What is a Heart Attack

A myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply to a portion of the heart muscle is inadequate.

The heart needs enough oxygen to function properly, just like every other organ. This need is satisfied by the coronary arteries, which also provide the heart with oxygen. The walls of the coronary arteries accumulate fatty deposits or plaque as a result of improper eating and lifestyle choices. Without making the necessary lifestyle modifications, such plaque accumulation might eventually result in blockages. Any arterial blockage limits blood flow to specific areas of the heart muscle. This leads to myocardial ischemia, a condition in which the heart’s upper chambers are oxygen-deprived. The longer time that goes by without receiving treatments to improve blood flow, the more damage the heart muscle sustains, which eventually results in a Heart Attack.

What Can Cause A Heart Attack?

A  significant factor that contributes to a heart attack includes Damage to the coronary arteries present in the heart. There are several causes for coronary artery blockages, which prevent the heart from getting enough oxygen. The most common cause of heart attacks is a condition known as coronary artery disease.

In certain instances, a heart attack happens when a plaque that has built up in the heart bursts, allowing cholesterol and other chemicals to enter the bloodstream. A blood clot prevents the flow of oxygenated blood to the heart during the rupture. Rarely, a blood vessel spasm might induce a heart attack.

What are the symptoms of a heart attack?

The significant rationales that contribute to a heart attack include:

• Discomfort or soreness in the chest. The majority of heart attacks tend to be marked by left or center chest discomfort that lasts more than a few minutes or subsides and then reappears. The discomfort may feel like painful pressure, squeezing, fullness, or other unpleasant sensations.

• Feeling flimsy, dizzy, or faint. Additionally, you can start to sweat a lot.
• Back, neck, or jaw discomfort or pain.

• respiration difficulty. Shortness of breath can occur before chest pain, although it also frequently occurs together with it.

Other symptoms of a heart attack may include extreme or unexpected fatigue, nausea, or vomiting. These additional symptoms are more prevalent in women.

How Prone are you to a heart attack?

A heart attack is prone to numerous risk factors. Uncontrollable or modifiable risk factors include those that:

• Gender: Compared to women, men are more likely to develop cardiac conditions and have heart attacks.

• Family history – A heart attack may be brought on by an inherited, incurable hereditary heart condition from one’s relatives.

• Age: People over 65 are more likely to get a heart attack.

• Only a few risk factors are manageable, including:

• Smoking – Chronic inhalation of tobacco smoke can result in heart disease.

• Obesity – Being overweight can result in major health risks since it raises blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. Regular exercise can help people lose weight and minimize their risk of heart attack.

• Stress: Excessive stress places unwelcome strain on the heart, raising the risk of cardiac arrest.

• High blood pressure – If you have high blood pressure, it’s crucial to regularly check it and manage it with the right drugs.

• Diabetes – An increase in blood sugar levels and a lack of insulin can harm the heart, among other bodily organs.

• Diet – It’s crucial to have a daily balanced diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables. Heart illnesses result from eating a lot of greasy meals.

• Alcoholic – Drinking too much alcohol increases your chances of having a heart attack.

Risk of a heart attack in men

Males are more prone to experience acute coronary events, such as heart attacks, at a younger age than females. Equally impacted are men and women over the age of 70. The symptoms of a heart attack differ slightly between men and women, but for the most part, they are all quite frequent. The thick walls in the internal chambers of men’s hearts prevent the rise in blood pressure, which in turn causes stress to build up in the heart and eventually results in a heart attack. This is the major rationale for the greater rate of heart attacks in males.

Risk of a heart attack in women

Because of the thin walls in the internal chambers, a woman’s heart is generally smaller than a man’s. Women’s hearts beat quicker than men’s. With each beating, it pumps 10% less blood. When a woman is under stress, her heart rate increases and she pumps out more blood. The situation is different in males; when a guy is worried, the arteries of his heart contract, raising his blood pressure levels. The incidence of heart attacks in women aged 60-70 years rises dramatically to equal that of males. The risk factors for a heart attack in women are as follows:

• Diabetes and high blood pressure
• Fat-clogged arteries
• Pregnancy
• Reduced oestrogen hormone production after menopause

Early signs of a heart attack

Heart specialists suggest that the symptoms of a heart attack differ from person to person and are majorly defined by the severity of the condition that determines its signs and symptoms. Few people definitely perceive these symptoms, allowing them to seek medical attention promptly; nonetheless, some suffer a sudden cardiac arrest with no symptoms.

Here are some indications and symptoms to look out for:

• Chest discomfort, either severe or moderate, with pressure and tightness. This sensation may spread to the arms, neck, mouth, and back.
• Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, and stomach discomfort
• The cold sweat
• Tiredness
• Dizziness and lightheadedness that occurs suddenly
• Breathing difficulty

If you notice any of the symptoms, consult your healthcare provider or visit Medserg Health for immediate medical consultancy and help.

What to do if you notice slow symptoms of a heart attack in yourself or somebody else?

If you experience heart attack symptoms, contact Medserg right away or look up ‘heart specialist near me’. The sooner you consult a specialist, the sooner you can begin receiving therapy to lessen the degree of heart muscle damage.

Medserg offers the greatest cardiologist in India accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for an online consultation. All of our doctors are very skilled and experienced, so they can take care of any heart-related issues you may have. They provide an elaborate list of all the best heart hospitals in India.

Keep in mind that the sooner care begins, the greater the likelihood of surviving a heart attack.

Treatment of a Heart attack

When a heart attack is identified, your surgeon immediately begins treatment by performing the following procedures that fall under the domain of cardiothoracic surgery:

• Angioplasty – This surgery removes plaque accumulation in blood arteries, allowing a balloon-shaped tool to open a blocked artery.

• Stent – After angioplasty, the artery is kept open with the use of a wire mesh tube called a stent, which is put into the artery.

• Heart bypass surgery – This procedure diverts blood flow around blocked arteries.

• Heart valve surgery – This is a replacement operation that is performed to repair or replace damaged heart valves in order for the heart to pump blood properly.