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Today, people mistake heart attack for cardiac arrest. The differene between the two is actually very distinct. Cardiac arrest is the medical situation when your heart stopped beating. It does not necessarily mean there is something wrong with your heart. It could be a result of a complication. On the other hand, a heart attack is actually a disorder. Also called acute myocardial infarction, a heart attack is characterized by an interruption of the blood supply to a particular part of the heart resulting to oxygen shortage. The area not receiving sufficient oxygen suffers from tissue damage that could lead to tissue death. This is when a person would be experiencing a heart attack.
Since heart attacks are the leading causes of death worldwide, knowing the signs could mean the difference between life and death. Contrary to some belief, heart attacks do not always have to be a "chest-grabbing" incident. Many people experiencing a heart attack actually thought it was just heart burn or chest muscle pains. And it doesn't even have to be a one-time discomfort. You can experience recurring symptoms, which may feel mild one day and the next day severe, before an actual heart attack happens. So before you put yourself or your loved ones in serious dangers, here are some heart attack signs to look for.
The most classic heart attack sign is a feeling of discomfort in the middle of the chest. It could be a sudden dull pain that could subside after a few minutes. But remember that this kind of chest discomfort always come back. You may also feel an uncomfortable squeezing, pressure of even fullness aside from the mild to severe pain. This chest discomfort is actually because of the oxygen shortage in the heart muscle. Some pain actually spread to the left arm, lower jaw, back and stomach region.
Another heart attack sign is the sudden shortness of breath. This is because the left part of the heart has limited output, eventually damaging the heart. You will also exhibit other heart attack signs such as sweating, nausea, weakness, vomiting, light headedness and palpitations. Some persons lose consciousness when having a heart attack while others die suddenly.
In females, heart attack signs vary a little. The most common signs include weakness, dyspnea and fatigue. Sleep disturbances are also reported for a period as long as a month before an actual heart attack occurs. Not all persons with heart tissue damage will experience pain or discomfort. In fact, almost 30% of heart attack cases did not exhibit classic chest pain or other heart attack signs. It will only be confirmed after a medical investigation is done,
Individuals at risk of a heart attack are those who have a genetic disposition to it (family history), diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, high LDL levels and low HDL levels. People, who smoke, drink excessively, eat fatty foods, do not exercise and stressed, are also at risk of having a heart attack. These kinds of habits can be severly damaging to your body, and can ultimately prove to be fatal.
Any of a number of conditions that can affect the heart. Some examples include coronary heart disease, heart attack, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary heart disease and high blood pressure. Heart disease is a big problem in today's society because of lifestyle issues such as poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking.
Heart attack (myocardial infarction or coronary thrombosis) is when part of the heart muscle dies because it has been starved of oxygen. . It can occur as a result of one or two effects of atherosclerosis:
(1) If the artery becomes completely blocked and ischemia becomes so extensive that oxygen-bearing tissues around the heart die.
(2) If the plaque itself develops fissures or tears. Blood platelets adhere to the site to seal off the plaque, and a blood clot (thrombus) forms. A heart attack can then occur if the formed blood clot completely blocks the passage of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.
Usually, this happens when a blood clot forms in one of the coronary arteries (blood vessels to the heart muscle), which blocks the blood supply. Occasionally, a blockage is caused by a spasm (sudden narrowing) of a coronary artery.
Cause of Heart attack:
A heart attack happens when a blood vessel in or near the heart becomes blocked. Not enough blood can get to that part of the heart muscle. That area of the heart muscle stops working, so the heart is weaker. During a heart attack, you may have chest pain along with nausea, indigestion, extreme weakness, and sweating
A heart attack occurs when there is a severe blockage in an artery that carries oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. The blockage is usually caused by the buildup of plaque (deposits of fat-like substances, or atherosclerosis) along the walls of the arteries. The sudden lack of blood flow to the heart muscle deprives the heart of needed oxygen and nutrients. If the blockage is not opened quickly, the heart muscle is likely to suffer serious, permanent damage as areas of tissue die.
Warning Signs for Heart Attack
&bullChest discomfort: uncomfortable pressure, squeezing or fullness.
&bullDiscomfort in other areas of the upper body: one or both arms or in the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
&bullShortness of breath, either with chest discomfort or alone.
&bullOther signs, including nausea, lightheadedness, or breaking out in a cold sweat.
Common Symptoms.
Other common symptoms of a heart attack include:
&bullNausea, vomiting, and cold sweats
&bullA feeling of indigestion or heartburn
&bullFainting
&bullA great fear of impending death, a phenomena known as angor animi
Medical Treatment
Medical treatment may be started immediately, before a definite diagnosis of a heart problem is made. General treatment measures include the following:
&bullOxygen through a tube in the nose or face mask
&bullNitroglycerin under the tongue
&bullPain medicines (morphine or meperidine)
&bullAspirin: Those with allergy to aspirin may be given clopidogrel (Plavix).
Surgery
After a heart attack, you will usually be offered an exercise test. If this suggests that your coronary arteries have narrowed, an angiogram will be carried out. This involves injecting a dye into the blood so that the coronary blood vessels show up on an X-ray. If your arteries are narrowed, you can sometimes be treated with angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting.