Help! Am I Having a Heart Attack?

Most people are afraid to have a heart attack when they experience chest pain. There's good news and bad news. The good news is, not all chest pain comes from the heart. Causes range from just be inconvenient, such as muscle pain, to more serious such as heart burn, such as the esophagus (foodpipe) takes behind the heart. Some can even be life-threatening, such as blood clots in the lungs.

pain in the chest, the heart is called angina. This leads to a worsening with exercise, and better with rest. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain and can be mild or severe. Heart attack pain can sometimes feel like a bad or heartburn. The bad news is not all heart attacks begin with sudden, crushing pain that is often shown on TV or in movies. Some may start slowly as mild pain or discomfort. Some people have no symptoms at all (this is called a silent heart attack). This is not the same for all.

So what is a heart attack?

a heart attack occurs when blood flow to part of the heart becomes blocked. If blood flow is not restored quickly, part of the heart becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die. Coronary artery disease is when a fatty material called plaque (plaque) builds up over many years within the walls of coronary arteries (arteries that supply blood and oxygen to your heart). Finally, an area of plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot in the shape of the surface plate. If the clot becomes large enough, it can be mostly or completely block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to part of the heart muscle fed by the arteries.

How do I know if I'm at risk of a heart attack?

Unfortunately, some things can not be changed. How old you are and your gender plays a role in your risk for heart attack. the older your are, the greater the risk. Both men have a higher risk of heart attack than women, while after menopause. Then increase the risk for women.

Fortunately, there are some risk factors for heart attack that can be changed or controlled. These include smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.

So, 20 years old woman who was otherwise well, and suddenly experience pain in the chest after a fight with her ​​boyfriend is far less likely to be having a heart attack than 60 years old male smoker who skipped his last doctor's appointment for his diabetes review, and now experiencing pain in the chest.

So, what can I do to prevent or lower my risk of heart attack?

to quit. Maintain your ideal weight. Eat sensibly. Exercise regularly. Get screened for any treatable medical conditions, especially if you have a strong family history of heart disease, smoker, you already have one of the diseases or are over 40 years. And if you have any medical conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, see your doctor regularly and get them under control.

Are there any tests that the doctor can do to check whether I am at risk for heart attack?

There are a number of tests, including blood tests to check the above risk factors, such as your blood sugar and cholesterol. heart's electrical activity can be measured by ECG. Doctors also can not stress the heart so as to run on a treadmill, called the exercise ECG. Consider the first screening test of traffic flow on major highway on Sunday morning, with 2 of 4 lanes blocked, and repeated the same highway the following day during peak rush hour traffic, with the same 2 lanes blocked. If doctors have a high suspicion, they May not invasive test called cardiac catheters where the catheter is introduced into your blood vessels to check the extent of blockage. stent may be placed at the same time, if necessary. There is also a non-invasive methods now used CT, called CT coronary angiogram.

Treatment of heart attack was aimed at reducing the chance of having another heart attack, and helps damaged heart function optimally. Treatment depends on how severe the symptoms. There are a variety of treatments available, from medical treatment, angioplasty with stents, in surgery. The combination can also be used. The doctor will assess each patient and decide what the best options.