Heart Attack: Its Cause, Symptoms, Prevention, & Treatment

A heart attack occurs when the heart tissues or muscles start to die or damage. The damaging of heart tissues occurs due to the lack of blood supply in the heart muscles. The supply of the blood stops in the heart when the artery which supply the blood to the heart block due to the clotting. Due to obstruction in the blood supply to the heart muscle, the tissues of the heart start to die. A heart attack is also referred to as a myocardial infarction, and it can be fatal if not treated immediately.

Heart disease is one of the significant causes of life loses in the United States for both men and females. More than 610,000 people lost their life due to heart disease. According to several studies more than 50% of the total death of the men was due to heart disease in 2009.

Talking about the heart attack, more than 735,000 Americans are facing myocardial infraction. Out of all 525,000 experience myocardial infarction, the first time, whereas 210,000 happens in those people who have experienced myocardial infraction earlier.

Causes Of Heart Attack

Heart attacks occur when one or more than coronary arteries become blocked. The blockage of the coronary artery occurs due to the deposition of cholesterol or blood clotting; it is called coronary heart disease (CHD). Coronary heart diseases are the primary cause of myocardial infraction.

The blockage in the coronary arteries can be complete or partial. Depending upon the blockage myocardial infraction can be of two types which is

• In case of complete blockage you’ve ST-elevation myocardial infarction
• In case of partial blockage you’ve non-ST elevation myocardial infarction

The diagnosis of these depends upon the myocardial infarction of both of these conditions.

1. Smoking

It disturbs the heart rate and also leads to the disturbance in the heart rhyming. Due to smoking Nicotine, tar, and carbon monohydrates got absorbed in your bloodstream, which increases the chances of a heart attack. These substances also disturb the level of cholesterol and fibrinogen (it is related to the blood clotting).

2. Obesity

This condition increases the level of bad cholesterol and triglycerides levels in your blood, and along with this, it also lowers the right cholesterol level inside your body. Due to this, obesity increase the change of heart issues. This condition also increases your blood pressure.

3. High Blood Pressure

Hypertension also increases the chance of heart attack. Due to high blood pressure, the blood artery gets disturbed, which leads to the heart attack. Generally, the blood arteries are flexible and elastic, but due to the high BP, these arteries become hard and less elastic.

4. Diabetes

In this condition, the blood sugar level increase. And this can disturb the blood arteries, which may lead to the heart attack. Nearly two-thirds of people with diabetes have high blood pressure. And according to the American Diabetes Association people with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die of heart disease or have a stroke than people who don’t have the condition. 

5. Lack Of Oxygen

This condition is also known as hypoxia. This condition may occur due to the lack of oxygen, and this may happen due to the excess of carbon monoxide in the air, and it may be due to some lungs diseases.

Symptoms Of Myocardial Infraction

The heart attack symptoms vary from person to person. Some people experience mild chest pain or pressure (called angina), which is trigger by exertion & relieved by rest. Angina mainly occurs by a temporary decrease in the blood flow in the heart muscles. Sometimes myocardial infraction strives suddenly, but most of the time, people may experience heart attack symptoms a few hours, day, and weeks in advance. Cardiac arrest is also one of the heart attack symptoms.

10 Sings Of A Heart Attack

Here are 10 other signs of a heart attack

• Coughing
• Nausea
• Mild chest pain
• Shortness of breathing called dyspnea
• Face seaming gray
• Restlessness
• Vomiting
• A feeling that life is ending
• Feeling awful
• Dizziness

These are the most common sign of a heart attack. Thus if you experience these signs, then immediately visit your doctor.

Top 10 Prevention Of Heart Attack

There are various preventive methods to avoid myocardial infarction. Out of all top 10 are listed below:

• Avoid smoking
• Drink sufficient amount of water but ensure that your water is properly treated by water purification system
• Do exercise regularly
• Eat a balanced and healthy diet
• Take proper and quality sleep
• Avoid obesity and diabetic condition
• Maintain the optimum concentration of cholesterol in your body
• keep your blood pressure in healthy range
• Maintain a healthy body weight
• Avoid stress

Treatment Of Heart Attack

Here we have listed few therapies which you may receive

• Aspirin and other anti-platelets
• Beta-blockers
• ACE inhibitor, i.e., angiotensin-converting enzyme
• Statins
• Angioplasty
• CABG, i.e., coronary artery bypass graft

A heart attack is one of the fatal condition. Thus, if you are feeling any heart attack symptoms, then call the ambulance immediately and visit your doctor without wasting too much time. Because you may need several kinds of medications or treatments.