The Heart Attack

Having a heart attack can cause heart death. Today, we are talking about Joe. Joe has other family members who have had heart attacks. He is not that old yet, but he has never eaten terribly well and doesn't really take time to exercise. He is a few pounds overweight. He did smoke cigarettes for 10 years, but quit about 5 years ago. All of these things put him at higher risk for a heart attack, although stopping the tobacco is in his favor. Through the years the vessels have not stayed real elastic as they haven't had the best of nutrition to keep them springy and there is build up inside the walls. As the years roll on, things wear out a bit faster because of the added strain on them. If he continues on this path, his odds for having a heart attack are great or developing some other life altering condition. It isn't too late for Joe though. He could still do things to decrease his risk for a heart attack.

If you hitched a ride on one of his blood cells, you could spot the narrowing of the arteries where saturated and trans fatty acids have been sticking to the sides of the vessels. Saturated fats have trouble dissolving. The same way that saturated fat solidifies when left out on the counter, that is what can happen inside the body as well. It doesn't make for a healthy heart and over time, it can lead to a heart attack.

When these vessel pathways are narrowed by build up, stress or other health reasons, the blood that transports oxygen and nutrients cannot get through to nourish the tissues. A heart "attack" ensues. If this happens, every place where that vessel needs to take nourishment and oxygen will die. If too much dies, then the heart fails as it cannot effectively do its job or continue to pump adequately. If it cannot do that, then it cannot send the needed blood with nourishment and oxygen throughout the body efficiently, including the brain. If the crisis is not reversed immediately, the whole body will fail.

Some of the risks for heart attack can't be avoided, like your age or gender. Once a male reaches 45 and a female 55, it automatically increases the risk for heart disease issues. Men are still at higher risk, although that gap is narrowing. Once a woman is post menopausal, the risk rises sharply. There does seem to be some increase in people who have a family history of heart attack. Not much you can do about these things, but there are many things that you can do to decrease your risk.

1. Not smoking is huge. It is never too late to quit either. Research shows positive changes even after being tobacco free for 24 hours and within 1-3 years, all ill effects can be reversed.

2. Keeping your weight down. Even just a few pounds can add stress to your heart.

3. Exercising, even just simple walking several times a week can go a long way in decreasing your risk.

4. A good, healthy diet on a consistent basis can decrease your risk substantially for heart disease or heart attacks as well as many other health conditions.

Joe took a look at his risk for a heart attack and decided it was time to do something about it. He wanted to be around for his family as long as possible. He is learning that changing lifestyle patterns he has had all his life can be difficult at times, but he is taking a day at a time. He incorporated some easy healthy meals and is finding ways to enjoy exercising. He is feeling better and has taken the steps to decrease his risk for a heart attack.

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Original article

Women's Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

The "Hollywood Heart Attack," where the character, clutching his chest, slumps to the floor immediately, does sometimes happen. But many heart attacks do not mimic this model. In particular, women's symptoms of heart attack may be very different from men's in both quality and severity.

It can be too easy to brush these more subtle symptoms aside; as one woman in my cardiac support group said, "Compared to childbirth, this is nothing!" But of course, they are something. And the sooner you pay attention and get help, the better the outcome.

Because I paid attention to a small signal, and took action immediately, I have almost no heart damage and was able to return to a full life immediately.

So I'm going to provide some descriptions here that might give women a clearer picture of what to look for.

Chest discomfort:
Men typically experience crushing chest pain and pain radiating down one arm. Some women do also, but many women do not. I only experienced one second of pressure in the middle of my chest, accompanied by a complete lack of breath - once again for one second only. Luckily, I paid attention.

Another woman I know reports that she felt as if her chest were on fire.

Any pressure, squeezing or burning in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or comes and goes is a warning sign.

Upper body discomfort in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach:
One woman I knew had pain in her jaw; another was awakened in the middle of the night by very painful elbows, which she fortunately recognized as being related to her heart. Others tell of pain in the neck, the shoulder or across the shoulder blades.

At a talk I gave recently, a woman told me of a pain in her jaw. She had been checked for both a dental problem and a tempero-mandibular joint problem, but no evidence of either had been found. Should she see a cardiologist, she asked? I almost shouted, "Yes!"

Any pain in the upper body that can't be explained should be suspect and you should take action. See a cardiologist; if the pain is marked or persistent, dial 9-1-1 and go to the ER.

Shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfort:
Once again, when there is no rational explanation, such as allergy problems or just having run up a flight of stairs, you should be suspicious of shortness of breath.

Dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, nausea and vomiting, cold sweats:
I began to experience nausea and lightheadedness a few days after my experience with pressure (I had already seen a doctor, who found nothing wrong with me). It could have been a virus, but I had no temperature. Taking your temperature is a good idea before you decide it is a virus and dismiss the idea of a heart attack.

After I got to the hospital, I began to experience severe gastric distress, a little like the commercials for acid reflux disease, with figurative nuts and bolts revolving around in my stomach! A doctor asked me, in fact, if I did have acid reflex disease, and when I said no, it was another factor on which they decided to do angioplasty (go in and see if there was blockage).

