ALL ABOUT HEART ATTACKS
When blood can't get to your heart,
your heart muscle doesn't get the oxygen it needs
- Without oxygen, its cells can be damaged or die
- The key to recovery is to get your blood flow restored quickly
- Get medical help right away if you think you're having symptoms of a heart attack
WHAT PUTS YOU AT RISK?
- Your odds of having a heart attack go up with age & men are more likely to have one than women
- A family history of heart disease increases your risk
- Smoking raises your chances of a heart attack & so does having high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes & being obese
- Stress, a lack of exercise & depression can, too
PREVENTION
- If you smoke, stop - it will immediately cut your chances of a heart attack by 1/3
- Get exercise & eat right
- The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, 5 days
a week - Eat plenty of fruits, veggies & whole grains to keep your arteries healthy
- For some people, taking a daily aspirin will help but talk to your doctor to see if it's right for you
- Find positive ways to manage your stress
CAUSES
- Over time cholesterol & a fatty material called plaque can build up on the walls inside blood vessels that take blood to your heart - called Arteries
- This makes it harder for blood to flow freely
- Most heart attacks happen when a piece of this plaque breaks off
- A blood clot forms around the broken-off plaque & it blocks the artery
SYMPTOMS
- Men are more likely to break out in a cold sweat & to feel pain move down their left arm
- Women are more likely to have
1. Pressure or pain in shoulders
2. Pressure or pain in back
3. Pressure or pain in jaw
4. Pressure, weakness or pain in left arm
5. Pressure or pain in neck
6. Dizziness
7. Upset stomach with nausea
8. Sudden feeling of fatigue or weakness OR flu-like symptoms
9. Shortness of breath
10. Unexplained anxiety or trouble sleeping
11. Unexplained cold sweats
12. Chest pain or pressure that lasts longer than a few minutes or comes & goes
About 435,000 women have heart attacks in the U.S. each year
Symptoms can be so mild they're often dismissed as something minor
WHAT TO DO
- If you or someone you're with has symptoms that might be a heart attack, call 911 right away
- If it is a heart attack, you're more likely to survive if you get treated within 90 minutes
1. While you're on the phone, the person should chew & swallow an aspirin (unless they're allergic) to lower the risk of a blood clot
2. If they're unconscious, Hands-only CPR can double their chances of survival
DIAGNOSIS
- An EKG, which checks your heart's electrical activity, can help doctors see if you're having a heart attack
- It can also show which artery is clogged or blocked
- Doctors can also diagnose a heart attack with blood tests that look for proteins that heart
cells release when they die
TREATMENT
- Doctors will quickly act to get blood flowing to your heart again
- You may get drugs that dissolve blood clots
- You'll likely have a procedure called a coronary angiogram.
1. A thin tube with a tiny balloon on the end goes through your artery
2. It opens up the blockage by flattening the plaque against the walls
3. Most times, doctors place a small, mesh tube called a stent in your artery to make sure
it stays open
LIFE AFTER A HEART ATTACK
- If you're in the hospital, you may come home after just a few days
- You can get back to your normal daily life in a few weeks
- Cardiac rehab can help you recover
1. You'll get your own fitness program & learn how to keep up a heart-healthy lifestyle
2. Counselors give you support if you're feeling down or worried about having another attack
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