Wherever You Go, Go with a Healthy Heart

For good reason, heart attacks are a major source of anxiety for many individuals. Every 40 seconds, someone out there has a heart attack, according to experts. Tens of thousands of individuals survive heart attacks each year despite the fact that they may be fatal. In the event of a suspected heart attack, time is of the essence in determining survival. Sirwiss has teamed with prominent home health care professionals to offer you with details relating heart attacks. Continue reading to learn what to expect in such a situation, what to do and more. 

A Heart Attack is Defined 

The muscle in your heart needs a constant supply of oxygen in order to function. In the event of a heart attack, the oxygen-rich blood supply to the heart muscle is interrupted or drastically decreased. When the arteries supplying blood to the heart get blocked, it causes heart attack. Injury to the heart muscle may result from this obstruction. When the heart muscle gets too weak, the heart can no longer provide the body with oxygenated blood.  

The coronary arteries, which carry blood to the heart muscle, constrict as they get clogged with fat, cholesterol, and other compounds known collectively as plaque. Atherosclerosis describes this gradual occurrence. A blood clot develops around the plaque that has broken off when it ruptures inside a coronary artery. This clot has the potential to obstruct blood flow to the heart muscle, which might result in cardiac arrest. When blood flow (and hence oxygen) is cut off from a portion of the body, a condition known as ischemia occurs. The lack of oxygen and blood supply to the heart muscle is called ischemia. Myocardial infarction (or simply “heart attack”) occurs when ischemia causes damage to or death of cardiac muscle (MI). 

Most heart attacks begin slowly, with only minor discomfort and pain, providing warning indications before they occur. If you suffer any of the following symptoms, contact emergency medical teams right away.  

What Is the Difference Between a Heart Attack and a Cardiac Arrest? 

People often use these phrases interchangeably; however, they refer to different events. A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is interrupted. It’s a circulation issue. The heart malfunctions and abruptly stops beating in sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical condition caused by arrhythmias, or abnormal heart beats. Ventricular fibrillation is a frequent and possibly fatal arrhythmia. This occurs when the lower chambers of the heart begin to beat chaotically and fail to pump blood. A heart attack may result in ventricular fibrillation, which can lead to abrupt cardiac arrest. Death may occur minutes after the heart stops beating. Cardiac arrest may be reversed if CPR is administered, and a defibrillator is used within minutes to shock the heart and restore normal cardiac rhythm. 

What are the Most Frequent Signs of a Heart Attack? 

1. Chest discomfort, particularly in the middle, that lasts longer than a few minutes or comes and goes. The sensation might be described as heaviness, fullness, squeezing, or agony.  

2. Aches and pains in the upper body, such as the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach. This might be pain or overall discomfort.  

3. Breathing difficulty. This may be accompanied by or without chest pain.  

4. Experiencing unusual feelings such as cold sweat, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, or dizziness. Women are more prone than males to suffer from these symptoms. 

Why Won’t the Individual Forewarned? 

In its earliest phases, the cardiovascular mechanism may not present any symptoms. However, when an artery is constricted by more than 70%, muscular soreness or cramps might develop because the tissue requires more oxygen than it is getting. It’s possible that there aren’t any symptoms because when a coronary artery narrows and blood flow is restricted, other neighboring blood arteries that service the heart often grow to compensate. Some individuals are protected against heart attacks by the delivery of blood via a system of enlarged adjacent blood arteries known as collateral circulation. Heart attack survivors may also benefit from the development of collateral circulation, which carries oxygenated blood to the heart’s damaged muscle tissue. 

Do Men and Women Experience a Heart Attack Differently? 

Chest pain or discomfort is the most prevalent sign of a heart attack in both men and women. However, women may also have weakness in the jaw or back, as well as shortness of breath. 

What Should You Do if You Suspect a Heart Attack? 

1. Have someone call an ambulance. If others are present, tell them to remain with you until emergency medical services (EMS) personnel come. Calling emergency medical service hotline is typically the quickest method to seek emergency treatment, rather than requesting someone to transport you to a hospital in their vehicle. EMS personnel are trained to resuscitate persons suffering from heart attacks and may take you to a hospital for immediate treatment.  

If you’re in a public area like a supermarket, school, library, or office, there’s a strong chance there’s a defibrillator nearby. A defibrillator is a kind of gadget that EMS professionals use to resuscitate persons who are having heart attacks. If you are still awake when your heart attack begins, ask someone nearby to locate the nearest defibrillator. Defibrillators come with simple instructions, so if you have a heart attack, a non-EMS person may be able to resuscitate you.  

2. Take aspirin If you’re still conscious, take the usual dosage of aspirin (325 milligrams) if you have one on hand. Aspirin works by decreasing the capacity of the blood to clot. During a heart attack, aspirin slows blood clotting and reduces the size of any blood clots that may have developed. When the EMS arrives, they will transport you to the hospital, where you will be treated for the specific type of heart attack you had. 

If You’re Alone and Suspect a Heart Attack, What Should You Do? 

If you are by yourself and encounter any of the aforementioned signs of a heart attack, call the emergency services immediately. If you have any aspirin handy, take it. Next, unlock your front door and lie down near it, so EMS workers can easily find you. 

Is There a Strategy to Stop a Heart Attack Quickly? 

Without getting to a hospital for emergency care, there is no quick way to halt a heart attack. Many “fast” heart attack cures are available online. These “quick” cures, however, are not only ineffective, but also potentially harmful since they postpone the arrival of proper medical assistance. 

Life’s Simple 7 

While you cannot control all of your heart attack risk factors, such as age, gender (men are at greater risk), and genetics, you can control some of them. According to research, individuals who are most at risk for heart disease may reduce their risk by up to 80% by implementing seven basic preventative actions. They’re branded as “Life’s Simple 7” by the American Heart Association. These steps do more than only reduce the risk of heart disease. Those who follow these seven actions decrease their risk of stroke in half, reduce their risk of cancer by one-third, and have the highest chance of preventing dementia. These miracle remedies are far from miraculous, and they will not set you back hundreds or thousands of dollars. In actuality, they’re not all that complicated. 

The seven easy steps that may save your life – or the life of someone you care about:  

1. Engage in physical activity. Weekly physical activity should be 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of strenuous activity.  

2. Maintain a healthy diet. There are several meanings for this term, but in general, it refers to a plant-based diet that avoids processed foods rich in added sugar, refined grains (such as white flour), and preservatives.  

3. Avoid smoking. If you smoke, there are effective tactics and drugs that may help you stop effectively.  

4. Keep a healthy weight. Although the research study employed a BMI range of 18.5 to 25 kg/m2, BMI is not a good indicator of unhealthy weight for many persons. Waist circumference is likely a better indicator of unhealthy weight, especially if it is larger than 40 inches for a man or 35 inches for a woman.  

5. Maintain a healthy blood pressure range. A pressure of less than 120/80 mm Hg is optimal.  

6. Maintain normal cholesterol levels. You want a non-HDL cholesterol level of 100 mg/dL (and even lower for those who already have heart disease).  

7. Maintain normal blood sugar levels. A fasting blood sugar level of less than 100 mg/dL. (Or 5.7% hemoglobin A1c).