 A
heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction, occurs when part of the heart
muscle is damaged or dies due to lack of oxygen. Oxygen is carried to the heart
by the arteries . Most heart attacks are caused by a blockage in these arteries.
Usually the blockage is caused by atherosclerosis, which is the buildup inside
the artery of fatty deposits which are called plaque. This buildup is like the
gunk that builds up in a drainpipe and slows the flow of water.Heart
attacks can also be caused by a blood clot that gets stuck in a narrow part of
an artery to the heart. Clots are more likely to form where atherosclerosis has
made an artery more narrow.
How
do I know if I'm having a heart attack? The
pain of a heart attack can feel like bad heartburn. You may also be having a heart
attack if you: - Feel
a pressure or crushing pain in your chest, sometimes with sweating, nausea or
vomiting.
- Feel
pain that extends from your chest into the jaw, left arm or left shoulder.
- Pain often lasts
longer than 20 minutes or goes away and comes back.
- Bad indigestion
- Feel
tightness in your chest.
- Having
shortness of breath for more than a couple of seconds.
- Nausea or
vomiting
- Cold Sweat
- Cough
- Anxiety
Do NOT ignore
pain or discomfort that could be from a heart attack. If you think you are having
heart problems or a heart attack, get help immediately. The sooner you get treatment,
the greater the chance that the doctors can prevent further damage to the heart
muscle. What
should I do if I think I am having a heart attack?Call
for an ambulance to take you to the hospital. While you wait for the ambulance
to come, chew one regular tablet of aspirin. Do
not take the aspirin if you're allergic to aspirin. If
you can, go to a hospital with advanced care facilities for people with heart
attacks. In these medical centers, the latest heart attack technology is available
24 hours a day. This technology includes rapid thrombolysis ("clot busting"
medicines), cardiac catheterization and angioplasty. In
the hospital, you might be given "clot busters" that reopen the arteries
to your heart very fast. Nurses and technicians will place an IV in your arm to
give you medicines. They will also do an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), give
you oxygen to breathe and watch your heart rate and rhythm on a monitor.
How
can I avoid having a heart attack?Talk
to your family doctor about your specific risk
factors for a heart attack and how to reduce your risk. Your doctor may tell
you to do the following: - Quit
smoking. Your doctor can help you.
- Eat
a healthy diet. Cut back on foods high in saturated fat and sodium to
lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Control
your blood sugar if you have diabetes.
- Exercise.
This sounds hard if you haven't exercised for a while, but try to work up to at
least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (that raises your heart rate) at least 4
times a week.
- Lose
weight if you're overweight. Your doctor can advise you about the best
ways to lose weight.
- Control
your blood pressure if you have hypertension.
Talk
to your doctor about whether aspirin would help reduce your risk of a heart attack.
Aspirin can help keep your blood from forming clots that can eventually block
the arteries. - Smoking
- Diabetes
- High
cholesterol level
- High
blood pressure
- Family
history of heart attack
- Atherosclerosis
(hardening of the arteries)
- Lack
of exercise
- Obesity
- Male
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