What is a heart attack?

A HEART attack happens when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a section of heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked and the heart can’t get enough oxygen. If blood flow isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle begins to die. Heart attacks most often occur as a result of coronary heart disease in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries.
These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart.
The build-up of plaque occurs over many years.

Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture inside of an artery. This causes a blood clot to form on the plaque’s surface.
If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block blood flow through a coronary artery.
Acting fast at the first sign of heart attack symptoms can save your life and limit damage to your heart.

Treatment works best when it’s given right after symptoms occur.
Many people aren’t sure what’s wrong when they are having symptoms of a heart attack.
Some of the most common warning symptoms of a heart attack for both men and women are:

Chest pain or discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the centre or left side of the chest. The discomfort usually lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. It can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. It also can feel like heartburn or indigestion.
Upper body discomfort. You may feel pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, shoulders, neck, jaw, or upper part of the stomach (above the belly button).

Shortness of breath. This may be your only symptom, or it may occur before or along with chest pain or discomfort. It can occur when you are resting or doing a little bit of physical activity.
Other possible symptoms of a heart attack include:
Breaking out in a cold sweat.
Feeling unusually tired for no reason, sometimes for days (especially if you are a woman).
Nausea and vomiting.
Light-headedness or sudden dizziness.

Some people, especially women and diabetics, don’t have symptoms at all. Heart attacks that occur without any symptoms or with very mild symptoms are called silent heart attacks.

The diagnosis of a heart attack is made based on your medical history, symptoms, results from a test called an ECG and blood tests.
When a heart attack happens, any delays in treatment can be deadly. Knowing the warning symptoms of a heart attack and how to take action can save your life or someone else’s.

Early treatment for a heart attack can prevent or limit damage to the heart muscle.
Acting fast, at the first symptoms of a heart attack, can save your life. Medical personnel can begin diagnosis and treatment even before you get to the hospital.

Certain treatments usually are started right away if a heart attack is suspected, even before the diagnosis is confirmed.
These include oxygen therapy, taking an aspirin, nitroglycerine and treatment for chest pain.

Various other tests may be done to exclude other conditions. In some countries, a medical procedure percutaneous coronary intervention is done where the clogged heart artery is reopened and kept open by a stent.

Heart attack risk factors include:
Age, men who are 45 or older and women who are 55 or older are more likely to have a heart attack than are younger men and women.
Tobacco, smoking and long-term exposure to second-hand smoke damage the interior walls of arteries — including arteries to your heart — allowing deposits of cholesterol and other substances to collect and slow blood flow. Smoking also increases the risk of deadly blood clots forming and causing a heart attack.

High blood pressure. Over time, high blood pressure can damage arteries that feed your heart by accelerating atherosclerosis. High blood pressure that occurs with obesity, smoking, high cholesterol or diabetes increases your risk even more.

High blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Cholesterol is a major part of the deposits that can narrow arteries throughout your body, including those that supply your heart. A high level of the wrong kind of cholesterol in your blood increases your risk of a heart attack. A high level of triglycerides, another type of blood fat related to your diet, also ups your risk of heart attack.

Diabetes. Diabetes is the inability of your body to adequately produce insulin or respond to insulin need properly. Diabetes, especially uncontrolled diabetes, increases your risk of a heart attack.

Family history of heart attack. If your siblings, parents or grandparents have had early heart attacks (by age 55 for male relatives and by age 65 for female relatives), you may be at increased risk.

Lack of physical activity. An inactive lifestyle contributes to high blood cholesterol levels and obesity. People who get regular aerobic exercise have better cardiovascular fitness, which decreases their overall risk of heart attack. Exercise is also beneficial in lowering high blood pressure.
Obesity. Obesity raises the risk of heart disease because it’s associated with high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and diabetes. Losing just 10 percent of your body weight can lower this risk, however.

Stress. You may respond to stress in ways that can increase your risk of a heart attack.
Illegal drug use. Using stimulant drugs, such as cocaine or amphetamines, can trigger a spasm of your coronary arteries that can cause a heart attack.
Dr Zuze can be contacted at Highland Clinic on 020-66364 or [email protected]