintains blood flow in the small arteries.
anticoagulants
These drugs, or thrombolytics as they are called, help break down blood clots that are blocking blood from flowing to your heart. The sooner you take an anticoagulant drug after a heart attack, the better your chance of survival and the less damage to your heart.
Antiplatelet drugs
Emergency room doctors may give you other drugs known as antiplatelets to help you avoid clots and to limit existing clots and not allow them to grow.
Other blood-thinning medications
You'll likely be given other drugs, such as heparin, to make your blood less "sticky" and less likely to clot. Heparin is given by injection between the veins or by injection under the skin.
pain killers
Pain relievers such as morphine may be given.
nitroglycerin
Used to treat chest pain (angina), this drug can improve blood flow by widening (dilating) blood vessels.
beta blockers
These medications help relax your heart muscle, slow the heartbeat, and reduce blood pressure. Which makes the task of your heart easier. Beta blockers can reduce the extent of heart damage
ACE inhibitors
These medications lower blood pressure and reduce stress on the heart.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs
These drugs help control blood cholesterol.
surgical interventions
Coronary angioplasty and stenting
In this procedure, also known as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), doctors insert a long, thin tube that threads through a coronary artery in the groin or wrist into a blocked artery in the heart. If you've had a heart attack, the procedure is often taken right after heart catheterization.
This catheter contains a special balloon, which is briefly inflated at the site to open the blocked coronary artery.
A metal mesh stent is then inserted into the artery to keep it open long-term and restore blood flow to the heart. Depending on your situation, you may be given a stent coated with a slowly-release medication to help keep the artery open.
Coronary artery bypass surgery
In some cases, doctors perform emergency artery bypass surgery at the time of a heart attack.
However, if possible, you might have bypass surgery after your heart takes time — about three to seven days — to recover from your heart attack.
Cardiac rehabilitation
Many hospitals offer programs that may begin while you are in the hospital and continue for weeks to two months after you return home. Cardiac rehabilitation programs generally focus on four main areas: medications, lifestyle changes, emotional problems and a gradual return to your normal activities.
Lifestyle and home remedies
Take the following steps to improve the health of your heart:
avoid smoking
The most important thing you can do to improve your heart health is not to smoke. You should also avoid passive smoking. If you need to stop smoking, see a doctor for help.
Control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels
If one or both are elevated, your doctor can prescribe changes to your diet and medication. Ask your doctor how often you need to measure your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Regular medical examinations
Some of the biggest risk factors for heart attacks — high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes — cause no symptoms at first. Your doctor can perform tests to detect these diseases and can help you treat them when needed.
Doing exercise
Regular exercise can help improve heart muscle function after a heart attack and prevent heart attacks. Walking for 30 minutes, five days a week can improve your health.
Eating a heart-healthy diet
The saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol in your diet can narrow your heart's arteries, and too much salt can raise your blood pressure. Heart-healthy foods include lean protein, such as fish, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Dealing with diabetes
Exercising regularly, eating well, and losing weight to keep blood sugar levels at an acceptable level. Many people also need to take medications to help them manage their diabetes.
Maintain a healthy weight
Excess weight stresses your heart and contributes to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
stress control
Eliminate stress in your daily activities. Rethink your addictive habits and find healthy ways to reduce or deal with stressful events in your life.
Adaptation and support
Having a heart attack is frightening and you may wonder how it will affect your life and whether you will have another one.
Feelings of fear and depression are common after a heart attack. It may help to discuss them with your doctor, family member, or friend.
Cardiac rehabilitation programs can be effective in preventing depression
Having sex after a heart attack
Some people worry about having sex after a heart attack, but most people can safely return to sexual activity after recovering from the attack. When you resume sexual activity will depend on your physical comfort and psychological preparedness, ask your doctor when it is safe to resume
final message
A heart attack is usually diagnosed as an emergency. However, if you're concerned about your risk of a heart attack, see your doctor to check for risk factors and talk about prevention. If your risk is high, you may be referred to a heart specialist (cardiologist).
