Heart Attack

A heart attack is a life-threatening condition and must be managed immediately before it leads to permanent damage to the heart. It also could cause death in some cases.

Heart attack

A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart reduces or stops completely due to specific reasons, and this leads to damage in this part or its death if the condition isn’t managed rapidly. When a part of the heart stops from working, this leads to a disturbance in the heart’s work and it becomes unable to pump blood correctly, and that causes less blood to reach the body in general.

Causes and risk factors leading to heart attack

A heart attack occurs due to a partial or complete blockage in a blood vessel, and this often happens as a result of coronary artery disease. The blockage occurs because of the buildup of deposits that form plaque, and this is called atherosclerosis. When the plaque breaks or ruptures, that leads to the blockage in the blood vessel.

Myocardial infarction might occur due to other rare causes, such as:

• Coronary artery spasm.
• Injuries and traumas that might harm the coronary arteries.
• Blockage in the arteries that might occur due to other reasons, such as an air bubble.
• Some health conditions that affect the arteries.
• Congenital problems in the coronary arteries.
• Eating disorders.
• Other conditions, such as extreme low blood pressure, low oxygen, and some infections.

Some factors that increase the risk of heart attack:

• Family history.
• Unhealthy lifestyle and smoking.
• Obesity.
• Stress.
• Illegal drugs.
• The risk increases in males after the age of 45 and in females after the age of 55.
• Other conditions, such as hypertension, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and some pregnancy problems like preeclampsia.
• Some autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms of heart attack

Symptoms might differ between people, and common symptoms include the following:

• Many people feel chest pain or discomfort and heaviness in the chest.
• The pain might spread to the neck, jaw, shoulder, arm, and back.
• Shortness of breath.
• Cold sweat.
• Dizziness or lightheadedness.
• Nausea.
• Heartburn.
• Tiredness.
• Insomnia or sleep disorders.
• In many cases, the symptoms differ between men and women. Men might feel chest pain more, while women might feel shortness of breath and fatigue more.

Complications of heart attack

• Arrhythmias.
• Problems in the heart valves.
• Heart failure.
• Heart shock.
• Stroke.
• Pericarditis.
• Cardiac arrest.

Diagnosis of heart attack

• Physical examination.
• Cardiac tests.
• Blood tests.
• Cardiac catheterization.

Treatment of heart attack

• Oxygen as an emergent management.
• Bloodthinners.
• Specific cardiac medications.
• Some surgeries, such as stents.
• You can reduce the risk of heart attack by following a healthy lifestyle, reducing stress, losing weight if needed, avoiding smoking, managing other conditions if any, and having enough sleep.