Heart Attack: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

According to the World Health Organisation, heart disease has been one of the major reasons for mortality globally and in India.  The data suggests, more than 17 lakh people die because of cardiovascular diseases every year, and the figure is expected to increase by 2030. (1) 

Even though the heart attack symptoms in men and women generally vary, some common signs require early assessment and treatment to mitigate life risk. 

Still,  wondering how to spot the early signs of a heart attack? Read On!

Constant oxygen supply to our heart muscles is necessary for our survival. And a heart attack generally occurs when the blood flow gets hampered due to certain reasons like the build-up of fat, cholesterol, etc. 

People experience some general symptoms like chest pain, breathing problems, etc., which should be taken seriously to get prompt treatment so that the situation doesn’t deteriorate. 

While suffering from a heart attack, the ‘golden hour’ or the first 60 minutes are extremely crucial when rapid treatment is required to prevent further damage. Therefore, it is necessary to educate yourself regarding all the heart attack symptoms to take prompt actions in treating the disease at an early stage.

In most cases, heart attacks start slowly while the patient experiences mild pain or chest discomfort. Sometimes it also gets intense, and you might face additional symptoms, for instance-

• Breathing problems
• Cold sweat
• Indigestion, heartburn or abdominal pain, nausea
• Fatigue
• Sudden dizziness 
• Pressure, aching sensation in the chest, which might spread to your back, neck, or chest

Even though these basic symptoms of cardiac arrest are quite common, these also vary from one person to another. For instance, the warning signs or heart attack symptoms in women, men, and children generally include back or jaw pain, shortness of breath, vomiting, upset stomach, etc., while some diabetic patients often face silent symptoms.

The coronary arteries give our heart muscle its required oxygen-rich blood supply. Unfortunately, these arteries generally become narrow when someone develops a coronary artery disease, and the blood supply gets blocked, causing a heart attack. 

Plaque formation depends on fat, proteins, calcium, and inflammatory cells, and these plaque deposits are generally soft on the inside and hard on the outside. The outer shell cracks in case the plaque is hard, leading to blood clot formation. Often, these blood clots block the artery, and the heart muscle automatically starts looking for oxygen. 

A spasm in the coronary artery can also be a major reason for a heart attack. This can happen even if the person does not have coronary disease.

Depending on your symptoms and all the risk factors associated with the disease, medical professionals can ask you to get some tests done. During emergencies,  a physical exam to review your medical history along with ECG or electrocardiogram inevitably becomes the first step to diagnose a heart attack. 

To evaluate your heart function, the cardiologist might also use invasive procedures involving specialised medical equipment.

Which tests are generally conducted to diagnose heart attack?

Apart from ECG, the following tests get conducted by heart specialists to diagnose cardiovascular conditions. 

• Chest X-Ray: This particular test generally gets conducted if there are other possible causes of your symptoms. This way, health professionals mainly check whether the complications are related to a heart attack or something else. 
• Blood tests: Usually, a sample of the patient’s blood is taken to assess the cardiac troponin level, i.e., a common protein measurement. Other blood tests for heart attack also get conducted to properly evaluate where the process takes up a few days to complete.
• Coronary angiography: This is one of the easiest ways to assess blood vessel problems and heart abnormalities. 

To determine the potential cause for sudden chest pain, these tests are required so that the cardiologists know how to proceed further. Once the assessment procedure is done, they generally come up with a treatment plan depending on the intensity of your disease.

Heart attack treatment and its duration depend on your initial assessment. Oxygen therapy & nitroglycerin usage to improve blood flow, etc., are some of the immediate treatments for a heart attack, that patients also need long-term medication based on their condition. 

Apart from these, here are some common procedures you can opt for to prevent another heart attack from occurring. 

• Stent: A wire mesh tube is inserted into the artery to help it stay wide open post angioplasty procedure. 
• Angioplasty: The procedure removes the plaque build-up to open the blocked artery.
• Heart bypass surgery: This is the process of rerouting the blood around the blockage.  
• Pacemaker: This device gets implanted beneath the skin and ensures that the heart maintains a normal rhythm. 
• Heart valve surgery: This surgery is performed to replace the malfunctioning valves and help the heart pump. 

Heart transplant: In case of irreparable tissue damage in the heart, a transplant is necessary

A lot of risk factors are associated with this disease, for instance:

• High blood pressure: This condition makes the arteries less elastic and harms them by reducing oxygen and blood flow to your heart. 
• Diabetes: Diabetic patients are prone to heart diseases since diabetes increases the risk of plaque formation by damaging the artery walls. That is why they should keep their blood sugar levels along with cholesterol under control.
• High cholesterol: High cholesterol level contributes to the formation of fatty build-up along the inside lining of arteries and blocks the blood flow. 
• High triglycerides: Similar to cholesterol, increased levels of triglycerides, a common fatty substance in the blood, can also lead to heart attacks.
• Smoking: From reducing the blood flow to the heart to causing the artery muscles to contract, smoking gives rise to a lot of unwanted health problems. 
• Excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption: The increase of fat level in the blood automatically raises cholesterol. To prevent all these, you need to make sure that both alcohol and caffeine consumption are limited since they increase the fat level. 
• Lack of exercise: Along with a balanced diet, you should consider prioritizing exercise to get that ultimate healthy lifestyle. Relaxation, daily activities, etc., are necessary to fight such diseases. 

Even though there is a general perspective that people do not suffer from heart diseases in their thirties, an unhealthy lifestyle is what causes heart attack at a young age. Therefore, maintaining the blood pressure and cholesterol level and including healthy habits from a young age should be prioritized.

So, are you looking for a prevention plan? Here is what you can do:

• Know the risk factors, especially if you are between 40 and 75 years of age. 
• Stay at a healthy weight and try to maintain a healthy diet.
• Try to be physically active.
• Quit consuming alcohol and smoking.
• Take your medicines on time. 

Leading an overall healthy lifestyle is required to lower the risk of such heart diseases. And if you have been noticing any of the symptoms mentioned earlier, it is time to get that ECG done. 

Stay healthy!

What you should do during a heart attack

If you or someone you know seems to be suffering from a heart attack, follow the steps mentioned below while waiting for paramedics to arrive - 

• Keep the person in a seated position and try to calm them down.
• If he/she consumes chest pain medication regularly, give the same to them immediately.
• Loosen any tight clothing to minimise discomfort.
• If the affected individual loses consciousness, perform a minute of CPR and try to revive him/her.