How To Not Have A Heart Attack

How Is A Heart Attack Treated

If you go to the hospital in an ambulance, treatment will be started right away to restore blood flow and limit damage to the heart. You may be given:

• Aspirin and other medicines to prevent blood clots.
• Medicines that break up blood clots .
• Medicines to decrease the heart’s workload and ease pain.

At the hospital, you will have tests, such as:

• Electrocardiogram . It can detect signs of poor blood flow, heart muscle damage, abnormal heartbeats, and other heart problems.
• Blood tests, including tests to see whether cardiac enzymes are high. Having these enzymes in the blood is usually a sign that the heart has been damaged.
• Cardiac catheterization, if the other tests show that you may be having a heart attack. This test shows which arteries are blocked and how your heart is working.

If cardiac catheterization shows that an artery is blocked, a doctor may do angioplasty right away to help blood flow through the artery. Or a doctor may do emergency to redirect blood around the blocked artery. You may need to be taken to a hospital that can perform these treatments if there is not one in your area.

After these treatments, you will take medicines to help prevent another heart attack. Take all of your medicines correctly. Do not stop taking your medicine unless your doctor tells you to. If you stop taking your medicine, you might raise your risk of having another heart attack.

About Half Of All Heart Attacks Are Mistaken For Less Serious Problems And Can Increase Your Risk Of Dying From Coronary Artery Disease

You can have a heart attack and not even know it. A silent heart attack, known as a silent myocardial infarction , account for 45% of heart attacks and strike men more than women.

They are described as “silent” because when they occur, their symptoms lack the intensity of a classic heart attack, such as extreme and pressure stabbing pain in the arm, neck, or jaw sudden shortness of breath sweating, and dizziness.

“SMI symptoms can feel so mild, and be so brief, they often get confused for regular discomfort or another less serious problem, and thus men ignore them,” says Dr. Jorge Plutzky, director of the vascular disease prevention program at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

For instance, men may feel fatigue or physical discomfort and chalk it up to overwork, poor sleep, or some general age-related ache or pain. Other typical symptoms like mild pain in the throat or chest can be confused with gastric reflux, indigestion, and .

Also, the location of pain is sometimes misunderstood. With SMI, you may feel discomfort in the center of the chest and not a sharp pain on the left side of the chest, which many people associate with a heart attack. “People can even feel completely normal during an SMI and afterward, too, which further adds to the chance of missing the warning signs,” says Dr. Plutzky.

What Are The Risk Factors For Heart Attack

Several health conditions, your lifestyle, and your age and family history can increase your risk for heart disease and heart attack. These are called risk factors. About half of all Americans have at least one of the three key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking.2

Some risk factors cannot be controlled, such as your age or family history. But you can take steps to lower your risk by changing the factors you can control.

Learn more about risk factors for heart disease and heart attack.

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Chest Pain Pressure Squeezing And Fullness

Picture someone having a heart attack, and chances are you imagine them gasping for air and clutching their chest before falling unconscious. While you may experience chest pain during a heart attack, it may not be as dramatic. In some cases, it may not even be described as pain. Instead, it may feel more like pressure or squeezing in the chest.

Chest pain or chest discomfort is caused by an insufficient supply of oxygen-rich blood to your heart. During a heart attack, you may feel this pain in the center of the chest. It can last for a few minutes and disappear, or it may recur after a short break.

This symptom is a warning sign of blocked or narrowed arteries. Dont hesitate to report this to your doctor, even if this and other symptoms are not intense.

When Cpr Or An Aed Is Necessary

CPR is necessary if a patient is unconscious and does not have a pulse. Usually, when a patient is unconscious during a heart attack, it means that the heart has stopped working appropriately and cannot deliver blood to the brain. When this happens, CPR is critical, and a defibrillator, if available, may be lifesaving.

To perform CPR, push rather hard with two hands extended, thrusting down in the center of the chest. Compress about 100 times per minute. In this setting, breaking ribs should not be avoided. Ideally, someone trained in CPR and adult cardiac life support techniques should perform these interventions. However, if there is a bystander, even if they are not trained, they may be able to save a life if CPR is done quickly and effectively. The 911 operator can also provide CPR instructions.

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Heart Disease Symptoms In Women

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women, and heart attack symptoms and signs can be different for women than for men, for example:

• Chest tightness

Sometimes people having a heart attack experience no symptoms at all. The medical term for this is silent ischemia, commonly referred to as a “silent” heart attack.

If you think you are experiencing signs of a heart attack, call 911 immediately!

