A heart attack happens when something blocks the blood flow to your heart. This prevents your heart from getting the oxygen that it needs. This condition is always a medical emergency and requires that you get treatment right away as soon as you experience symptoms. Heart attacks can lead to tissue death in the heart if they are not treated right away.
There are some classic heart attack symptoms that you should be aware of:
Women might experience different symptoms than men if they are having a heart attack. These include:
Diabetics can also suffer from so-called “silent heart attacks,” which do not have any symptoms until they have increased in severity.
Heart attacks are caused by a lack of oxygen-rich blood getting to the heart. Coronary artery disease can cause this condition, as can fatty plaques in your arteries. A spasm in the coronary artery or blockages to the arteries can also cause heart attacks.
Risk factors for heart attacks are the following:
Heart attacks are usually diagnosed in emergency room settings. This is not a condition that is typically recognized during routine care check-ups since it is almost always an emergency. The emergency room care provider will order some tests to verify that you are having a heart attack.
Treatment of a heart attack can involve a variety of different care strategies depending upon the severity of the heart attack.
Prevention of heart attacks is usually done through eating a healthy diet and staying active. If you are a smoker, you should quit smoking. Make sure that you reduce your alcohol consumption and have your blood pressure checked to make sure it is not too high.