Heart attacks are a leading killer of both men and women in the United States and most often occur as a result of coronary heart disease. However, you can lessen the risk of heart attacks by certain lifestyle alterations such as, smoking, stress, obesity, and physical inactivity.
What is a heart attack?
A heart attack happens when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a section of heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked and the heart can’t get oxygen. If blood isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle begins to die.
Coronary heart disease is a condition where a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries which supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart.
The buildup of plaque occurs over many years and eventually an area of plaque can rupture inside of an artery.
This causes a blood clot to form on the plaque’s surface and if the clot becomes large enough it can completely block blood flow through a coronary artery.
Symptoms of a heart attack
Many people don’t know what is wrong when experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. Some of the most common symptoms for men and women are:
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Upper body discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Breaking out in a cold sweat
However, not all heart attacks begin with sudden extreme chest pain. Symptoms can vary from person to person. Some people can have very few symptoms and not know that they even had a heart attack.
Treatment
Acting fast is extremely important when experiencing heart attack symptoms. About half of the people who die from heart attacks die within the hour of the first symptoms or before they reach the hospital.
If you or anyone you know are experiencing these symptoms call for emergency medical care immediately. Call for an ambulance so that medical personnel can treat you on the way to the hospital
Drugs linked to heart attack
- Testosterone Therapy
- Avandia