Author : Bhadresh Bundela
What is a heart attack ?
A heart attack is injury or death of a part of the heart muscle. It is also called a ‘myocardial infarction’. There are 2 major ways in which a heart attack can occur:
Blockages get worse: As the blockages get larger there is less blood flow to the heart muscle. At one point the heart muscle no longer can get the blood and oxygen it needs. When the blood supply is cut off for more than about 30 minutes, the heart muscle cells begin to die, and a heart attack occurs.
The atherosclerotic plaque cracks: Most heart attacks are caused as a result of ‘cracking’ or ‘rupture’ of the plaque (blockage). The plaque becomes unstable and cracks, forming a blood clot which travels and completely blocks the flow of blood through the artery, and causes a heart attack.
What is a heart disease?
» When we commonly refer to ‘heart disease’ we mean ‘coronary heart disease’, which happens when blockages build up in the coronary arteries.
» These blockages are called atherosclerotic plaques and the process by which they build up is called atherosclerosis. This is also called ‘coronary artery disease’.
» Other forms of heart disease include, valvular heart disease, heart failure, and disorders of heart rhythm.
What is angina ?
Angina is a pain or discomfort that is usually felt in the chest, and spreading to other parts of the body, such as the neck, jaw, shoulders or arms. In some cases discomfort is only felt in these areas and not in the chest at all.
Recognize the symptoms of a heart attack
The typical presentation of a heart attack is an unpleasant squeezing pain which typically occurs in the middle of the chest or the back.
It often radiates to both arms or the throat and jaw, and is accompanied by sweating and / or nausea.
This typical presentation does not always occur. Some may just experience heart burn, or ‘stomach upset’ not relieved by antacids or not related to food intake, breathlessness at rest, accompanied by a ‘run down’ feeling.
Some may only experience chest ‘pressure’ and not ‘pain’, or pain only in the jaw, teeth or arms.
Immediate steps to take
» Chew a tablet of aspirin
» Place a tablet of sorbitrate (nitroglycerin) under your tongue. (if you have a prescription for it)
» Keep the patient calm
» Rush the patient to the hospital
CARDIAC TESTS
ECG: This measures the electrical activity of the heart. A change in the ECG pattern can be indicative of the presence of heart disease. The doctor usually looks for two
types of changes:
1.Those which indicate a block in the coronary arteries and
2.Those which indicate a problem with the rhythm of the heart beats, such as palpitations.
Stress Test / Stress ECG: The stress ECG provides more information than a rest ECG since the oxygen demand on your heart is greater while exercising. A positive stress test indicates that there are changes on your ECG.
Thallium Stress Test / Nuclear Medicine Stress Test: This stress test is similar to a regular stress test, but in this a dye is injected into the heart and pictures are taken of the heart, before and after the stress test.This can detect areas of the heart muscle that have been damaged by a heart attack and areas that are not getting enough oxygen due to partial blockages of the coronary arteries. Nuclear medicine tests can also provide information on the functioning of the left ventricle.
To Understand Bypass Surgery Click Here
For More Information about Cardio!!!!!! Visit…….
http://cardioweb.blogspot.com/
