Heart attack is a sudden chest pain felt by a person and is usually a kind of medical emergency. The chest pain occurs due to sudden stoppage of blood supply to the heart. As a result the person experiences pain and discomfort around the heart and the nearby area and also feels anxiety and breathlessness.
There is deeper science involved in the causation of this state. The blood vessels that are carrying blood to the heart get blocked due to the deposition of certain substances like cholesterol, calcium, etc. These substances get settled on the inner linings of the blood vessels. Gradually, the depositions continue to increase and the inner lining slowly thickens.
As the substance deposited on the inner walls increases, the space left for the blood to pass through the blood vessels reduces. This causes lesser blood supply to the heart and other parts of the body. When there is a situation that the entire inner space of the blood vessel is occupied by the deposition, there is absolutely no space left for the blood to pass through the vessel. This is the time when due to lack of sufficient blood supply, the person experiences chest pain or angina, which is commonly termed as heart attack.
Symptoms of heart attack
Some of the symptoms that are commonly seen in persons experiencing a heart attack are:
- Chest pain, which is of squeezing type of unbearable pain, and may radiate to left shoulder, arms, back and jaw.
- Breathlessness with palpitations of feeling if extreme anxiety.
- Sudden feeling of lightheadedness, discomfort and sweating.
Management
Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can help in controlling the trouble and prevent further complications. It is advisable to see a physician and take the necessary steps. In case of emergency, the emergency heath numbers should be dialed to avail immediate intensive cardiac care.
Certain factors and ailments are considered as predisposing factors for causing heart troubles. For example, obesity, hypertension, high blood cholesterol level, diabetes, etc are considered to be some of the risk factors that may easily subject a person to heart troubles. Prevention is the best method and if a person is already diagnosed of the other related conditions, regular medical treatment to control these factors should be continued.
Furthermore, stress is supposed to add to all the problems and stress management and relaxation can help to a great extent.