The heart supplies blood to the various tissues in the body. The blood supplies oxygen and the various nutrients needed by the tissues. The heart also needs blood supply and this is provided by the coronary arteries which branch out from the aorta and go back to the heart. During a heart attack, one or, more of the coronary arteries get blocked due to plaque formation and accumulation. This leads to reduction in the blood supply and therefore, oxygen supply to the regions of the heart affected. The cardiac muscle in these areas gets injured and this is called myocardial infarction.
Cardiac Arrest
A heart event may be mild, moderate in nature or, massive, depending on the number of coronary arteries affected and the extent of block. A cardiac arrest leads to the complete stopping of the heart. A heart attack is not the same as a cardiac arrest. However, a massive attack may lead to a cardiac arrest.
Are women safe?
There is a widely accepted view that men are more susceptible to heart disease than women. There is some truth in this. Between the ages of 40 and 50 men are more likely to get heart problems. Women are naturally protected against heart disease through the actions of the female sex hormone estrogen. However, after the onset of menopause, this protection disappears and the risk for heart attacks is nearly the same for both men and women. In fact, heart disease kills more women than any other disease in the US.
What to do in case of a heart attack
A heart attack is always sudden and seldom gives advance warning. So, there is no question of an individual being prepared. Also, the development of the plaque in the coronary arteries is a silent process and it takes several years to reach the stage of an attack. The commonest symptom is pain in the chest. However, some other symptom or, symptoms may be present. Sweating, nausea, breathlessness and pain in other parts of the body such as neck, back, or jaw are also seen. A heart attack is not the time to take rest. The individual must be taken to the hospital immediately.
Preventive measures
The ideal action to prevent heart attacks would be to bring about a reduction the risk factors which provoke it. The risk factors include:
1. Inactivity
2. Obesity
3. Alcoholism
4. Smoking
5. Hypertension
6. Healthy diet
Dr.Vangeepuram Satakopan
The website indicated is full of information about various aspects of health. Articles on diseases and conditions and the principal mechanisms involved are discussed in depth. Nutritive aspects of different food groups are also dealt with. The articles are also accompanied by relevant and colorful pictures.
http://healthtodayandtomorrow.blogspot.com/
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