Heart attack commonly occursduring intense physical activity like exercising or running.
Heart attack can occur any time. It may occur when you are resting or asleep, after a sudden increase in physical activity, when you are active outside in cold weather, or after sudden, severe emotional or physical stress, including an illness. As heart attack is an emergency, it is very important to go to a hospital immediately to avoid serious complications and death.
When chest pain occurs due to a heart attack, it may feel like ____________
The chest pain can be mild to severe and can feel like:
- A tight band around the chest
- Bad indigestion
- Something heavy sitting on your chest
- Squeezing or heavy pressure
Heart attack is ……....
A heart attack (myocardial infarction)is a blockage of blood supply to the heart muscle. It is a life-threatening condition that occurs when blood supply to the heart is suddenly blocked or stopped.
Which of the following causes heart attack?
Heart attack occurs when there is not enough blood flow or no blood flow to the heart muscle. Coronary arteries carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart. A substance called plaque builds up gradually inside the coronary arteries narrowing or blocking them. This plaque is made up of cholesterol,trans-fat, and saturated fats. When the coronary arteries are blocked or narrowed, blood flow to the heart decreases or stops completely, causing heart attack. Sudden heart attack or acute myocardial infarction occurs when a blood flow to a part of the heart is suddenly stopped due to a clot formation in one of the arteries that supplies blood to that area of the heart. A blood clot forms when a tear in the plaque occurs. This is the most common cause of the heart attack.
A blood clot is the most common cause of a heart attack.
Most heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. If the blood flow is blocked, the heart is starved of oxygen and heart muscle dies.
Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack.
Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack. The pain may be felt only in the chest or it may move from the chest to arms, shoulder, neck, teeth, jaw, belly area, or back. The pain most often lasts longer than 20 minutes.
A doctor can advise and teach you how to keep your heart healthy and prevent future attacks.
The doctor will educate and teach you the following to help keep your heart healthy:
- How to eat a heart-healthy diet
- How to control your blood pressure
- How to control your cholesterol
- How to control your stress level
- How to be active and exercise safely
- What to do when you have chest pain
- How to stop smoking
Emergency treatment of a person with a heart attack include __________
Emergency treatment of a person with a heart attack depends on the situation, which can include:
- Aspirin therapy to prevent blood clots.
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to restore partial flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and heart.
- Hooking up to a heart monitor to monitor heart beats.
- Oxygen therapy.
- An intravenous line (IV) will be placed into one of your veins to administer medicines and fluids.
- Nitroglycerin and morphine to help reduce chest pain.
- Medicines or electric shocks to treat arrhythmias (abnormal heart beats).
- Angioplasty to open narrowed or blocked blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. It is usually done within 90 minutes after the victim get to the hospital, and usually not later than 12 hours after a heart attack.
- Placing a stent (a small, metal mesh tube that opens up or expands) inside a coronary artery to prevent the artery from closing up again. A stent is usually placed after or during angioplasty.
- Drugs to break up the clot. This is called thrombolytic therapy.
- Heart bypass surgery or open heart surgery to open narrowed or blocked coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart.
No other symptoms appear other than chest pain when a heart attack happens.
Along with chest pain, other symptoms may also occur, which can go away and come back. Some people, such as older adults, diabetics, and womenmay have little or no chest pain. They can have unusual symptoms, such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and weakness. When there are no symptoms, it is called a "silent heart attack". The following are the other symptoms of a heart attack:
- Palpitations (fast or irregular heart beat)
- Shortness of breath
- Heavy sweating
- Anxiety
- Cough
- Fainting
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
A doctor prescribes medicines to treat your heart problem and prevent future attacks.
Your doctor will prescribe medications to treat your heart problem and prevent more heart attacks. You need to take those medications regularly. Certain medications are to be taken for the rest of your life. Your doctor will teach you how and when to take medications. The doctor may also ask you to take part in a cardiac rehabilitation program.
In people with a heart attack, a doctor uses a stethoscope to hear if there are ___________
The doctor will perform a physical exam. The doctor will use a stethoscope to hear if there are crackles (abnormal sounds in your lungs), heart murmur, or other abnormal sounds. The doctor will also check pulse and blood pressure.
Several laboratory tests are needed to find out the condition of the heart.
The doctor will conduct some of the following tests to find out the condition of the heart:
- Blood test to see if there is any heart tissue damage.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) to check heart condition.
- Coronary angiography to see how blood flows through your heart.
- Echocardiography with or with stress testing.
- Exercise stress test.
- Nuclear stress test.
- Heart CT scan or heart MRI.