A Heart Attack also called a myocardial infarction,happens when a part of the heart muscle doesn’t get enough blood.Coronary artery disease is the main cause of heart attack.

What is the definition of a heart attack?

When a section of the heart muscle doesn’t get enough blood, it causes a heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction.
The more time the heart muscle spends without being treated to return blood flow, the more harm it suffer.

The most common cause of heart attack is coronary artery disease (CAD). A less common cause is a severe spasm, or rapid limitation, of a coronary artery, which can block blood supply to the heart muscle.

Why hadn’t I been given any notice?

Atherosclerosis is a silent disease with no symptoms. When a coronary artery narrows and restricts blood flow, other neighbouring blood arteries that service the heart may grow to compensate, which could explain why no warning signals appear.

Collateral circulation is a network of expanded adjacent blood arteries that can prevent certain people from heart attacks by supplying vital blood to the heart. After a heart attack, collateral circulation might develop to aid in the recovery of the heart muscle.

Symptoms of a Heart Attack

The following are signs and symptoms of a heart attack:
• In your chest, arm, or below your breastbone, you may experience discomfort, pressure, heaviness, tightness, squeezing, or pain.
• Distress in your back, jaw, throat, or arm
• bloat, indigestion, or a sharp feeling (it may feel like heartburn)
• Sweating, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness are all symptoms of an upset stomach.
• Shortness of breath, severe weakness, anxiety, or weariness
• Heartbeat that is too fast or too irregular

Symptoms fluctuate from one individual to the next and from one heart attack to the next. Women are more likely to incident the following heart attack symptoms :

• Unusual exhaustion
• Breathing problems
• Vomiting or nausea
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• You ‘re experiencing a sinking sensation in your stomach. It may feel as if you have indigestion.
• Neck, shoulder, or upper back discomfort
You may not detect any symptoms of a heart attack in some cases (a “silent” myocardial infarction). Diabetic patients are more likely to experience this.

Is it true that my heart is permanently damaged?

When a heart attack occurs, the heart muscle begins to degenerate due to a lack of oxygen and nutrients.The size of the area fed by the blocked artery and the period involving injury and therapy decide the amount of damage to the heart muscle.

Scar tissue forms when cardiac muscle is injured by a heart attack. The healing of your heart muscle normally takes many weeks. The duration is determined on the severity of your injury and your individual rate of recovery.

The heart is a tricky organ to deal with. Even if a portion of the heart has been seriously damaged, the rest of the heart continues to function. Your heart, however, may be weakened as a result of the damage and unable to pump as much blood as it once did.

After a heart attack, further damage can be avoided or prevented with effective therapy and lifestyle adjustments.

What can I do if I have a heart attack and need to recover?

Your heart may be injured if you’ve had a heart attack. Your heart’s rhythm and capacity to pump blood to the rest of your body may be affected. You could also be at risk for a second heart attack, as well as illnesses like stroke, renal disease, and peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Following these steps will reduce your risk of experiencing future health problems after a heart attack :

• Physical activity is important.
Talk to your health-care providers about the things you do in your life and at work on a daily basis. Following a heart attack, your doctor may advise you to reduce your employment, travel, and sexual activity for a period of time.

• Changes in your way of life
In addition to taking prescription medications, you can improve your heart health and quality of life by eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, stopping smoking, and managing stress. Inquire with your doctor about enrolling in a cardiac rehabilitation programme to assist you in making these lifestyle changes.

• Rehab for cardiac patients
Anyone recovering from a heart attack, heart failure, or another heart disease that necessitated surgery or medical treatment should consider cardiac rehabilitation. Cardiac rehab is a supervised programme that incorporates a variety of activities.
• Physical activity is important.
• Education about how to live a healthy lifestyle, including how to eat well, take medications as recommended, and quit smoking.
• Counseling to help people cope with stress and enhance their mental health.
Your health care team, exercise and nutrition specialists, physical therapists, and counsellors or mental health professionals may all be able to assist you during cardiac rehab.

Treatment for a Heart Attack

A heart attack is a medical emergency that necessitates quick medical attention in order to avoid irreparable cardiac damage or death. If you phoned 911, treatment may begin in the ambulance or in the emergency department if you were taken to the hospital by someone else.

What drugs are prescribed to treat a heart attack?

• At an emergency facility or hospital, you’ll be given medications to prevent additional blood clotting in the heart and immediately relieve the strain on the heart At an emergency facility or hospital, you’ll be given medications to prevent more blood clotting in the heart and to ease the strain on the heart right away.Drug therapy seeks to dissolve or prevent blood clots, prevent platelets from adhering to the plaque, stabilise the plaque, and avoid further ischemia.
• You should get these medications as soon as possible to prevent cardiac damage (preferably within 1 or 2 hours of the start of your heart attack).
• Some of the medications used to treat a heart attack are:
• Aspirin is used to prevent blood clotting, which can make a heart attack worse.
• Clopidogrel (Plavix), prasugrel (Effient), or ticagrelor (Brilinta) are examples of antiplatelet medicines.
• Thrombolytic therapy (also known as “clot busters”) is used to dissolve blood clots in the arteries of the heart.
• Any combination of these is acceptable.
• Other drugs administered during or after a heart attack help to enhance heart function, widen blood arteries, relieve pain, and prevent harmful heart rhythms.