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Heart Attack

A heart attack has the power to cause permanent damage to the victim's heart and even death. The formal name for a heart attack is myocardial infarction because the myocardium (heart muscle) can literally die, or infarct. When blood flow through one of the coronary arteries connected to the heart becomes partially or severely impeded by a clot, a heart attack will occur. If the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen-rich blood, it will not be able to function and will cease pumping blood. The degree of a heart attack is dependent upon the level of damage that the heart muscle endures over the course of the attack.

Signals that you may be suffering a heart attack include chest pain that may shoot into your neck, shoulders, or arms. You may also notice additional symptoms such as difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. In some instances, there may be no warning signs prior to the attack whatsoever.

A heart attack warrants on-the-spot professional medical treatment, and an ambulance should be summoned if the service is provided in the area. While awaiting the arrival of the EMTs or traveling to the hospital, victims are usually advised to swallow aspirin, a drug which has been proven to fight blood clots. The odds that a person will live through a heart attack are contingent upon the care that the patient receives within an hour of the attack.

Depending on how serious it is, someone who suffers from a heart attack will need somewhere in the range of two weeks to six weeks to recover. Patients are often instructed to participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program for a rapid and safe recovery. Long-term treatment may include changes in eating and exercise habits in addition to medication.

People who have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease are more likely to suffer a heart attack than any other group in the US. Obesity, smoking, and a poor exercise regimen are all risk factors contributing to heart disease and heart attacks.

According to the American Heart Association, approximately 700,000 Americans will be victims of a first-time heart attack, and 500,000 will have a recurrent heart attack in the upcoming year. 175,000 more people will suffer a silent heart attack, or a heart attack that occurs without the victim's knowledge. The mean age for males to suffer their first heart attack is 66 years old, while it is 70 for females.