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

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The Importance of Knowing the History of Heart Disease and the Signs of Heart Disease

It is undeniable that heart disease is the leading cause of most countries in the world especially in the United States, Canada, England and Wales. In the United States, statistics say that about 25% of all the deaths are caused by heart diseases. This should then alarm everyone to take care of their heart. One way of doing that is to know the history of heart disease including the different signs of heart disease.

Heart disease is a general term that is used for the disorders that affect the heart. There are several types of heart disorders which include cardiomyopathy, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, ischemic, coronary, hypertensive, and valvular heart disease. History taking is very important for health care professionals especially when you are suffering from a heart disorder. They need to know the history of a heart disorder that you have for the proper diagnosis and especially for the treatment methods that need to be carried out. When you go to your doctor and you are being asked a lot of questions about the history of heart disorder, you have to patient and answer truthfully since the information they are asking for are vital.

There are different signs of heart disorders for the different types but there are common warning signs that you need to be aware of. The most common manifestation is chest pain or chest discomfort. There a lot of conditions that can cause chest pain but it should never be ignored. Chest pain is actually a term is used to describe discomforts such as pressure, pain, choking, numbness or squeezing that is felt at the chest and neck area, upper abdominal area including the head, the jaw and the arms. This can last for a few seconds to several days and it can be rare or frequent.

One of the common signs of heart disorder is palpitation. This refers to the awareness of the heartbeat, and most of you would have probably experienced it already. This is often described as a skip in the heartbeat wherein there is a pause that is followed by an unusually strong heartbeat. It can also be described as rapid or irregular heartbeats. This is a common sign of cardiac arrhythmia wherein the heart has abnormal rhythms. Another common manifestation is dizziness or light-headedness. This is of course indicative of several other disorders such as anemia, dehydration, diabetes and a lot more but it can also be a sign of heart disease. It should be properly evaluated by a doctor to learn the underlying cause.

Fatigue and shortness of breath are also common signs of heart disorder. Fatigue happens when you are always tired and unable to do your usual daily activities. This is often accompanied by somnolence or sleepiness at daytime. Although these can be caused by other disorders, proper evaluation is necessary since it can be a sign of heart failure. Meanwhile, shortness of breath is a common sign of respiratory disorders but is also common in heart disorders. This usually happens at night, during exertion and when lying flat on bed.

When you experience any of these signs of heart disease, you should go to your doctor immediately and have yourself checked. Remember to be cooperative when the history of heart disease is being asked so that you will be given the proper treatments.

For more information on Different Types of Diseases, Symptoms and Diagnoses, Please visit: History of Heart Disease and Signs of Heart Disease.

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