Important Facts to Know about Heart Attack

Important Facts to Know about Heart Attack

Heart attack, also known as Myocardial Infarction, is very common in the country. In fact, it is so random that it happens to people every 40 seconds. The heart is a muscle that needs proper nourishment with oxygen and this oxygen is supplied to the heart through the blood. When the arteries to a certain segment of the heart are collapsed or blocked, the oxygen supply to the heart is stopped and as a result, the heart muscles begin to die. This is what is known as a heart attack in medical terms.

The risk increases for males over the age of 45 and for females over the age of 55 years. With age, inner walls of the arteries become narrower due to the deposits of fatty materials which are called plaque. When an area of this plaque breaks, some blood tends to stick around in the damaged segment of the artery and forms blood clots that prevent the easy flow of blood to the heart. This causes chest pain and ultimately results in a heart attack.

It is different from cardiac arrest as during a heart attack blood cannot reach the heart, whereas cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating altogether due to some malfunctions in the heart. A heart attack is actually a “circulation” issue whereas cardiac arrest is an “electrical issue”.

Causes

  • CHD or the coronary heart disease: It is the most common cause of an attack. The coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart get blocked due to the deposit of cholesterol in its inner walls, as a result, the arteries are narrowed down so much so that blood cannot flow easily through them and reach the heart, which triggers the attack. The survival of a person depends on how quickly he can be rushed to the hospital and seeks medical help.
  • Hypoxia: This is a condition when there is a lack of oxygen in the blood. This happens when the lungs fail to function normally or when there is a CO poisoning due to which the heart receives un-oxygenated blood that damages the heart muscles, eventually triggering the attack.
  • Drug misuse: Stimulant sand antidepressants like amphetamines, methamphetamines, and cocaine can cause serious damage to the coronary arteries as they narrow down rapidly restricting proper blood supply to the heart that triggers an attack. Death due to drug misuse is rampant in young adults in the country.

Symptoms
Heart attacks can be lethal so it is very important to identify the warning signs and seek medical help as early as possible. Chest pain and discomfort are the common early symptoms of an attack occurring.

Apart from this vomiting, nausea, shortness of breath, rapid, and irregular heartbeats, dizziness, restlessness, and feeling sweaty are the common symptoms that an attack may be occurring. The blockage in the arteries should not be left untreated for long, as this would lead to permanent heart damage. One should call 911 if he or any of his loved ones experience chest pain and discomfort. Consulting the GP for any advice whatsoever is also of utmost importance.

Treatment
The quicker the treatment can be initiated the better are the chances of recovery and success. Once the patients reach the hospital there are certain tests that need to be done immediately to assist with the diagnosis of the attack. Electrocardiograph or ECG, Chest X-ray, and the Cardiac Enzyme tests are the common treatments done for the diagnosis of the arrest. Then procedures like the Heart Bypass, Heart transplant, Angioplasty, Stent, Echocardiography, Cardiac Catheterization, Thrombolytic therapy, etc., are done depending on the severity of the attack. Anti-blood clotting drugs are also initiated to lessen the risk of the attack.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.
Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.
How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.
All You Need to Know about Cat Food

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.