A heart attack is known as a myocardial infarction.
This occurs when the heart muscle is damaged or does not receive enough oxygen. Many cardiac related problems occur due to blockages in arteries that carry purified blood away from the heart to different parts of the body. Another cause is the formation of blood clots. A less common cause of heart attack is a severe spasm (tightening) of a coronary artery. The spasm cuts off blood flow through the artery.
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center or left side of the chest. The discomfort usually lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. It can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. Very often, it is quite difficult to differentiate between a heart attack and heartburn.
The symptoms of a heart attack can vary from person to person.
Not all heart attacks start with the sudden, crushing chest pain that often is shown on television or in movies, or other common symptoms such as chest discomfort. Some people have few symptoms and are even surprised when they learn they have had a heart attack. If you have already had a heart attack, your symptoms may not be the same for another one.
The common signs of a heart attack can include
• a tightness, pain, or discomfort in the chest;
• sweating, or breaking out in a cold sweat;
• light-headedness or sudden dizziness
• nausea, and vomiting that are accompanied by intense pressure in the chest;
• radiating and intense pain in the chest that extends from the chest to the left arm;
• shortness of breath for more than a few minutes;
• feeling unusually tired for no reason, sometimes for days (especially if you are a woman);
• or any sudden, new symptom or a change in the pattern of symptoms you already have (for example, if your symptoms become stronger or last longer than usual).
If you feel you or someone else might be having heart attack symptoms or a heart attack, do not ignore it or feel embarrassed to call for help. Call 9–1–1 for emergency medical care. Acting fast can save your life.
Do not drive to the hospital or let someone else drive you.
Call an ambulance so that medical personnel can begin life-saving treatment on the way to the emergency room. Take a nitroglycerin pill if your doctor has prescribed this type of treatment, or chew an aspirin. If you are allergic to aspirin do not take one.
Acting fast at the first sign of heart attack symptoms can save your life and limit damage to your heart.
Treatment works best when it is given right after symptoms occur. At the hospital care will include rapid thrombolysis, cardiac catheterization, and angioplasty. They will also administer intravenously clot busting medications.
The risk factors for a heart attack include: smoking, diabetes, high levels of cholesterol, hypertension, family history of heart diseases, atherosclerosis, lack of exercise, obesity, and fast foods.
Reduce the risks of a heart attack by:
1. Quitting smoking.
2. Eating healthy. Avoid fatty foods, excess salt, and red meats.
3. Controlling high blood pressure and diabetes.
4. Ensuring regular exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Walking is most beneficial.
5. Preventing obesity. Doing all you can to maintain weight.
6. Choosing to live a healthy lifestyle.
7. Practicing meditation.
8. Doing regular relaxation and breathing exercises.
9. Undergoing periodic cardiac evaluations.
10. Including foods that are rich in anti-oxidants in your diet.
Heart disease is a killer.
In the U.S., more than 1 in 3 adults (92.1 million adults) have cardiovascular diseases, accounting for 807,775 deaths in 2014. According to the American Heart Association Association’s 2017 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update, the number of adults living with heart failure increased from about 5.7 million (2009-2012) to about 6.5 million (2011-2014). About 790,000 people in the US have heart attacks each year. Of those, about 114,000 died in 2014. There were more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the U.S., nearly 90 percent of them fatal.
Heart diseases and death from it can be prevented by maintaining your health. Find a balance in life between work and other activities, abandon the couch for the outdoors, do not watch sports on television, play sports instead and you can hope to live a long and fulfilled life.
Be a well informed and caring citizen, read all about heart diseases and preventive care at websites like:
University of Maryland Heart Center for Preventive Cardiology
http://www.umm.edu/heart/preventive.html
American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
http://www.cdc.gov
The rule prevention is better than cure, could lead a whole nation towards good health and wellbeing.