Heart Attack: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

August 16, 2020

The heart is the hardest working muscle in the body. On average the heartbeats around 100,000 times a day during 24hrs to supply oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Blood pumped by the heart also shuttles waste products such as carbon dioxide to the lungs so it can be eliminated from the body. Proper heart function is essential to support and sustain life. Read more about Heart Attack: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention.

Did you know, heart disease is the leading killer and affects an estimated 14 million adults?

A heart attack happens when somethingblocks the blood flow to your heart so it can’t get the oxygen it needs.

What are the Lifestyle Risk Factors for Heart Disease?

Certain lifestyle factors and choicesthat increase the risk of heart disease include:

  • Eating a diethigh in fat

  • Being physically inactive

  • Experiencing emotional distress orbeing “stressed out”

Some heart disease risk factors, such as genetics, cannot be controlled. However, many other heart disease risk factors can be modified. Eating heart-healthy foods can reduce the risk of heart disease. Heart-healthy foods include fruits, and vegetables. Cholesterol-lowering foods such as beans, soy, chickpeas, garlic, avocados, and olive oil are beneficial. Boost levels of HDL “good” cholesterol by eating nuts. Walnuts and almonds are good choices, but limit your serving to a small handful as nuts are high in calories. Avoid sugary foods as they promote heart disease and other chronic conditions.

Symptoms of a Heart Disease include:

Many people with heart disease noticesymptoms during physical exertion or exercise. The heart needs more oxygen andnutrients during physical exertion, so people with heart disease may notice symptomswhen they are active. Cardiovascular disease symptoms may be different for menand women. For instance, men are more likely to have chest pain; women are morelikely to have other symptoms along with chest discomfort, such as shortness ofbreath, nausea and extreme fatigue.

Certain groups of people with heart disease experience atypical symptoms. Many people with diabetes and elderly individuals do not experience pain as a symptom of heart disease. People in those groups are more likely to report fatigue or a general feeling of malaise as a symptom of heart disease.

What is a Heart Attack:

A heart is a muscle, and it needs a good blood supply to keep it healthy. As we get older, the smooth inner walls of the arteries that supply the blood to the heart can become damaged and narrow due to the buildup of fatty materials, called plaque. A heart attack happens when there is a sudden complete blockage of an artery that supplies blood to an area of your heart. When an area of plaque breaks, blood cells and other parts of the blood stick to the damaged area and form blood clots. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot completely blocks the flow of blood and seriously reduces blood flow to the heart muscle. This also results in patients experiencing chest pain. As a result, some of the heart muscle starts to die. The longer the blockage is left untreated, the more the heart muscle is damaged. If the blood flow is not restored quickly, the damage to the heart muscle is permanent.

A heart attack is sometimes called amyocardial infarction, acute myocardial infarction, coronary occlusion orcoronary thrombosis.

Types of Heart Attack

Heart attacks can be classified by ameasurement from an ECG known as the ST segment. This corresponds to the areaof damage inflicted on the heart.

Acute Coronary Syndrome

A heart attack is a form of acutecoronary syndrome (ACS), where there is a significant blockage in the coronaryarteries.

The 3 main types of ACS include:

  • ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)

  • Non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)

  • Unstable angina

ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI)

A STEMI is the most serious type of heart attack where there is a long interruption to the blood supply. This is caused by a total blockage of the coronary artery, which can cause extensive damage to a large area of the heart.

Non-ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI)

An NSTEMI can be less serious than a STEMI because the supply of blood to the heart may be only partially, rather than completely, blocked. As a result, a smaller section of the heart may be damaged. Without treatment, it can progress to serious heart damage or STEMI.

Unstable Angina

Unstable angina is the least serioustype of ACS. However, like NSTEMI, it is still a medical emergency as it canalso progress to serious heart damage or STEMI. In unstable angina, the bloodsupply to the heart is still seriously restricted, but there is no permanentdamage, so the heart muscle is preserved.

