A Heart Attack Description - by Sven Ullmann
|
|
Also known as acute myocardial
infarction, heart attack is the leading cause of death
worldwide. An average of 1.2 million Americans suffer from a
heart attack annually and 40% of these people die.
This condition is characterized by
an interruption of the blood flow to a particular region in
the heart. The interruption results to oxygen shortage which
causes heart tissue damage and tissue death. |
People with a history of stroke, atherosclerotic heart disease
or angina and abnormal heart rhythm have a higher risk of
experiencing a heart attack. The disease mostly affects men
over 40 years old and women over 50 years old. There are also
medical and scientific studies stating that women who use
contraceptive pills have a higher risk of a heart attack than
those who does not use them. A person's lifestyle can also
increase chances of a heart attack. Smoking, drinking, drug
abuse, presence of high triglyceride levels in the food you
eat, high LDL levels and low HDL levels are some of the risk
factors you should learn to avoid. On the other hand,
individuals diagnosed with diabetes, obesity, high blood
pressure and high stress levels are also considered to be at
serious risk.
A person having a heart attack will experience chest pains,
nausea, shortness of breath, vomiting, sweating, palpitations
and anxiety. These symptoms are usually experienced by males
while in females, symptoms include fatigue and weakness. There
is evidence that at least 30% of all myocardial infarction
incidents have no visible symptoms and are considered to be
"silent" infarctions.
A person suffering from a heart attack requires immediate
medical attention to prevent sustained heart damage Aside from
receiving oxygen, glyceryl trinitrate and aspirin; persons
having heart attacks will undergo a series of diagnostic test
including an electrocardiogram, blood test and chest X-ray.
These tests will determine levels of troponin or creatine
kinase which are usually indicative of heart tissue damage.
Treatment can involve thrombolytic therapy or percutaneous
coronary intervention. For severe cases, a bypass surgery will
be performed to unblock the affected coronary artery.
Heart attacks are usually triggered by intense exertion, both
psychological and physical. Acute severe infections like
pneumonia can also trigger heart attacks. A person at risk of
having a heart attack usually has a clinical history of chest
pains that lasts for more than 20 minutes. The person will
also have changing ECG readings as well as fluctuating levels
of serum cardiac biomarkers.
People who survived a heart attack can reduce risk of
recurrence by monitoring blood pressure and implementing
lifestyle changes. They would not be allowed to smoke, drink
excessively and will be encouraged to exercise regularly, eat
a well-balanced diet and take long-term medication. These
medications include antiplatelet drug therapy (aspirin), beta
blocker therapy (metoprolol), ACE inhibitor therapy, statin
therapy, aldosterone antagonist agent eplerenone and omega-3
fatty acids.
Complications from a heat attack are very likely to occur
immediately. These complications can include congestive heart
failure, myocardial rupture, pericarditis, life-threatening
arrhythmia and cardiogenic shock. This is the reason heart
attacks can be so fatal, as the effects occur rather rapidly.
>> Click Here to return to the main
heart disease care and causes page
|
