A heart attack is when low blood flow causes the heart to starve for oxygen. Heart muscle dies or becomes permanently damaged.
Causes
Most heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. If the blood flow is blocked, the heart starves for oxygen and heart cells die. A clot most often forms in a coronary artery that has become narrow because of the build-up of a substance called plaque along the artery walls and stress can also trigger a heart attack. Risk factors for heart attack and coronary artery disease include:
- Bad gene
- Being male
- Diabetes
- Getting older
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Too much fat in your diet
- Unhealthy cholesterol level (High LDL cholesterol [bad cholesterol] and Low HDL cholesterol [good cholesterol]).
Symptoms
Chest pain is a major symptom of heart attack. However, some people may have little or no chest pain, especially the elderly and those with diabetes, the pain may be felt in only one part of the body or move from your chest to your arms, shoulder, neck, teeth, jaw, belly area, or back.
Other symptoms of a heart attack include:
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea or vomiting
- Anxiety
- Cough
- Fainting
- Lightheadedness - Dizziness
- Palpitation
- Sweating
Treatment
If you had a heart attack, you will need to stay in the hospital, possibly in the intensive care unit (ICU). You will be hooked up to an ECG machine, so the health care team can look at how your heart is beating. The health care team will give you oxygen, even if your blood oxygen levels are normal.
Medicine for heart attack
- Nitroglycerin helps reduce chest pain
- Aspirin help prevent clot formation
- Beta-blockers (such as metoprolol, atenolol, and propranolol) help reduce the strain on the heart and lower blood pressure
- ACE inhibitors (such as ramipril, lisinopril, enalapril, or captopril) are used to prevent heart failure and lower blood pressure
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