Heart Attack: Symptoms, Complications, and Treatment

Contents

In this article, we will take a look at:

• What is a heart attack?
• How does a heart attack occur?
• Who is prone to heart attack?
• Symptoms of Heart Attack
• Diagnosis of Heart Attack
• Complications of a heart attack
• Treatment for a heart attack

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What is a heart attack?

The condition of heart attack occurs when the blood flow to the heart is blocked. The blockage consists of cholesterol; build up fat, and other substances. The heart is one of the crucial organs of the human body that needs regular blood flow. With the increase in age, the arteries become narrow due to the build-up of fat and other things on the inner walls and might lead to a heart attack.

Heart attack is known by several names such as acute myocardial infarction, myocardial infarction, and coronary thrombosis. The disease has three types, as follows:

• non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)
• ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)
• coronary spasm

The STEMI is a common type of heart attack that completely blocks the coronary artery. Consequently, the blood flow to the heart stops. In NSTEMI, the coronary artery is partially blocked whereas a coronary spasm is known as a silent heart attack, which can be confused with indigestion and muscle pain.

How does a heart attack occur? 

The occurrence of a heart attack has nine crucial stages, as follows, which is common for all kinds of a heart attack:

• The cholesterol starts to infiltrate the walls of the arteries.
• White blood cells or the macrophages are dispatched to get rid of cholesterol.
• These WBCs transforms into foam cells
• These cells start to accumulate in the walls in the form of plaque
• The cells start forming a fibrous surface, which is also called a cap, to keep the walls slick
• The cap weakens due to the chemicals secreted by the foam cells
• After that, the cap starts cracking which further exposes the inside fat.
• The platelets start to flock to the region
• The blood clots in the area until it blocks the artery walls, leading to a heart attack

The pain strikes when the heart stops receiving oxygen and blood, which leads to the irreversible death of the muscles of the heart. The process of muscle death continues to occur for 6 to 8 more hours.

Who is prone to a heart attack? 

• People above 65 years of age
• Heredity that causes children to have a heart attack if the parents have the same
• People who are addicted to smoking or tobacco
• People with high blood cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure
• People who are overweight
• People who do not perform ample physical activity
• Other factors like alcohol, stress, and poor diet are also responsible

What are the symptoms of a heart attack? How is heart attack diagnosed?

The common symptoms of heart attack include:

• Heartburn
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Indigestion
• Fatigue
• Cold sweat
• Pressure or aching sensation in arms or chest. It may also reach the back, jaw or neck.
• Sudden dizziness
• Troubled breathing

Diagnosis 

A doctor first performs a physical examination of the patient’s body in case of a heart attack. He will review the medical history and conduct an ECG (electrocardiogram) so that he can monitor the electrical activity of the heart. He will also ask for a blood sample so that the heart damage evidence can be observed. MRI and chest X-rays might also be conducted.

What are the complications of a heart attack?

The minor heart attacks are mostly uncomplicated as compared to the major ones. Following are the complications of a major heart attack:

• Abnormal heartbeat (beating too fast, slow, or irregularly)
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Fluid build-up in legs and arms
• Zero or decreased urine output
• Pale skin
• Cold hands and feet
• Mental confusion

What is the treatment for heart attack?

Heart attack is usually treated with medications like aspirin, thrombolytics, and antiplatelet agents that prevent blood clot and dissolve existing clots. Pain relievers and beta blockers might also be administered to reduce pain, reduce blood pressure and relax the heart muscles. Statins might be administered to control cholesterol.

Surgical procedures like coronary angioplasty and stenting or coronary artery bypass surgery are other treatment methods. The objective of these procedures is to resume normal blood flow to your heart and make its condition stable.