Heart attacks have become increasingly widespread in the global population in recent years. Unfortunately, they are the leading cause of death. They are the outcome of our hectic lifestyles and poor dietary habits.
Eat a balanced diet and reduce stress to improve your lifestyle and protect your cardiovascular health. It’s critical to recognise heart failure signs, which often show a month before the heart fails:
Oxygen deficiency:
If your lungs don’t get enough oxygen, your heart won’t get the blood it needs to function. As a result, if you’re having difficulty breathing, consult your doctor.
Cold and flu symptoms:
These two symptoms are typical in people on the verge of having a heart attack.
Compression in the chest:
This is an early warning symptom of a heart attack. If you have chest pain, consult your doctor.
Deficiency:
Blood flow is reduced when the arteries constrict. As a result, the muscles aren’t getting nourishment, which could lead to heart failure. As a result, if you’re constantly tired and weak, you should consult a doctor.
Dizziness and Sweats:
Dizziness and cold sweats are symptoms of poor circulation, which prevents adequate blood flow to the brain, which is required for healthy brain function.
Fatigue:
If you’re still exhausted after sleeping or relaxing for a bit, and it lasts for days and days, you could have a blood flow problem in your heart.
Heart attack prevention is crucial; detecting and treating the symptoms, as mentioned earlier, significantly reduces the risk of a heart attack.
A heart attack happens when blood supply to the heart is cut off. The most prevalent cause of obstruction is plaque formation, caused by a buildup of fat, cholesterol, and other substances in the arteries that supply the heart.
A plaque can rupture, blocking blood flow. If blood flow is interrupted, parts of the heart muscle might be injured or killed.
Although a heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction, can be devastating, treatment has advanced dramatically over the years. If you believe you have a heart attack, call 911 or seek emergency medical attention right away.
Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms of a heart attack include the following:
You may feel pressure, tightness, pain, or aching in your chest or arms, spreading to your neck, jaw, or back.
A stomach bug can cause nausea, indigestion, heartburn, or abdominal pain.
Breathing difficulties:
I’m drenched in a cold sweat.
Fatigue:
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded.
A heart attack’s signs and symptoms vary.
Not everyone who suffers a heart attack has the same degree of symptoms. Some people are in mild pain, while others are in excruciating pain. Some people have no indications or symptoms. The first sign may be sudden cardiac arrest. The more indications and symptoms you have, the more likely you will have a heart attack.
Although some heart attacks happen unexpectedly, many patients have warning signs and symptoms hours, days, or weeks in advance. The initial sign could be recurring chest pain or pressure (angina) caused by exertion and relieved by rest. Angina is a condition that causes a temporary decrease in blood flow to the heart.
When should you go to the doctor?
Take immediate action. Some people wait too long because they must be aware of the crucial signs and symptoms. Take the following steps:
Dial 911 for immediate medical assistance. If you suspect you have a heart attack, don’t put it off any longer. Immediately dial 911. If you don’t have access to medical care, have someone transport you to the hospital.
Drive yourself. Driving yourself puts you and others in danger since your condition could worsen.
Take nitroglycerin as directed by your doctor. Take it as prescribed while you wait for assistance.
Take aspirin if it is prescribed. Aspirin may help avoid cardiac damage by inhibiting blood clotting during a heart attack.
On the other hand, aspirin can conflict with other medications, so only take it if your doctor or emergency medical personnel urge you to. If you need to take an aspirin, dial 911 immediately.
What should you do if you suspect a heart attack in someone?
If you come across someone unconscious and suspect they have a heart attack, call 911 right once. Examine the person to see if they are breathing and has a pulse. Only begin CPR if the person is not breathing or has no pulse.
Push vigorously and quickly on the person’s chest in a 100 to 120 compressions per minute pattern.
Doctors recommend only performing chest compressions if you haven’t been trained in CPR. If you’ve previously received CPR instruction, you can progress to opening the airway and practising breathing.
