Heart Attack
A heart attack may occur due to a low supply of oxygen to the heart muscles or the cardiac muscles. This might result in the death of the cardiac muscles or may bring about long-lasting damage. Individuals most vulnerable to heart conditions are those with high cholesterol levels, diabetes, people who are of old age, those under trauma or extreme stress, overweight individuals, people with a really non-active lifestyle, and people with inflammatory diseases. Hereditary factors also may play a role in raising the odds for a person to have a heart attack.
Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack
Please be aware that experiencing a few of these heart attack signs and symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to have a heart attack. Only a medical diagnosis from an experienced cardiologist will be able to let you know for sure.
Many individuals are reluctant to ask for help when they feel signs and symptoms of a heart attack. They think it is embarrassing to be taken to the hospital or the emergency room to discover that there’s nothing wrong. However, taking into consideration the severity of the problem, you need to forget the embarrassment and ask for help ASAP whenever you experience the warning signs of a heart attack.
Digestive disturbance could be a sign of a heart attack. You may even feel an elevated pressure on the heart while it’s pumping blood. Both these symptoms are quite mild and, therefore, are often brushed aside.
The signs and symptoms of a heart attack can differ from person to person. For instance, a crushing pain is felt between the shoulder blades in males. However, the signs of heart attack in females include things like a mild pain in the neck.
Angina pectoris, which is also known as “angina”, is the precursor of a heart attack. With this condition, the patient suffers from an increase in heartbeats during exercise, an emotionally charged situation, after eating a large meal, and so on. In these situations, the heart demands more oxygen. Therefore, you might have some pain in your heart. Usually, this condition lasts for about fifteen minutes. When it lasts longer, this ought to be considered a warning sign of a heart attack.
Generally, the following are the most common signs and symptoms of a heart attack:
- Dizziness
- Squeezing or Pulling in the Chest
- Burning Sensation in the Chest
- Pain in the neck, jaw, shoulder, arm, or back
- Sweating
- Weakness
- Difficulty Breathing
What Causes a Heart Attack, and How Can I Prevent it?
Heart attacks are caused from clots or blockages which prevent the appropriate flow of blood within the coronary arteries. Whenever the blood can’t get to the area of the heart where it is required, the spot becomes deprived of oxygen and won’t function properly. If the blockage continues, the cells in the said location can die. Learn more about the anatomy of a heart.
Coronary Artery Disease or CAD may be the underlying reason for most heart attacks. This condition is recognized by the narrowing down of arteries along with the build-up of plaque deposits around the arterial walls (a condition known as atherosclerosis). Once the arteries narrow down, blood circulation to the heart is decreased. This condition can advance to completely block the artery and the flow of blood entirely.
Additionally, there are particular risk factors which could make you a lot more vulnerable to heart attacks, including:
- Emotional Stress
- Use of Certain Drugs
- Smoking
- Being a Male Over 45 Years of Age
- Being a Female Over 55 Years of Age
- Family History of Heart Disease
- Being Overweight
- Poor Diet
To prevent heart attacks, it’s important that you maintain a healthy weight, stay active, eat healthy, don’t smoke, and reduce your stress levels.
What Treatment Do I Need for a Heart Attack?
Basic heart attack treatment is provided to patients in all hospitals, regardless of their size or location. A lot of hospitals will begin with doing an ECG, which shows how the heart is working. Thrombolytic medicines, also known as clot busters, are given to a patient since they break down blood clots which are obstructing the coronary arteries. Beta blockers are also sometimes given. These are responsible for lowering a patient’s heart rate and blood pressure by dilating blood vessels. This helps to reduce the workload on the heart and, in turn, alleviates chest pain. Anticoagulants are a blood thinning medicine which helps prevent blood clots from developing in the arteries. Aspirin and Clopidogrel A stop platelets in blood cells from joining together and developing clots, as well.
In addition to these basic heart attack treatments, there are numerous surgical treatments which are often used in cases where medications aren’t enough or the case is too serious. All the procedures are designed to do the same thing, which is to clear the arteries from any obstructions so that blood can flow easily to and from the heart. One surgical heart attack treatment is known as coronary angioplasty which is a procedure utilized to open blocked coronary arteries. Also, a coronary artery bypass is when arteries or veins are surgically taken from other areas of the body and placed around the obstructed coronary to bypass the blocked arteries. This provides a new path for appropriate blood flow to the heart muscle.
What Treatments Can Austin Cardiac Provide?
The Austin Cardiac Clinic wants you to know that the best treatment for heart attacks is preventative treatment! Preventative cardiology may be good for everybody, from individuals who are already suffering from heart disease symptoms to men and women who’re simply worried about their cardiac health and are wanting to know how to improve upon it. The aim of preventative cardiology is to address any possible cardiac problems that you may have, and handle them with adjustments to your day-to-day lifestyle to lower your risk of a life threatening cardiac incident.
If you have suffered from a heart attack, Dr. Tiblier can monitor your heart health and work with you to develop a customized plan to get you on the right track once again. We can provide you with a healthy diet, appropriate exercise routines, and also with diagnostic testing to monitor your heart and ensure that everything’s in good working order.
You can schedule an appointment with Dr. Tiblier by calling us at 512-206-2988.
