Heart Attack Symptoms & Warning Signals

The term "heart attack" is often used to refer to signs and symptoms that result from the sudden blockage
of blood flow to a portion of the heart. A blockage in the heart's arteries may reduce or completely cut off the
blood supply to a portion of the heart. This can cause a blood clot to form and totally stop blood flow in a
coronary artery, resulting in a heart attack (also called an acute myocardial infarction or MI). Without good
blood flow, the heart does not receive enough oxygen and begins to die.

Heart Attack Symptoms & Warning Signals:-



People suffering a heart attack may experience symptoms such as chest pain, sweating, nausea,
weakness, and shortness of breath. Each year about 1.5 million Americans have heart attacks. Heart disease
remains the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women.
Heart attack is the common term for a "myocardial infarction." This refers to the permanent damage done to
the heart muscle, or myocardium, when blood flow is blocked. A heart attack most commonly happens when
a blood vessel that brings blood to the heart is suddenly blocked by a blood clot.
While heart attacks usually come on suddenly, it's really the result of a process that takes years to develop.
Over time, a person's blood vessels may become hardened and narrowed by the buildup of cholesterol and
other fatty substances. Reducing risk factors for coronary artery disease such as high cholesterol or high
blood pressure is an important way to prevent a first or subsequent heart attack.


A heart attack usually occurs over several hours. Fast action is the best weapon against a heart attack. If a
person is treated during the first two hours after a heart attack, early treatments can improve outcomes. The
coronary arteries supply the heart muscle with oxygen and nutrients. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common form of heart disease. Coronary heart disease develops when one or more of the coronary
arteries that supply the blood to the heart become narrower than they used to be, due to the buildup of
cholesterol and other substances in the wall of the artery, affecting the blood flow to the heart muscle.
Without an adequate blood supply, heart muscle tissue can be damaged.

Deposits of cholesterol and other fat-like substances can build up in the inner lining of these blood vessels
and become coated with scar tissue, forming a cholesterol-rich bump in the blood vessel wall known as
plaque. Plaque buildup narrows and hardens the blood vessel, a process called atherosclerosis, or hardening
of the arteries.
Warning Signs of a Heart Attack:-




 •  Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest lasting more than a few
minutes.
•  Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms. The pain may be mild to intense. It may feel like
pressure, tightness, burning, or heavy weight. It may be located in the chest, upper abdomen, neck,
jaw, or inside the arms or shoulders.
•  Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath.
•  Anxiety, nervousness and/or cold, sweaty skin.
•  Paleness or pallor.
•  Increased or irregular heart rate.
•  Feeling of impending doom.
Note: Not all of these warning signs, symptoms occur in every heart attack. Sometimes they go away and
return. If some occur, get help fast. If you notice one or more of these signs in yourself or others, don't wait.

 

What is heart disease?

Heart disease is a term for several diseases and conditions, including heart attack, coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure. It is the world's leading cause of death and disability. Every 10 minutes, an Australian dies as a result of these health problems. 

The term cardiovascular disease is also used. 'Cardio' refers to the heart, and 'vascular' to the blood vessels (arteries and veins).

A number of conditions involve the heart or the circulation of blood through the blood vessels:

• coronary heart disease
• heart attack
• heart failure
• stroke
• arrhythmias – abnormal heart beats
• aneurysm – a bulge caused by weakening of the heart muscle or artery
• septal defect – an abnormal opening between the left and right sides of the heart  
• peripheral vascular disease – a disease of the large blood vessels of the arms, legs, and feet
• rheumatic heart disease – caused by rheumatic fever, and mainly affecting the heart valves 
• congenital heart disease – defects or malformations in the heart or blood vessels that occur before birth.

Can you prevent heart disease?

Some conditions, such as heart defects, tend to be genetic and cannot be prevented.  

But several things are known to increase the risk of developing heart disease. These include smoking and lack of exercise. Whether you have some of these risk factors depends to some extent on circumstances, including income, education, and access to health care.

People with two or more risk factors in their lives are much more likely to get heart disease than those with one or none.

Healthy living lowers your risk

By improving your lifestyle, including your diet and level of fitness, you can minimise your risk of getting cardiovascular disease. Even if you have two or more risk factors, you can still make changes that will reduce your chances of developing heart problems.

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