Causes
A heart attack occurs when your coronary arteries become clogged. Plaques form when fatty deposits, including cholesterol, accumulate over time and restrict the arteries (atherosclerosis). Coronary artery disease is the cause of heart attacks.
During a heart attack, a plaque might rupture, releasing cholesterol and other substances into the bloodstream—a blood clot forms at the location of the rupture. The large clot can limit blood flow via the coronary artery, depriving the heart of oxygen and nutrients.
The coronary artery may be obstructed fully or partially.
If you have a total blockage, you have had an ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
If you have a partial blockage, you have had a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).
Your diagnosis and therapy may differ depending on the type.
Another cause is a coronary artery spasm, which cuts the blood supply to a section of the heart muscle. Tobacco drugs such as cocaine can cause a potentially fatal spasm.
COVID-19 infection can also injure your heart, culminating in a heart attack.
Vulnerable factors.
Various factors contribute to the undesirable buildup of fatty deposits (atherosclerosis), which narrow arteries throughout your body. Many of these risk factors can be reduced or eliminated to reduce your chances of experiencing a heart attack for the first or second time.
Some of the things that raise your chances of having a heart attack are as follows:
Age. Men and women over 45 and 55 are more likely to have heart attacks than younger people.
Tobacco. This includes smoking exposure to secondhand smoke.
An excessively high BP. High BP can damage the arteries that lead to your heart. When high blood pressure is combined with other health issues, such as obesity, high cholesterol, or diabetes, your risk increases even further.
High levels of cholesterol or triglycerides in the blood. The most prevalent cause of arterial narrowing is a high level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (“bad”). A level of triglycerides, blood fat connected to diet, increases your risk of a heart attack.
On the other hand, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels may lower your risk.
Obesity. Obesity is linked to high blood cholesterol, high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Simply decreasing 10% of your body weight can reduce your risk.
Diabetes. When you don’t create enough of a hormone produced by your pancreas (insulin) or don’t respond to insulin appropriately, your blood sugar levels rise, increasing your risk of a heart attack.
Metabolic syndrome is a condition in which the body’s metabolism is impaired. Obesity and high blood sugar levels are all factors in this syndrome. If you have the syndrome, you are twice as likely as someone who does not get heart disease.
Heart disease runs in the family. You might be at a higher risk if your siblings, parents, or grandparents had heart attacks while they were young.
Inadequate physical activity. Inactivity is connected to obesity and high blood cholesterol levels. People who exercise regularly have better heart health and lower blood pressure.
Stress can drive you to react in ways that put you at risk of having a heart attack.
Illegal drug use. Stimulants like cocaine or amphetamines can cause coronary artery spasms, leading to a heart attack.
Preeclampsia is a disorder that arises during pregnancy. This condition causes high blood pressure and increases the risk of heart disease later in adulthood.
Complications:
Complications are usually associated with the damage to your heart caused by a heart attack, which can result in:
Anomalies in a heartbeat (arrhythmias). Electrical “short circuits” can happen, resulting in abnormal heart rhythms, some of which are fatal.
Heart failure is a potentially fatal condition. A heart attack can damage tissue to the point that the remaining heart muscle cannot pump enough blood out of your body. Heart failure can be a short-term or long-term disorder caused by significant and permanent heart damage.
Cardiac arrest happens unexpectedly. An electrical disruption causes an erratic heartbeat, and your heart stops suddenly. Heart attacks increase the chance of sudden cardiac arrest, which can be fatal if not treated swiftly.
Prevention
Even if you’ve already had a heart attack, it’s never too late to take preventive measures. You can avoid having a heart attack by doing a few things.
Medications. Medications can help your damaged heart perform better and reduce your chances of having another heart attack. Continue to take your medicines, and ask how frequently you should be monitored.
Factors about one’s manner of life Maintaining a healthy weight through a heart-healthy diet, stopping smoking, exercising frequently, managing stress, and controlling illnesses such as high BP and high cholesterol are all good ideas.