Get The Heart Care You Need When You Need It

Each year about 805,000 Americans have a heart attack, and about 655,000 die of heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This means heart disease is responsible for one in every four deaths, making it the leading cause of death for both men and women.

Remember, if you think youre having a heart attack:

• Chew one adult-strength aspirin to help keep your blood from clotting.
• Stay on the phone with the emergency operator as you wait for an ambulance. Do not try to drive yourself to the hospital.

A heart attack can be a scary experience. But remember that were here for you, and comprehensive heart care and recovery options are never far away.

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Heart Attack Symptoms In Women

Although many people think heart attacks happen mostly to men, heartdisease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. So it’s justas important for women of every age torecognize heart attack signsand seek immediate medical attention.

For the vast majority of people men and women chest pain or discomfortis the primary symptom of a heart attack. However, women are more likelythan men are to have less recognizable heart attack symptoms, such as:

• Pain or discomfort in different parts of the upper body
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea and vomiting

Heart Attacks Striking Younger Women

Younger women are having more heart attacks, says a recent study.Researchers were surprised to find that while the heart attack rate hasdecreased among older adults, it’s risen among those ages 35-54, especiallywomen. TheAtherosclerosis Risk in Communities studyreviewed more than 28,000 hospitalizations for heart attacks in fourcities.

“This observational study found a trend in young women,” saysVirginia Colliver, M.D., cardiologist withJohns Hopkins Community Physicians-Heart Carein Bethesda, Maryland. “But the research doesn’t provide insight into whythe uptick in heart attacks is happening to younger people. I suspect ithas to do with more people having risk factors for heart disease at anearlier age.”

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What Health Markers Should I Monitor

Keep an eye on your cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and your BMI. If you have diabetes, make sure to adhere to your medications and monitor your blood sugar levels closely. Keeping those numbers within a healthy range can greatly improve your heart health and reduce your risk for heart disease and a second heart attack.

Widowmaker Heart Attack Survival Statistics Point To A 12% Survival Rate

One of the most horrifying heart attacks is the widowmaker. For those of you who dont know what that isits a heart attack caused by a blockage in the main artery, which comes down the front of the heart. Based on widowmaker heart attack statistics, if one experiences this kind of heart attack outside of the hospital, their survival rate is only 12%.

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Ambulance And Emergency Room

Treatment begins in the ambulance and emergency room. You may get oxygen if you need it. You may get morphine if you need pain relief.

The goal of your health care team will be to prevent permanent heart muscle damage by restoring blood flow to your heart as quickly as possible.

Treatment includes:

• Nitroglycerin. It opens up the arteries of the heart to help blood flow back to the heart.
• Beta-blockers. These drugs lower the heart rate, blood pressure, and the workload of the heart.

You also will receive medicines to stop blood clots. These are given to prevent blood clots from getting bigger so blood can flow to the heart. Some medicines will break up blood clots to increase blood flow. You might be given:

• Aspirin, which you chew as soon as possible after calling 911.
• Antiplatelet medicine.
• Thrombolytics.

Causes And Risk Factors Of Heart Attacks

Most heart attacks are caused by coronary artery disease , in which your arteries become narrowed and hardened due to the buildup of a fatty substance called plaque.

Plaque is a combination of fat, cholesterol, and other substances that can build up in the inner lining of your artery walls.

This buildup is known as atherosclerosis, or “hardening of the arteries.”

Blood flow to your heart can become completely cut off or severely reduced when a blood clot gets lodged in any artery that has been previously narrowed by a buildup of plaque.

Less commonly, heart attacks may be caused by a spasm, or tightening, of a coronary artery. Spasms may be related to smoking, high blood pressure, alcohol withdrawal, recreational stimulant drugs, or exposure to extreme cold or stress.

There are three common risk factors for heart disease that can put you at greater risk for a heart attack:

• High blood pressure

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Could You Have A Heart Attack And Not Know It

• By , Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter

Heres a surprising fact: nearly half of people who have a heart attack dont realize it at the time. These so-called silent heart attacks are only diagnosed after the event, when a recording of the hearts electrical activity or another test reveals evidence of damage to the heart.

One explanation for this phenomenon may be a higher-than-average tolerance for pain. Some people mistake their symptoms as indigestion or muscle pain, while others may feel pain, but in parts of their upper body other than the center of the chest, says Dr. Kenneth Rosenfield, who heads the vascular medicine and intervention section at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Water And Cayenne Pepper

Another online recommendation thats not effective is to drink a glass of water with a spoonful of cayenne pepper in it. Some people say cayenne pepper is a stimulant capable of increasing the heart rate and carrying blood all over the body, balancing circulation. Some claim that cayenne pepper can stop bleeding instantly.

