Heart Attack | infarction myocardial | Symptoms and Main Cause
- heart attack symptoms
- infarction myocardial
- How does a heart attack feel?
- What is the main cause of a heart attack?
A heart attack (myocardial infarction), also known as a cardiac arrest, is a potentially life-threatening condition where the blood supplying oxygen to the heart muscle is suddenly blocked.
What define a Heart Attack?
A heart attack occurs whenever something obstructs the blood supply to your heart, preventing it from receiving the oxygen it requires.
Myocardial infarctions are another name for heart attacks. "Myo" signifies muscle, "cardial" indicates heart, while "infarction" denotes tissue death leading to a shortage of blood flow. This tissue dying can result in long-term harm to your heart muscle.
Symptoms of a Heart Attack
Heart attack symptoms include:
- Pain, discomfort, weight, tightness, squeezing, or distress in your chest, arm, or behind your breastbone
- Back pain, jaw pain, throat pain, or arm pain
- Fullness, indigestion, or choking sensation (it may sense like heartburn)
- Sweating, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness
- Severe weariness, anxiety, or difficulty breathing
- Fast or irregular pulse
Signs can vary from person to person either from one heart attack to the next. Women are more prone to experience the following heart attack
Women are more prone to experience the following heart attack
symptoms
- Unusual exhaustion
- Breathing difficulty
- Vomiting or nausea
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
- Distress in your stomach. It might be indigestion.
- Neck, shoulder, or upper back discomfort
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Some heart attacks do not experience any problems (a "silent" myocardial infarction). Diabetes patients are more likely to experience this.
Angina is neither a condition nor a disease. It's a symptom, and this can occasionally indicate a heart attack.
The symptoms may occur during typical activity or effort but disappear with rest or the use of nitroglycerin.
You may experience:
- Center-of-the-chest pressure, pain, squeezing, or a feeling of fullness
- Shoulder, arm, back, neck, or jaw pain or discomfort
If it worsens, lasts longer than 5 minutes, or does not improve after taking nitroglycerin. Doctors refer to this as "unstable angina," which is an issue that can be tied to an impending heart attack.
If you do have "stable" angina, that is the most frequent type, your symptoms are usually triggered by predictable events (such as physical activity, a strong emotion,, extreme hot and cold temperatures, or even a heavy meal).
Causes of a Heart Attack
Our heart muscle requires an uninterrupted supply of oxygen-rich blood. This vital blood supply is provided by your coronary arteries. When you have coronary artery disease, your arteries develop narrow, and blood circulation is reduced. A heart attack occurs when your blood supply is interrupted off.
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Plaques mainly formed when a fat, calcium, proteins, and inflammatory cells accumulate in arteries. Such plaque deposition have a hard exterior and a soft, mushy interior.
The exterior shell of the plaque fractures once it becomes firm. This is known as a rupture. Platelets (disk-shaped components of your blood that aid in clotting) gather in the location, and blood clots form from around plaque.
When a blood clot plugs an artery, your heart muscle is deprived of oxygen. Muscle cells die quickly, producing irreversible injury.
A spasm in your coronary artery might occasionally induce a heart attack. Throughout a coronary spasm, your arteries constrict or spasm intermittently, cutting off blood flow to your heart muscle (ischemia). It can happen even if you are not suffering from severe coronary artery disease.
Every coronary artery transports blood to a separate area of the heart muscle. The extent of muscle injury is determined by the size of the region covered by the clogged artery as well as the time elapsed between both the attack and therapy.
Shortly after just a heart attack, our muscle tissue begins to recover. This takes near about 8 weeks. A scar forms in the affected area, just like a skin wound. However, the fresh scar tissue does not move exactly as intended. As a result, your heart can't supply as hard after just a heart attack. The size and placement of the scar influence how the ability to pump is compromised.
Treatment for a Heart Attack
A cardiac arrest is a serious issue that needed immediate attention to prevent lasting heart damage and death, or in the emergency department if you were brought there by someone else.
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What medications are used to treat heart attacks?
Prevention of Heart Attacks
The aim following a heart attack is to prevent heart disease and reduce your chances of having repeat heart attack. Use your medication as indicated, adopt a healthy life, visit your doctor for frequent heart checks, and consider enrolling in a cardiac rehabilitation programme.
What lifestyle adjustments are required following a heart attack
Follow your doctor's advise to prevent heart disease from worsening and a heart attack from occurring. Here are a few adjustments you may make to reduce your risk and start living a healthier life:
- Quit smoking:
Smoking significantly increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Consult your doctor about quitting smoking. You'll be also helping your family and friends, as secondhand smoke may cause heart disease.
- Maintain a healthy body weight:
- Stick to a fitness routine:
- Consume a heart-healthy diet:
- Reduce your consumption of unhealthy foods:
- Limit your alcohol consumption:
- Monitor your cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar (glucose) levels on a regular basis: Make absolutely sure your diabetes is under control. Keeping an eye on these figures will assist you in becoming more aware of the changes that are required to maintain these levels within normal boundaries.
- Stress management:
Pay close attention to your symptoms rather than hoping they will go away. Consult your doctor as soon as possible any unexpected symptoms, such as shortness of breath, changes in your heart rate, or extreme exhaustion. Also, keep an eye out for jaw or back discomfort, nausea or vomiting, sweating, or flu-like signs.