I know of a young woman athlete who began to faint after she finished races. She, in fact, had an undiagnosed congenital defect of a heart valve for which she needed surgery.

So, once again, if there isn't a good explanation for the symptom, seek help.

Feelings of anxiety, fatigue or weakness - unexplained or on exertion:
I have met at least one woman heart patient who tells of being overwhelmed by inexplicable anxiety as her major symptom. Once again, there was no precipitating event in her life, so it was a very suspicious episode.

The extreme fatigue that a heart attack sufferer experiences is like having a hole in your "fuel tank" from which all the energy has drained out. One woman I know told me that she was so tired she lay down on her bed, and, feeling cold, wanted to pull the covers up but she couldn't because it was too much effort. That was when she realized she needed to get to a hospital.

Take Action

There is an e-mail that keeps circulating on the internet, with advice about heart attacks. Some of it is good advice: carry an aspirin and take it immediately if you believe you are having a heart attack. In fact, crunch down on it and wash it down with a full glass of water.

But this e-mail always ends with dangerous advice: "Call and friend or relative and wait by the door," presumably to have that person take you to the hospital.

This is the message health care providers want you to hear: Do not drive yourself or ask a friend or family member to drive you.

If you have any of the above symptoms, dial 9-1-1. If you are having a heart attack, emergency responders can start treatment in the ambulance. This can be crucial.

Women, who are often reluctant to have a fuss made about themselves, will dial 9-1-1 in a minute if a loved one is threatened, but will not do so for themselves.

Those few minutes in which you wait for help can make all the difference in the world between life and death, or between a quality life and an impaired life. One of the possible consequences of heart attack is loss of oxygen to the brain, causing irreversible damage. You could survive, but only as someone very dependent on others.

The last message I like to leave women with is this: strive to live the heart-healthy life, and you will feel better than you have in years. Would you like to wake up every morning eager to start the day, with the kind of zest you had as a child? You can do it! The women in my support group, cardiac survivors all, glow with health.

The path to heart health is the path to joy. And who doesn't want joy?

Lynette Crane, M.A.(Psychology) and Certified Life Coach, is a Minneapolis-based speaker, writer, and coach. She has more than 30 years' experience in the field of stress management. She currently works to provide stress and time pressure solutions to harried women, those women who seek "Islands of Peace" in their overly-busy lives. Her talks to groups of what she calls "harried women" are receiving rave reviews. Visit her website at http://www.creativelifechanges.com/ to see more in-depth articles and to view her programs.

Original article

Knowing About The Heart Attack

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/

Original article

What Leads To Heart Attack - 6 Things You Must Know About

A heart attack is a leading cause of death all over the world. The other name of attack is myocardial infarction. It occurs when the oxygen rich blood flow is blocked to some parts of the heart muscles. If the blood flow is not restored quickly, it can cause death. Discomfort in the chest, shortness of breath, vomiting, restlessness, nausea, coughing, dizziness and crushing chest pain are some of the symptom of attack. If you experience any of these symptoms or see any other person experiencing them, you need to seek the emergency services immediately.

6 Things That Lead To Heart Attacks

Age

The most important risk factor of attacks is age. Men aged above 45 years and women aged above 55 years are more susceptible to the risk of attack. Arteries supply oxygen rich blood to other parts of the body. As you age, they become firm and less flexible. This in turn causes elevate blood pressure. As your heart needs to adjust to the increase in blood pressure, it becomes vulnerable to damages.

Diet and Lifestyle

Diet plays a crucial role in increasing the risk of heart attacks. If you take animal fats and saturated fats in large quality, your risk of having attack is more. High fat, sugary, salt laden foods are enemies to your heart. Unhealthy lifestyle can also lead to attack. A study shows that people who do not exercise are more likely to get a heart attack than people who exercise regularly. Smoking is another important risk factor that causes heart attacks.

Genes

If your parents or grandparents had heart diseases, your risk of getting a attack is high. Heart disease is normally inherited from genes.

Obesity and Overweight

Nowadays, many people suffer from the problem of overweight and obesity. A study shows that 15% of children and adolescents in the U.S. are overweight. Overweight children become overweight adults and they have an increased risk of dying from heart attack or some other heart disease.

Blood Cholesterol Levels

If your blood cholesterol level is high, you are at the risk of developing blood clots in the arteries. These blood clots can block blood flow to the heart muscle, causing attack. High cholesterol increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis, a condition caused by hardening of the arteries, which damages arteries and other tissues in the heart. It increases the risk of stroke and attacks.

Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the main risk factors of attacks. High blood glucose increases the risk of attack. 65% of people with diabetes die from heart diseases.

If you realize that you have the risk of having a heart attack, you need to take some steps immediately. Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, eating foods low in saturated fats, cholesterol and sugar, quitting smoking, getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily and taking medications to keep diabetes under control can help prevent attack.

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Original article