Heart is one of the most crucial organs responsible for transporting Blood to different parts of the body through blood vessels. The necessary nutrients required by tissues of various organs, is transported through blood. Like other body parts, your Heart needs its own share of oxygen to function properly and any disruptions in its task can lead to serious health issues. Now-a-days Heart Diseases AKA Cardiovascular Diseases are one of the major reasons for deaths worldwide. According to American Heart Association, one-third of the adults are suffering from cardiovascular diseases including heart failure, stroke and blood pressure.

Source : foxnews.com

Heart Attacks

Your heart requires a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood which is provided by coronary arteries to maintain its natural order. If you are already suffering from Coronary Arteries Disease, that indicates your coronary arteries become too narrow causing a disruption in blood circulation to the walls of heart. Various agents such as fatty acids, inflammatory cells etc. form plaques within and outside the arteries, disrupting the oxygen supply. The muscles in the wall of your heart become ‘oxygen-starved’ in cases like these, causing severe damage to heart, which may also lead to death. This is termed as ‘HEART ATTACK’.

Source : independent.co.uk

Types of Heart Attacks

There are three kinds of heart attacks. Let us discuss them in brief.

STEMI Heart Attack– STEMI Heart Attack is the most severe among all heart attacks. It occurs when your coronary arteries stops functioning completely and there is absolutely no blood supply to the heart. As a result the muscles in your heart entirely become dead.

NSTEMI Heart Attack– These attacks cause less damage to the heart and thus are known as Mild Heart Attacks. During this case the supply of blood through coronary arteries is disrupted to some extent, but is not completely blocked.

Silent Heart Attack– These heart attacks actually show no or few symptoms. They do not cause any serious damage to the heart and are harmless. But these can be termed as slow poison due to the impact they create on heart over a period of time.

Symptoms of Heat Attacks

1. Rapid or irregular heart beats
2. Heaviness or pain in the chest or in area around breastbone
3. Sweating, nausea or dizziness
4. Choking feeling and indigestion
5. Extreme weakness or shortness in breath

Tests Done to Detect Heart Attacks

1. Blood tests– A person having problems related to blood pressure is suggested to give blood test to check the impact of medication given by the doctor and the level of minerals present in the blood.

Source : agoramedia.com

2. Electrocardiograph (ECG) tests– Electrocardiograph is the most common test for detecting heart related problems. In this test, sticky electrodes are placed on your chest, arms and legs, and electrocardiograph machine records your heart’s rhythm onto paper. The result detected after examining helps to detect if the heart muscle is damaged or short of oxygen.

Source : myheart.org.uk

3. Echocardiogram (echo) tests– Echocardiogram is conducted when doctor is not able to detect the real issue related to heart in ECG test. The test uses sound waves to study the structure of your heart and the result generated through these sound waves helps to know how the heart and valves are working. A moving image of your heart is displayed on a computer through a probe.

Source : sunwaymedical.com

4. Electrophysiological studies– Electrophysiological studies (EPS) are used to measure conditions like abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) or palpitations and other electrical activities of your heart. In EPS, electrode catheters are fed into a vein or in artery usually in the groin similar to angiography, where they stimulate the heart and record electrical activity of your heart.

5. Myocardial perfusion scans– These tests are used to examine the flood flow towards the heart. In these tests, a dye is injected to highlight the blood vessels in your heart which then creates pictures of your heart by scanning your chest through a large machine. This test can also be used before and after exercise to see how the flow of blood to the heart changes with exercise.

6. Tilt Table Test– The tilt table test studies all your episodes of fainting and finds if these are related to your heart. To conduct tilt table test, one needs to lie on a special table which is attached to the heart and blood pressure monitor. This will record how your heart rate and blood pressure respond to changes in position. During the test you may have an intravenous (IV) needle in your arm so that you can be given medications.

Source : sads.org.uk

Post Heart Attack Care

If you have had a heart attack recently, anxiety and worry are common when it comes to taking care of your overall health post the attack. Usually if there is no proper care taken after a heart attack, chances are that another one is waiting to happen anytime in future! These are known as “Secondary Heart Attacks” and preventing them from happening is known as “Secondary Prevention”. It is best if you can get a professional advice from your doctor while we attempt to present a few general lifestyle tips to take care of yourself after a heart attack.

Quit Smoking

Today it is a known fact that regular usage of products containing tobacco is a major risk factor in developing Heart Issues. Tobacco damages the walls of blood vessels limiting blood and oxygen from reaching your heart as well as other organs. Nicotine in Tobacco is said to cause Blood Clots along with Hypertension.

Source : gazettereview.com

Keep Your Blood Pressure in Control

Hypertension loads quite an amount of pressure over your heart and blood vessels. Discuss the various ways of controlling your Hypertension with your doctor. General ways could be regular and mild forms of exercises, reducing the salt intake, working towards loosing excessive fat if you are overweight or obese etc.

Source : modernmedicine.com

Manage Your Cholesterol Levels

Of the two forms of cholesterol- HDL and LDL, the former being “High Density Lipoproteins” is the cholesterol your body actually needs, while the latter “Low Density Lipoproteins” is the main culprit for most Heart related issues. Plan your diet in such a way that you get more of the HDL Cholesterol while the LDL Cholesterol deposits are flushed away as quickly as possible.

Source : weebly.com

Do You Have Diabetes?

Did you know that people suffering from Diabetes have almost 50% higher chances of developing a heart attack and other cardiac issues than the non-diabetics! Be it Type-1 Diabetes or Type-2 Diabetes, taking a proper care of your heart is of paramount importance. Do consult your doctor regarding this particular case.

Soholesterol your body actually needs,urce : pregnancywellnesstips.com

Exercise Regularly

When it comes to exercises that are best for your Heart, there is simply no second to Aerobic forms of exercises. If you have had a heart attack recently, it is advised you perform mild forms of aerobic exercises like brisk walking, mild jogging, cycling, and lower to moderate forms of Cardio exercises. More severe forms of aerobics like Running, Swimming, Gymnastics etc. are not recommended as they may cause unnecessary stress to your recovering heart.

Source : greatist.com

Consume a Heart-Friendly Diet

Food substances which are high in Saturated Fats, Complex Sugars, Sodium etc. can prove to be unhealthy for your heart. Look for foods which are high in Fibre, low in Fats, Low in calories and carbohydrates. Also it is best if your daily diet includes at least 50% of raw food. Try avoiding processed, packed and preserved food items as well.

Source : naturallifeenergy.com

Get Rid of the Stress

Irrespective of what works and what doesn’t, maintaining a balanced state of mind with a positive outlook is proven to be one of the fastest ways of recovering from any health issues. Go for basic forms of Yoga and Meditations along with regular Counseling sessions with your doctor to get rid of those bouts of anxiety, stress, and depression.

Source : tinybuddha.com

The post All You Need To Know About Heart Attacks and Post Heart Attack Care appeared first on .