Are You Avoiding A Potential Heart Attack?
Written by Jennifer Derrin   
Monday, 17 August 2009 06:04
A heart attack is known as a myocardial infarction. This occurs when the heart muscle is damaged or does not receive enough oxygen. Many cardiac related problems occur due to blockages in arteries that carry purified blood away from the heart to different parts of the body. Another cause is the formation of blood clots. Very often, it is quite difficult to differentiate between a heart attack and heartburn.
by JenniferDerrin


A heart attack is known as a myocardial infarction. This occurs when the heart muscle is damaged or does not receive enough oxygen. Many cardiac related problems occur due to blockages in arteries that carry purified blood away from the heart to different parts of the body. Another cause is the formation of blood clots. Very often, it is quite difficult to differentiate between a heart attack and heartburn.

Signals that are common to heart attacks include a pressure, pain or tightness in the chest. The patient may also experience sweating, nausea and/or vomiting. There may also be a pain that radiates? from the chest to the left arm, and shortness of breath.

If someone, including yourself, begins to experience any of these symptoms, get to the emergency room right away. Call 911 or another number to connect you with a cardiac care ambulance for transport so that care can begin right away. You may also want to give the patient a sorbitrate to put under the tongue, or have them chew on an aspirin. Once the patient is in the hospital, the team may implement rapid thrombolysis, cardiac catheters or angioplasty. There will also be anti-clot medication administration via IV.

Risk factors that increase the chance for a heart attack include smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, family history, hypertension obesity, diet and atherosclerosis. Some of these factors are controllable.

Some of the thing you can do to avoid heart disease and heart attacks include not smoking, or stopping if you do, and get healthier eating habits. By avoiding foods high in fats, red meat and salt, and including foods high in antioxidants, you can increase your chances for a healthy life. Exercising just 30 minutes a day will not only help with obesity, but also help you control and lower blood pressure.

Choose to live a healthy life, and consider practicing meditation. Using relaxation and breathing exercises will keep your stress level lower. Make sure to follow up with your doctor for periodic heart evaluations. This is the best way to make sure you are healthy.

A killer disease, according to the American Heart Association approximately 58.8 million people in the US suffer from heart diseases. And, about 950,000 Americans die of heart ailments each year. Heart diseases and death from it can be prevented by maintaining your health. Find a balance in life between work and other activities, abandon the couch for the outdoors, don't watch sports on television play sports instead and you can hope to live a long and fulfilled life.

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More CPR and First Aid articles and training information can be found at these links. First Aid Class Atlanta or CPR Training in Atlanta