Causes of a Heart Attack

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is theleading cause of heart attacks. CHD is a condition in which the major bloodvessels that supply the heart get clogged with deposits of cholesterol, knownas plaques. Before a heart attack, 1 of the plaques bursts, causing a bloodclot to develop at the site of the rupture. The clot may block the supply ofblood to the heart, triggering a heart attack.

Symptoms of a Heart Attack include:

  • Discomfort, pressure, heaviness, tightness, squeezing, or pain in your chest or arm or below your breastbone

  • The discomfort that goes into your back, jaw, throat, or arm

  • Fullness, indigestion, or a choking feeling

  • Sweating, upset stomach, vomiting, or dizziness

  • Severe weakness, anxiety, fatigue, or shortness of breath

  • Fast or uneven heartbeat

Diagnosis of a Heart Attack

If you are rushed to hospital with asuspected heart attack, your health care team will do some tests to find out ifyou are having a heart attack. They may include:

  • Electrocardiogram(ECG)

  • Blood tests

  • Chest X-ray

  • Coronaryangiogram.

When to See a Doctor

The quicker someone is treated when having a heart attack, the greater the chances of success. These days, most heart attacks can be dealt with effectively.

However, it is crucial to rememberthat a person’s survival depends largely on how quickly they reach thehospital. If a person has a history of heart attacks, they should speak to adoctor about treatment plans.

Seek emergency medical care if youhave these heart disease symptoms:

  • Chest pain

  • Shortness ofbreath

  • Fainting

While waiting for an ambulance, it mayhelp to chew and then swallow a tablet of aspirin, as long as the person havinga heart attack is not allergic to aspirin. Aspirin helps to thin the blood andimproves blood flow to the heart. Sometimes, a person who is having a heartattack will stop breathing. In this case, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, orCPR, should be started immediately.

This process involves:

  • Manual chestcompressions

  • A defibrillator

  • Nitroglycerin torelieve chest pain and improve blood flow

  • Oxygen therapy

Less severe heart attacks may be treated with medication. Your doctor will prescribe your medications based on your condition, risk factors, and overall health. These drugs may include:

  • Clot busters todissolve clots that are blocking arteries

  • Blood pressuremedications to help reduce the heart’s workload and control blood pressure

  • Blood thinners toprevent blood clots

  • Statins to helplower LDL cholesterol

Recovering from a Heart Attack

The time it takes to recover from aheart attack will depend on the amount of damage to your heart muscle. Mostpeople can return to work after having a heart attack. Some people are wellenough to return to work after 2 weeks. Other people may take several months torecover. How quickly you can go back to work depends on your health, the stateof your heart and the type of work you do.

The recovery process aims to:

Reduce your risk of another heartattack through a combination of lifestyle changes (such as eating a healthydiet), and medicines (such as statins), which help to lower blood cholesterollevels gradually restore your physical fitness so you can resume normalactivities (cardiac rehabilitation)

Tips to Prevent a Heart Attack

  • Spend at least150 minutes (2.5 hours) per week doing moderate-intensity exercise, such asbrisk walking or swimming.

  • Follow aheart-healthy diet that focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, leanproteins (such as fish), beans, lentils, nuts, and olive oil.

  • Avoid red meat,processed foods, and beverages with added sugars.

  • Stop smoking.

  • Take yourmedications consistently.

  • Get 7 to 9 hoursof sleep each night.

  • Reduce stress.

  • Get regularcheckups and blood work done.

Heart disease is easier to treat when detected early, so talk to your doctor about your concerns regarding your heart health. If you think you may have heart disease, based on new signs or symptoms you’re having, make an appointment to see your doctor. Dr Sourabh Sharma is a well Known cardiovascular and heart specialist in Kota Rajasthan. If you’re concerned about developing heart disease, talk to him about steps you can take to reduce your heart disease risk. This is important if you have a family history of heart disease.