A heart attack is considered as a serious medical emergency in which the blood supply to the heart is abruptly disrupted, usually due to a blood clot. The diminished supply of blood to the heart can lead to serious damage to the heart muscle. The medical name for a heart attack is myocardial infarction.
Symptoms
- Chest pain which feels as if the chest is squeezed or pressed by an heavy object and the pain radiates from the chest up to the jaws, neck, arms and back
- Lightheaded or weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Overwhelming feeling of anxiety
Not all cases involve severe chest pain. In some, the pain can be mild and even mistaken as indigestion.
The combination of the symptoms is vital in determining if an individual is having a heart attack, not the severity of the chest pain.
Treatment for heart attack
Always bear in mind that a heart attack is a medical emergency. Call for emergency assistance if an individual is suspected of having a heart attack.
In case the individual is not highly sensitive to aspirin and readily on hand, provide him/her with a tablet (300 mg) to steadily chew on and then gulp while waiting for the emergency team to arrive. Aspirin works by thinning out the blood and minimizing the risk for a heart attack.
The treatment is based on how serious it is. The main treatments include the use of medications to dissolve the blood clots and surgery to restore the flow of blood to the heart.
What are the causes?
In most cases, coronary heart disease is the prevalent cause. In this condition, the coronary arteries are blocked with the deposits of cholesterol that are called as plaques. Prior to a heart attack, one of the plaque bursts which results to the development of a blood clot at the area of the rupture. The clot will clog up the supply of blood travelling via the coronary artery, thus initiating a heart attack.
The risk of developing coronary heart disease is increased by a high-fat diet, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and being overweight or obese.
Recovery process
The time it requires to recover from a heart attack depends on the degree of damage on the heart muscle. Some individuals are capable to resume work within 2 weeks. Others might take up to several months to fully recover.
The recovery period aims to minimize the risk for another attack with a combination of lifestyle changes such as a healthy diet and medications such as statins. The physical fitness of the individual is also steadily restored so that he/she can resume normal activities.
Many individuals are able to work after a heart attack but it depends on the state of health, condition of the heart and the type of work the individual engages in.
Who are at risk?
A heart attack is one of the usual reasons why an individual entails immediate medical care. Men face a higher risk for developing one than women. In addition, most cases of heart attacks occur among individuals over 45 years old.