Every year, more than a million Americans have heart attacks
or myocardial infarction (MI) which is permanent damage to the heart muscle. The heart
muscle requires a constant supply of oxygenated blood for nourishment which is
provided by the coronary arteries. So if you have coronary artery disease,
those arteries become narrow and blood cannot flow as well as it should. There’s
a buildup of fatty matter, calcium, proteins, and inflammatory cells within the
arteries to form plaques of different sizes. The outer shell of the plaque
cracks (plaque rapture) when the plaque is hard, platelets come to the area
leading to the formation of blood clots around the plaque. The heart muscle
becomes “starved” for oxygen if a blood clot totally blocks the artery. Death
of heart muscle occurs within a short time causing permanent damage. This is
what a heart attack is.
After a
Heart Attack:
After MI occurrence, quick treatment to open the blocked
artery is vital to lessen the amount of damage. Dial 911 right away at the
first signs of a heart attack. Symptoms include discomfort, pressure,
heaviness, or pain in the chest, arm, or below the breastbone; discomfort
radiating to the back, jaw, throat, or arm; fullness, indigestion, or choking
feeling (may feel like heartburn); sweating, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness;
rapid or irregular heartbeats; extreme weakness or shortness of breath. It is
important for the patient to receive treatment within one to two hours of the
first onset of symptoms as waiting longer increases the damage to the ticker
thus reducing the chances of survival.
Diagnosis:
To diagnose MI, the emergency care team asks about an
individual’s symptoms and then starts the process of evaluation. The diagnosis
of MI is based on one’s symptoms and test results with the main goal of the
treatment being treating and limiting heart muscle damage.
Tests to diagnose MI include
ECG- ECG or
electrocardiogram tells how much damage has occurred to the heart muscle and
where it has occurred. Furthermore, your heart rate and rhythm can also be
monitored.
Echocardiography- It is an
imaging test that doctors use during and after MI to learn
how the ticker is pumping and what areas are not pumping normally.
Cardiac
Catheterization- Doctors may use cardiac cath during the first hours
of a heart attack if medications aren’t relieving the ischemia (reduced blood
flow) or symptoms. It is used to directly visualize the blocked artery that
helps doctors determine which procedure is needed to treat the blockage.
Blood Tests
Treatments
for a Heart Attack:
Drugs- The main
objectives of drug therapy are to break up or prevent blood clots, prevent
platelets from gathering and sticking to the plaque, stabilize the plaque, and
prevent further ischemia. Drugs used during a heart attack include aspirin; other
antiplatelets, such as Brilinta, Effient, or Plavix; thrombolytic
therapy to dissolve any blood clots in the heart's arteries.
Angioplasty-
Procedures, such as angioplasty or stents are used in some cases to open up
narrowed or blocked arteries. If necessary, bypass surgery may also be
performed in the days following MI to restore the supply of blood to the heart
muscle.
Having had a heart attack or treatment does not mean you will
never have another event. Some steps you can take to prevent further attacks
include taking your medications, changing your lifestyle and seeing your doctor
for regular heart checkups.
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