There is no proof, however, that cayenne pepper or other types of pepper are useful when taken at the onset of a heart attack. Whats more, its not understood how capsaicin might interact with aspirin when taken during a heart attack and experts know that aspirin is helpful.

While you cant control all your heart attack risk factors, such as aging, gender , and heredity, there are some that you can control. To prevent your risk of a heart attack:

• Stop smoking and minimize your exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Get your high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure under control by modifying your diet, losing weight, taking medication, or doing a combination of these things.
• Stay physically active daily.
• Control your weight if youre overweight or obese.
• If you have diabetes, take care by sticking to your treatment plan and managing your blood sugar.
• Get a handle on the stress in your life by practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing or yoga, or try talk therapy.
• Limit your alcohol consumption.

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What Increases Your Risk

Coronary artery disease is the major cause of heart attacks. So the more risk factors you have for CAD, the greater your risk for unstable angina or a heart attack. The main risks for CAD are:

• Smoking.
• Family history of early CAD.
• Age. The risk increases in men after age 45 and in women after age 55.

Female Heart Attack Statistics By Age Show That 1 In 16 Women Over The Age Of 20 Has Coronary Heart Disease

About 6.2% of all women over 20 have the most common type of heart diseasecoronary heart disease, which is associated with a heart attack. To be more specific, thats 6.1% of White women, 6.5% of Black women, and 6% of Hispanic women. As for Asian women, 1 in 30 of women have coronary heart disease.

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Treating High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood flow inside the arteries or blood vessels. Sometimes the blood may exert too much force on the vessels. In that case, the heart will need to work harder than it should. In such a situation, it will put you at a higher risk for heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and eye problems.

Two out of three adults with diabetes have high blood pressure. High BP is also called hypertension. If you have diabetes, you need to check your blood pressure at regular intervals to ensure that it is in the right range.

If your blood pressure is measured In two numbers. 120/80 is the ideal blood pressure. The first number is known as systolic pressure and it means the pressure your blood exerts as it pushes through your blood vessels. The second number is known as diastolic pressure, which refers to the pressure between heartbeats when the vessels relax. If you have diabetes, the recommended BP range is below 130140/80-90.

It is possible to treat hypertension effectively through lifestyle changes. If you cannot do so, your doctor may prescribe some medication. There are different BP medicines available, however, not all of them are good for people with diabetes. Some medicines raise blood glucose levels or mask some symptoms of low blood glucose or hypoglycemia. Your doctor will help you find the right medicine for treating high blood pressure if you also have diabetes.

What Can I Do To Recover After A Heart Attack

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If youve had a heart attack, your heart may be damaged. This could affect your hearts rhythm and its ability to pump blood to the rest of the body. You may also be at risk for another heart attack or conditions such as stroke, kidney disorders, and peripheral arterial disease .

You can lower your chances of having future health problems following a heart attack with these steps:

• Physical activityTalk with your health care team about the things you do each day in your life and work. Your doctor may want you to limit work, travel, or sexual activity for some time after a heart attack.
• Lifestyle changesEating a healthier diet, increasing physical activity, quitting smoking, and managing stressin addition to taking prescribed medicinescan help improve your heart health and quality of life. Ask your health care team about attending a program called cardiac rehabilitation to help you make these lifestyle changes.
• Cardiac rehabilitationCardiac rehabilitation is an important program for anyone recovering from a heart attack, heart failure, or other heart problem that required surgery or medical care. Cardiac rehab is a supervised program that includes
• Physical activity
• Education about healthy living, including healthy eating, taking medicine as prescribed, and ways to help you quit smoking
• Counseling to find ways to relieve stress and improve mental health

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How To Prevent From Heart Attack

Heart disorder is the leading cause of the loss of life in the United States. It is likewise a chief motive of incapacity. There are many stuff which can boost your hazard for heart ailment. They are known as chance factors. Some of them you cant manipulate, but there are many that you may manage. Learning approximately them can decrease your threat of coronary heart ailment.

With The Coronavirus Pandemic Peoples Chances Of Dying From Heart Attacks Have Doubled

The coronavirus pandemic has made its presence felt, leaving behind catastrophic consequences. One of them is the climb of heart attack incidence. How can that be, one might wonder. Thats because people are scared and stay behind closed doors, not wanting to leave their homes. In fact, they would do anything to avoid going to the hospital. According to some researchers, people are more likely to die from a heart attack during the pandemic. That is because they wont go to the hospital after experiencing the symptoms.

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