A Guide to a Heart Attack

 

Over time, cholesterol and a fatty material called plaque can build up on the walls inside blood vessels that take blood to your heart, called arteries. This makes it harder for blood to flow freely. Most heart attacks happen when a piece of this plaque breaks off. A blood clot forms around the broken-off plaque, and it blocks the artery.

If this happens, you may feel pain, pressure, or discomfort in your chest. You could be short of breath, sweat, faint, or feel sick to your stomach. Your neck, jaw, or shoulders might hurt.

Actually, men and women can have different symptoms. Men are more likely to break out in a cold sweat and to feel pain move down their left arm.

Women are more likely than men to have back or neck pain, heartburn, and shortness of breath. They tend to have stomach trouble, including feeling queasy and throwing up. They may also feel very tired, lightheaded, or dizzy. A couple of weeks before a heart attack, a woman might have flu-like symptoms and sleep problems.

If it is a heart attack, the blood cannot get to your heart, your heart muscle does not get the oxygen it needs. Without oxygen, its cells can be damaged or die. Thus the key to recovery is to get your blood flow restored quickly. You are more likely to survive if you get treated within 90 minutes.

When this happens, you can chew and swallow an aspirin (unless you are allergic) to lower the risk of a blood clot. Hands-only CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) can double the chances of survival.

Doctors will then try to restore the flow of blood to your heart. You may get drugs that dissolve blood clots in your arteries. You will likely get a procedure called a coronary angiogram. Doctors put a thin tube with a balloon on the end through your artery. It opens up the blockage by flattening the plaque in your arteries. Most times, doctors place a small mesh tube called a stent in your artery to make sure it stays open.

An EKG (electrocardiogram), which checks your heart's electrical activity, can help doctors see if you are having a heart attack. It can also show which artery is clogged or blocked.

Doctors can also diagnose a heart attack with blood tests that look for proteins that heart cells release when they die.

Your odds of having a heart attack go up with age, and men are more likely to have one than women. A family history of heart disease also makes one more likely. Smoking raises your chances of a heart attack. So does having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and being obese. Stress, a lack of exercise, and depression can, too.

If you smoke, stop. It will immediately cut your chances of a heart attack by a third. And you need to get exercise, eat right and find positive ways to manage your stress. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, 5 days a week. Eat plenty of fruits, veggies, and whole grains to keep your arteries healthy.

For some people, taking a daily aspirin might help.