Human heart
| credits: science.howstuffworks.com
| credits: science.howstuffworks.com
Despite
what you may believe, heart attacks rarely happen “out of the blue.” In
fact, your body may be trying to warn you of an impending heart attack
for days, weeks, perhaps even a month or two before it occurs.
Unfortunately, by the time you actually recognise you’re suffering a
heart attack, it could be too late to prevent death or debilitating
heart damage.
Statistics show a clear link between a
delay in heart attack treatment and death or disability. That’s why it’s
essential to know exactly what your heart is trying to tell you with
warning signs.
Not a male problem
Many people think that heart attacks are a
“man’s problem,” yet heart disease is actually the number one killer of
both men and women in the United States. In men, the risk for heart
attack increases significantly after the age of 45. In women, heart
attacks are more likely to occur in the years after menopause (usually,
after the age of 50). However, younger men and women can also have heart
attacks.
Besides age, factors that increase the risk for heart attack are:
•A previous heart attack or procedure to open up the coronary arteries
•Family history of early heart disease:
–Father or brother diagnosed before age 55
–Mother or sister diagnosed before age 65
•Diabetes mellitus
•High blood cholesterol
•High blood pressure
•Cigarette smoking
•Overweight
•Physical inactivity
If you have one or more of these factors,
see your health care provider to find out how to reduce your risk of
having a heart attack.
What happens
During a heart attack, a clot in the
heart’s artery blocks the flow of blood to the heart. Heart muscle
begins to die. This is technically called a “myocardial infarction,”
meaning “death of heart muscle.” The more time that passes without
treatment, the greater the damage. The part of the heart that dies
during a heart attack cannot grow back or be repaired.
Fortunately, clot-busting drugs and other
artery-opening treatments, such as angioplasty, can stop a heart attack
in its tracks. Given soon after symptoms begin, these treatments can
prevent or limit damage to the heart. The quicker they are started, the
more good they will do and the greater the chances are of a full
recovery. To be most effective, these treatments should be given within
one hour of the start of heart attack symptoms. The benefit of opening
the blocked artery decreases with each passing hour from symptom onset
until treatment.
Learn the signs
Many people think that a heart attack is
sudden and intense, like the “Hollywood” heart attack depicted in the
movies, where a person clutches his or her chest and falls over. The
truth is that many heart attacks start as a mild discomfort in the
centre of the chest. Someone who feels such a warning may not be sure
what is wrong. The discomfort (and other symptoms) may even come and go.
Even people who have had a heart attack
may not recognise the signs, because the next one can have entirely
different symptoms. However, the following signs are pointers…
•Chest discomfort: Most heart
attacks involve discomfort in the centre of the chest that lasts for
more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. The discomfort
can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, or fullness.
•Discomfort in other areas of the upper
body: Symptoms can include discomfort in one or both arms or in the
back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
•Shortness of breath: This symptom often accompanies chest discomfort. However, it can also occur before the chest discomfort.
•Other signs: These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness. Some patients report a sense of impending doom.
Timing is everything
People who experience the warning signs
of a heart attack often deny how serious the situation is and take a
wait-and-see approach. But time is very important, and anyone with these
warning signs needs to get medical evaluation and treatment right away.
Don’t wait more than a few minutes — five minutes at most — to get to
the doctor!
Remember: Don’t delay
The best way to find out if symptoms are
due to a heart attack is to get them checked at a hospital emergency
department. In a heart attack, every minute that passes causes more of
the heart muscle to die. You can save a life — your own or someone
else’s — by getting to the hospital right away.
Doctors and emergency personnel want
anyone who may be having a heart attack to come to the emergency
department without delay, even if the symptoms turn out to be a false
alarm.
Plan ahead
Make a plan now for what you would do if a
heart attack should happen. It will save time and could help save a
life. To plan ahead:
•Learn the heart attack warning signs listed in this article.
•Talk to your doctor about your heart
attack risk and what you can do to reduce it. Ask specifically about
aspirin and the use of nitroglycerin.
•Talk with your doctor, family members,
friends, and co-workers about the heart attack warning signs and the
importance of acting fast.
Knowing what to do if a heart attack occurs could save your life or theirs.
Sources: newsmaxhealth.com; ahajournals.org
No comments:
Post a Comment