Suffering from a heart attack is one of the most fatal complications and therefore also dreaded by many. A heart attack can occur for a number of reasons, but the fatality is essentially the result of a blockage of the blood flow to some part of your heart for a period of time that is long enough to cause that area of the heart to be damaged or die.
There are a number of heart attack tests that are likely to be run on the patient as soon as he or she is suspected of being close to suffering a heart attack. First and foremost, a stethoscope will be used in order to have a closer inspection of the rhythm of the heart. Some of the sounds that are focused on are the presence of heart murmurs, crackles in the lungs or anything else that might sound a little abnormal. A troponin blood test may also be carried out in order to identify if there is any tissue damage present in the heart muscle. An electrocardiogram (ECG) will also be performed in order to identify to inspect the normalcy of the blood flow through the heart. This medical test will make the use of a certain type of radioactive dye and x-rays.
A coronary cardiogram is likely to be performed just when the doctors have stated that the patient is in a more suitable condition. A combination of all these tests results will advise your doctor on the best mode of action for you.
Knowing about the various heart attack causes will help you adapt your life to ensure that you can lower your risk of suffering from a heart attack. There are a number of other medical conditions that are also known to significantly contribute to the development of the condition such as arteriosclerosis and angina pectoris. Studies have also shown that, as a result of the higher amounts of adrenaline released by the adrenal glands during the morning hours, heart attacks are more likely to occur during the morning hours than they are at any point of time during the rest of the day. Some of the lifestyle aspects that will significantly affect your chances of suffering from a heart attack include high blood cholesterol levels, the kind of diet you consume, levels of exercise and overall fitness, diabetes, hereditary factors as well as hypertension and suffering from obesity.
It is observed that the male gender is more likely to suffer from a heart attack as compared to females. Also prolonged cigarette smoking, intake of drugs, hypertension and stress are known to affect the health of the heart, thus causing a heart attack.
Identifying the more common heart attack symptoms will play a huge role in being able to identify the presence of a complication before it gets out of control. Early detection of the problem is essential in order to help stabilize the individual as well as make changes to his or her way of life - which is likely to play a central role in the development of the condition in the first place. Chest pain and discomfort is known to be one of the most prominent red flags when it comes to the detection of a heart attack. However, most people tend to make the mistake of assuming that it is nothing more than gas in the system - thereby paying no heed to the problem and allowing it to get worse over a period of time. Upper body discomfort as well as shortness of breath over a consistent period of time should be taken as important signs that need to be treated. This is important as the individual may be suffering from a life threatening condition and a doctor should be visited as soon as possible. Some of the other symptoms that a patient is also likely to suffer from include light headedness, nausea, vomiting, fainting and excessive coughing. Heavy sweating is also something that needs to be taken very seriously. All these symptoms are also likely to contribute to a number of sleep problems that are going to have a significant impact on factors such as your peace of mind as well as anxiety and stress levels.
Heart attack treatment will usually need to be immediate in the case of an emergency in order to stabilize the condition of the patient. Intensive monitoring and stabilization of the heart rhythm are going to be the initial points of focus and regular follow up care as well as a number of different medications will be required in order to get the body back up to working condition.
Some surgical treatments such as angioplasty and stent replacement and coronary artery bypass may also be required in order to stabilize blood flow within the heart muscle and should be performed as soon as possible. Each of these surgical treatments have certain timeframes during which they need t be performed in order to have the desired effect. For instance, an angioplasty - which is usually the first choice of procedure, need to be performed within 90 minutes after reaching the hospital and no later than 12 hours after the heart attack. It is important that you go in for regular follow-up care in order to keep the condition at bay.