Heart attack is also referred to as a myocardial infarction, a widespread problem in the USA. According to CDC, this disease happens every 40 seconds in the United States. Chest pain is the most common sign of a heart attack. But there are other symptoms, too, such as nausea, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness.

These symptoms can be severe to mild and are often different from one person to another. Many people may not even notice any warning of a heart problem. In this blog, we will look at the symptoms, causes, and risk factors of the heart problem. You will also get to know more about the diagnosis and treatment of this condition.

What is a heart attack?

An individual suffers from a heart attack when there is a loss of blood supply to the part of the heart muscle. It also results from a blockage in a nearby artery. An individual who experiences this problem may feel pain in the chest or other body parts and other signs. The early spotting of the symptoms of a heart attack and getting immediate treatment is necessary and can also save an individual’s life. It is different from cardiac arrest, in which your heart stops working completely. Both these conditions are medical emergencies, and without treatment, a heart attack can result in cardiac arrest.

It is a life-threatening medical emergency. If you inspect yourself or your loved ones with a similar condition, do not hesitate to call emergency medical help. Timely treatment of this condition can save your life. Heart attacks occur to about 635000 people all across the USA every year. Approximately 300000 people in a year suffer from the second attack. And almost one in seven deaths in the country is due to the problem of coronary heart problems, including heart attacks.

What are the common causes of a heart attack?

Most heart attacks occur due to the blockage in one blood vessel that helps supply blood to your heart. It most often happens due to plaque, sticky material that builds upon the inside of the arteries. This buildup, also known as atherosclerosis, is similar to pouring grease down your kitchen sink and clogs your home’s plumbing. Sometimes, plaques get deposited inside the arteries of your heart and can break open or rupture.

The blood clot gets stuck where the rupture occurs. If this clot blocks your artery, it can deprive your heart muscle and result in a heart attack. This problem is possible without a blockage, but it is rare and only results in approx. Five percent of all heart attacks. This condition can occur due to the reasons including:

• Obstructions: A blood clot or air bubble trapped in a coronary artery.
• Trauma: It includes ruptures and tears in the coronary arteries.
• Spasms of the route: The blood vessel has a muscle lining that allows it to become narrower and more expansive as needed. These muscles can sometimes spasm and twitch, cutting off the blood flow to the heart muscle.
• Eating disorder: Over time, it can cause damage to the heart and ultimately leads to a heart attack.
• Electrolyte imbalances: Taking too much or too little essential minerals such as potassium in the blood cause a heart attack.
• Rare medical problems: An example of this can be any health or mental condition resulting in an unusual narrowing of blood vessels.

What are the symptoms of a heart attack?

A heart attack can have various symptoms, which are more common than others. The symptoms you experience also get influenced by your gender because compared to males and females is more common to have different signs of a heart attack.

Some common symptoms of a heart attack

Symptoms are more often described by people suffering from a stroke:

• shortness of breath
• trouble in breathing
• sweating and heart palpitations
• feeling light-headed
• dizziness or feeling like passing out
• nausea or disturbance in the stomach
• anxiety or stress
• Chest pain or angina. It can be mild and may feel like a crushing pain.

Symptoms of a heart attack in females

Some recent medical research has shown that females may have the above mentions signs but also have a high chance of suffering from different symptoms such as:

• discomfort that feels like indigestion
• pain in the chest, especially in the center of the chest

Females are likely to describe the following:

• vomiting and nausea
• pain in the shoulder, back, arms, neck, and abdomen
• shortness of breath, insomnia, or fatigue that occurred before a heart attack

Females are more like to suffer from a widowmaker heart attack. A massive heart attack occurs when your left anterior descending artery gets completely blocked.

How to diagnose a heart attack?

A healthcare professional may diagnose a heart attack after performing a physical test and reviewing the medical history. Your healthcare provider will likely conduct an ECG to check the heart’s electrical activity. An echocardiogram uses sound waves to create an image of the chambers and valves of the heart and can reveal how blood is flowing through your heart and which parts of your heart, if any, have been damaged.

Your medical professional may also recommend you a cardiac catheterization. It is a probe inserted into your blood vessels through a flexible tube known as a catheter. This allows your medical professional to view areas in and around the heart where the plaque may have buildup. They may inject a dye into the arteries and order an X-ray to see how your blood flows and the blockage.

A medical professional will likely take a tiny sample of your blood or perform other lab tests to find out if there is evidence of any damage to the heart’s muscle. The most commonly used blood tests help check the troponin T level, a protein in heart muscle. An elevated level of this protein in the bloodstream is associated with a heart attack.

How can I treat heart attacks?

Heart attacks are life-threatening and need emergency attention. Now many people survive this condition due to effective treatment. Delaying in its treatment may dramatically reduce the chances of survival.

Medical treatment

When the medical professionals arrive, they will take care of the patient. Give them as many details as possible about your health before the attack. They will try to stabilize your condition, such as providing oxygen.

After reaching the hospital, the medical professional will perform various tests and provide appropriate treatment. People usually buy Ranexa online to treat certain heart conditions.A medical professional may also work with an individual to develop a treatment plan to prevent future attacks.