heart attack.

angelojcg (47)in #steemstem • 7 years ago

Hello steemians!! I want to tell you most heart attacks are caused by a clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. Coronary arteries carry blood and oxygen to the heart. If blood flow is blocked, the heart suffers from lack of oxygen and the heart cells die.The medical term for this is myocardial infarction.

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Causes

He immediate cause of sudden cardiac arrest is usually an abnormality in the heart rhythm (arrhythmia), the result of a problem with the heart's electrical system.

Unlike other muscles in the body, which depend on nerve connections to receive the electrical stimulation they need to function, the heart has its own electrical stimulator: a specialized group of cells called the "sinus node" located in the right upper chamber (right atrium) of the heart. The sinus node generates electrical impulses that flow in an orderly fashion from the heart to synchronize the heart rate and coordinate the pumping of blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

If there is a problem with the sinus node or the flow of electrical impulses to the heart, an arrhythmia may occur. This causes the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or irregularly. Often, these interruptions in rhythm are momentary and harmless. But some types of arrhythmia can be serious and can lead to sudden arrest of heart function (sudden cardiac arrest).

The most common cause of cardiac arrest is an arrhythmia (called ventricular fibrillation), when fast, erratic electrical impulses cause the ventricles to agitate with ineffective pulses, rather than pump blood.

Most of the time, arrhythmias that induce cardiac arrest do not occur on their own. In a person with a normal, healthy heart, a long-lasting irregular heart rhythm is unlikely to develop without an external trigger, such as an electrical shock, illegal drug use, or chest trauma just at the wrong time in the heart's cycle (sudden cardiac death)

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Symptoms

Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack.

Pain may be felt only in one part of the body
The pain may radiate from the chest to the arms, shoulder, neck, teeth, jaw, abdominal area, or back.

The pain may be severe or mild. It can feel like:

A tight band around the chest
Intense indigestion
Something heavy leaning on the chest
Crushing or strong pressure

The pain usually lasts more than 20 minutes. Rest and a medicine to relax the blood vessels (called nitroglycerin) may not completely relieve the pain of a heart attack. Symptoms may also go away and come back.

Other symptoms of a heart attack may include

Anxiety
Cough
Fainting spells
Dizziness, vertigo
Nausea and vomiting
Palpitations (feeling that the heart is beating too fast or irregularly)
Difficulty breathing
Sweating, which can be very heavy

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heart attack treatment

IMMEDIATE TREATMENT

-wide, you will be connected to a heart monitor so that the medical team can see how regularly your heart is beating.

You'll get oxygen so your heart doesn't have to work so hard.
You will have an IV in one of your veins. Medicines and fluids pass through this VI.
You may be given nitroglycerin and morphine to help reduce chest pain.
You may be given aspirin, unless it is not safe for you. In that case, you will be given another medicine to prevent blood clots.
Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) can be treated with medications or electroshocks.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Angioplasty is a procedure to open narrowed or blocked blood vessels that supply blood to the heart.

Angioplasty is often the first treatment option. It should be done within 90 minutes after you arrive at the hospital and usually no more than 12 hours after a heart attack.
A stent is a small metal mesh tube that opens (expands) into a coronary artery. It is usually placed after or during angioplasty. The stent prevents the artery from closing again.

-You may be given drugs to dissolve the clot. This is called thrombolytic therapy. It is best if these drugs are given shortly after the onset of symptoms, usually no more than 12 hours later and ideally less than 30 minutes after arriving at the hospital.

Some patients may also have coronary artery bypass surgery to open the narrowed or blocked blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. This procedure is also called coronary artery bypass grafting or open heart surgery.

TREATMENT AFTER A HEART ATTACK

After several days, you will be discharged from the hospital.

You may need to take medicine, some for the rest of your life. Always talk to your provider before stopping or changing the way you take any medicine. Stopping certain medications can be deadly.

While you are in the care of your medical team, you will learn:

How to take medicines to treat the heart problem and prevent further heart attacks
How to eat a heart-healthy diet (healty diets)
How to be active and exercise safely
What to do when you have chest pain
How to Quit Smoking
Strong emotions are common after a heart attack.

You may feel sad
You may feel anxious and worried about the care you should have in everything you do
All of these feelings are normal and go away in most people after 2 or 3 weeks.
You may also feel tired when you leave the hospital for home.
Most People Who Have Had a Heart Attack Participate in a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program

Conclusion

The heart attack is basically the sudden state of an attack leaving different symptoms or in its worst cases leading to death so I am interested in doing this research where different aspects have been clearly explained, until an upcoming opportunity.