During a heart attack, the heart muscle is permanently damaged. The medical term for a heart attack is myocardial infarction which literally means, "death of heart muscle" - "myo" is Greek for muscle, cardial from the Greek kardia meaning heart and infarction sudden loss of blood supply causing death of tissue.Our heart needs a steady supply of blood that is rich in oxygen and nutrients to function. Our heart is surrounded by arteries. Through the years, as we eat cholesterol-rich food, they accumulate in our arteries and become deposits called plaque. This causes the arteries to become narrow, obstructing the passage of blood to the heart.
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Heart attack causes
Plaque deposits are hard outside and soft on the inside because of fats. When the plaques rupture, platelets surge to the area, causing blood clots. Blood clots block the passage of blood, causing the heart to be starved of oxygen. When this happens, heart muscle is damaged and heart attack happens.
Your body specifically your nervous system senses that something is wrong. So you start feeling heart attack symptoms such as sweating and discomfort in the chest that crawls to the shoulders and arms.
What to do when you have a heart attack
1.Seek medical attention right away. Do not delay having yourself checked. It’s okay if you’re not sure – just have yourself checked right away. Call 911 or the local medical responders in your area. The sooner you can get treated, the less damage you’ll have on your heart muscle.
2.If #1 isn’t possible, rush to the nearest medical center. Ask someone to drive you. Never think about driving yourself to go there. It’s dangerous for you as well as for others as you might get into an accident because of your heart attack.
3.Sit, rest and breathe while waiting for someone to help you or give you medical attention.
Confirming your Symptoms
To find out if the symptoms are really brought about by a heart attack and to get an idea of the damage on your heart, medical professionals will test you through one or a few of these methods:
ECG(Electrocardiogram). Electrodes are attached to your skin to monitor impulses that is seen on a monitor or paper. When a heart muscle is injured, an abnormality is detected in the electrical impulses.
Blood tests – When you went through a heart attack there are certain enzymes that mix with your blood.
CT scan – images of your heart and chest are collected through an X-ray.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) – with the use of magnetic field and atomic particles, they create images of your heart.
Chest X-ray – checks your heart, blood vessels and fluid in your lungs
Echocardiogram – with the use of video images, medical professionals can see if your heart was damaged by a heart attack.
Angiogram – a dye is injected into your arteries so the doctor can see areas of blockage through an X-ray.
After a heart attack
Heart attack survivors are given medication to treat heart attack right away.Maintenance prescription are also expected, particularly blood thinners to avoid blood clots.
The cardiologist may suggest for the patient to undergo surgery to ease the blockage such as Coronary angioplasty and stenting and Coronary artery bypass surgery.
To keep further blood clots at bay, lifestyle change is in order. Keeping a healthy diet, managing stress, exercising regularly and quitting smoking and drinking are necessary.
Related article:
Heart attack causes
Plaque deposits are hard outside and soft on the inside because of fats. When the plaques rupture, platelets surge to the area, causing blood clots. Blood clots block the passage of blood, causing the heart to be starved of oxygen. When this happens, heart muscle is damaged and heart attack happens.
Your body specifically your nervous system senses that something is wrong. So you start feeling heart attack symptoms such as sweating and discomfort in the chest that crawls to the shoulders and arms.
What to do when you have a heart attack
1.Seek medical attention right away. Do not delay having yourself checked. It’s okay if you’re not sure – just have yourself checked right away. Call 911 or the local medical responders in your area. The sooner you can get treated, the less damage you’ll have on your heart muscle.
2.If #1 isn’t possible, rush to the nearest medical center. Ask someone to drive you. Never think about driving yourself to go there. It’s dangerous for you as well as for others as you might get into an accident because of your heart attack.
3.Sit, rest and breathe while waiting for someone to help you or give you medical attention.
Confirming your Symptoms
To find out if the symptoms are really brought about by a heart attack and to get an idea of the damage on your heart, medical professionals will test you through one or a few of these methods:
ECG(Electrocardiogram). Electrodes are attached to your skin to monitor impulses that is seen on a monitor or paper. When a heart muscle is injured, an abnormality is detected in the electrical impulses.
Blood tests – When you went through a heart attack there are certain enzymes that mix with your blood.
CT scan – images of your heart and chest are collected through an X-ray.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) – with the use of magnetic field and atomic particles, they create images of your heart.
Chest X-ray – checks your heart, blood vessels and fluid in your lungs
Echocardiogram – with the use of video images, medical professionals can see if your heart was damaged by a heart attack.
Angiogram – a dye is injected into your arteries so the doctor can see areas of blockage through an X-ray.
After a heart attack
Heart attack survivors are given medication to treat heart attack right away.Maintenance prescription are also expected, particularly blood thinners to avoid blood clots.
The cardiologist may suggest for the patient to undergo surgery to ease the blockage such as Coronary angioplasty and stenting and Coronary artery bypass surgery.
To keep further blood clots at bay, lifestyle change is in order. Keeping a healthy diet, managing stress, exercising regularly and quitting smoking and drinking are necessary.
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