About heart attacks and how to prevent them

Heart attack is a condition due to which the supply of blood to the heart muscle gets severely reduced or can get stopped. Blood flow can get reduced due to various conditions such as blood clot, tearing or rupturing of arteries, etc. Heart attack can often cause to death.

Symptoms of heart attack include chest pain, difficulty in breathing, sweating, stomach or abdominal pain, unexplained anxiety, fatigue etc.

Main causes of heart attack:

• Atherosclerosis (this condition occurs when the artery walls thicken due to accumulation of fatty plaques; often cause cholesterol).

• Excessive smoking.

• High blood pressure.

• Heredity can also be a cause

Treatment:

Once a patient is prone to heart attack, he/she is gone through diagnosis, once the diagnosis is done, the doctor recommend for medication such as:

• Anti-platelet medications: prevents formation of blood clot inside the artery.

• Anti-coagulant medications: prevents the further growth of blood clot inside the artery.

• Angioplasty: it is a non-surgical process in which the blocked arteries are opened with the help of a thin flexible tube having a balloon threaded on the other end.

• Other medication like balancing the need of oxygen in the heart muscle.

Few medicines are also suggested to the patient such as Aspirin acts as an analgesic and prevents from pains. Beta blockers on the other hand give relief from heart pain and load. ACE inhibitors lower the blood pressure. Anticoagulants prevent the blood from clotting.

Preventions to be taken after leaving the hospital:

The doctor suggests the patient to take regular medicines.

Cardiac rehabilitation is suggested to prevent from further heart attack.

The patient is recommended to have some changes in life style such as having a healthy diet, having regular physical exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, drinking etc.

Guidelines to reduce the risk of heart attack

A good lifestyle and a healthy daily routine can help reduce the risks of a cardiac arrest and hence a set of recommended guidelines should be followed. Your daily lifestyle depends upon your food habit and work hour, different timings, etc and all these have a direct impact on a person’s health. There are a few basic formulas, which a person can follow to lead a healthy lifestyle. Some of them are listed below. A daily 30 minutes walk can reduce the risk of cholesterol formation and hence reduce the chances of a heart attack. Maintaining a stable blood pressure level is the next precautionary measure.

A balanced diet is very helpful in staying healthy and nuts are a very important part of a steady diet. Nuts should be included in a person’s daily diet as they are good for decreasing the blood cholesterol level. Having 10 tablespoons of tomato sauce per week is also a good option. Tomato sauce is rich in potassium which reduces blood pressure, crucial to lowering the risk of a heart attack.

Fat should be avoided, if not completely then by a considerable sum. Alcohol must also be avoided as much as possible as it increases the risk of running a heart attack. A balanced diet must also include lots of fresh vegetables. Green vegetables are good for the body and metabolically help the body fight a heart attack. If the tips are followed on a regular basis, the chances of getting a heart attack can be reduced considerably.