What is a Heart Attack?
The heart is a muscle which requires a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood to nourish it. The coronary arteries provide the heart with this critical blood supply. A sudden blockage from a blood clot in the coronary arteries or the narrowing of the arteries can stop the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the heart. When the heart becomes oxygen deprived the muscles begin to collapse, causing permanent damage. This is a heart attack.
First aid for heart attack
There are very good chances of minimizing the amount of damage to the heart and increasing the survival chances of the patient if first aid or heart attack treatment is administered during the ‘Golden Hour’- the first 60 minutes from the onset of a heart attack.
Symptoms of a Heart Attack
Learning the signs of a heart attack is vital and can go a long way in helping one save a life (even their own). Symptoms of a heart attack include:
- Chest discomfort, pressure, heaviness or pain that could radiate to the back.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body like the neck, arm, or jaw.
- Shortness of breath, extreme weakness and anxiety can occur with chest discomfort or even before the chest discomfort begins
- Sweating, nausea, vomiting, light headedness, choking feeling or fullness
Heart attack emergency
On experiencing any one or more of the above symptoms of a heart attack, it is important to call the nearby hospital or have somebody drive one over to the hospital. It is imperative to have the symptoms checked out even if one thinks it is not a heart attack.
Causes of heart attack
Heart attack is one of the leading causes of death both for men and women all over the world. Risk factors for heart attacks are: previous cardiovascular disease, old age, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, chronic high stress levels and abuse of certain drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine.
How to prevent heart attack?
Lowering your risk factors for coronary heart disease can help you prevent a heart attack. Following a heart healthy diet, regular physical exercise and better management of heart related health conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure aid in heart attack prevention.
