FerCerealClan F asked:


How does the risk of a heart attack among the physically unfit compare with the risk among the physically fit during and in the first hour after strenuous exercise?

a. There is no discernible difference.
b. It is about twice as high among the unfit.
c. It is about 10 times higher among the unfit.
d. It is about 50 times higher among the unfit.

Grace

mobermeier4 asked:


My husband went to the er with all symptoms of heart attack except chest pain. He had elevated enzymes and 3 ekgs that screamed heart attack. They treated him for a heart attack, but then did a scan and said there was no blockage so it wasn’t a heart attack. What else could it be. He is still in the hospital in terrible pain. The pain is above his right kidney. I’m getting scared, can anyone give me some ideas?

Beatrice

speedysugarbug asked:


How do you know if you are having a heart attack or it’s just “Angina” ?

Samuel

Tong Bee asked:


Heart disease is the number one cause of death both men and women in the United States. But fortunately, today there are superior treatments for heart attack that can rescue lives and forbid disabilities. Treatment is almost efficient when started within 1 minute of the start of symptoms. Many more people could recover from heart attacks if they got help faster. Of the people who die from heart attacks, about half die within an hour of the first symptoms and before they reach the hospital.

A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle itself - the myocardium - is severely reduced or stopped. The reduction or stoppage happens when one or more of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle is blocked. This is usually caused by the buildup of plaque (deposits of fat-like substances), a process called atherosclerosis. The plaque can eventually burst, tear or rupture, creating a “snag” where a blood clot forms and blocks the artery. This leads to a heart attack.

If the blood supply is cut off for more than a few minutes, muscle cells suffer permanent injury and die. This can kill or disable someone, depending on how much heart muscle is damaged. The medical term for heart attack is myocardial infarction. A heart attack is also sometimes called a coronary thrombosis or coronary occlusion.

If you or someone that you’re with is having a heart attack:

1. Call 9-1-1 within a few minutes.

2. Only take an ambulance to the hospital. Going in a private car can delay treatment.

3. Take a nitroglycerin pill if your doctor has prescribed this type of medicine.

4. Put an aspirin under your tongue. Aspirin reduces blood clotting and can help keep a heart attack from getting worse. But don’t delay calling 9-1-1 to take an aspirin.

Dorothy

Andrew Bicknell asked:


Chest pain is the most common heart attack sign but it is important to understand that there are different kinds of chest pain. Many people with coronary artery disease suffer from angina pectoris which is chest pain or discomfort when the heart is not receiving enough blood. It normally occurs when the heart is working harder, such as during exercise or physical activity, but goes away when the activity is stopped.

The chest pain associated with a heart attack can occur at any time, most notably in the morning, and is of long duration and continuous. People with a history of angina may experience more frequent anginal attacks in the weeks or days before they have a heart attack.

The chest pain is often described as severe, as if something was crushing the heart attack victim’s chest; a heavy, squeezing or extreme pressure sensation. Some people have described it as a tightness of the chest or burning sensation. The pain itself usually begins in the center of the chest. Then it can radiate outwards and affect the shoulders, neck, jaw, or arms. These chest pains will last 15 to minutes and are not relieved by resting or taking nitroglycerin.

The signs of a heart attack for women and older adults can be different. Often their symptoms present as atypical chest pains. This means it feels more like indigestion or heartburn and can include nausea and vomiting. Women are more likely than men to have a silent or unrecognized heart attack. For women they will also experience shortness of breath and fatigue and weakness of the shoulders and upper arms.

Older adults will often seek medical attention for a variety of symptoms including difficulty breathing, confusion, fainting, dizziness, abdominal pain or cough. They often think they are having a stroke when in fact they are suffering a heart attack.

Other symptoms that occur during a heart attack are responses to the damage that the heart is undergoing during the attack. Anxiety, tachycardia (rapid heart beat), and vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels) occur in response to sympathetic nervous system stimulation. This results in cool, clammy, mottled skin. The respiratory center of the brain responds to pain and blood chemistry changes by increasing respiration rate. Death of heart tissue causes inflammation that causes an increase in white blood cells and an elevation in temperature.

Depending of the location and amount of infracted (dead) heart tissue other signs of heart can include high blood pressure, low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, or bradycardia (slow heart rate). Irritation of the diaphragm can cause the hiccups as well. In extreme cases the first sign of a heart attack is a sudden death. This is particularly likely in the event that a major blood vessel is completely blocked.

It is utmost importance to seek medical attention at the first signs of heart attack. The sooner a heart attack victim receives medical attention the better their chances of survival.

Clyde

Chookster asked:


When in the Auvergne Rhone-Alpes region of France recently I noticed a lot of roadside signs depicting a black sillouette of a man with a red part indicating a broken heart or a brain injury (”attack”?). Sometimes these were in groups of 2 or 3. What do these mean? I thought perhaps to indicate where there had been previous road accidents, as a deterant, but there appeared to be a lot of them. Also, why sometimes a brain attack symbol, and othertimes a heart attack symbol? They mostly seemed to appear on the outskirts of small towns.

Patrick

your_dear_old_mother asked:


Bayer says in its commercials that it can save a person’s life who is having a heart attack. So if my husband is having a heart attack, and I’m waiting for the ambulance to arrive, how many asprins should I give him? Thank you.
This would be regular strength asprin.

Floyd

Richard Helfant, Md asked:


“Knowledge…should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily.” - Margaret Mead
Like the other organs of the body, the hardworking heart requires oxygen and nutrients to function. This need is met by the coronary arteries, two small vessels on the outer surface of the heart muscle. The right coronary artery supplies the undersurface of the heart. The left artery runs for about an inch at the top of the heart before dividing into two main branches called the “left anterior descending,” traveling to the front of the heart, and “circumflex” supplying the back of the heart. These three arteries (right, left anterior descending and circumflex) and their branches send smaller tributaries into the substance of the hart muscle to supply it with the oxygen and nutrients needed to contract and pump normally.

The coronary arteries are more susceptible than most other arteries to athererosclerosis (also known as arteriosclerosis), a buildup of cholesterol with the walls of the vessels. When severe, this buildup may obstruct the artery. Under resting conditions, the blood flowing through the diseased coronary artery may be sufficient to supply a specific area of heart muscle, but under more demanding conditions, such as exercise, when the heart is working harder and requires oxygen and nutrients, the obstruction may not allow sufficient blood through to meet the needs of the heart area it supplies. An imbalance of oxygen supply and demand (called “ischemia”) is created. When this occurs, the afflicted individual often experiences symptoms of chest discomfort called “angina pectoris.”
A diseased coronary artery can also become unstable, resulting in ulceration or total disruption of a cholesterol deposit. This often leads to major problems. An ulcerated or disrupted coronary artery is susceptible to blood clots forming on its exposed surface. When this occurs, the vessel can become completely occluded. As a result, the portion of heart muscle supplied by that artery becomes starved for vital oxygen and nutrients. If the occlusion persists for more than an hour, the affected muscle begins to die. This is usually accompanied by severe, persistent crushing pain over the center of the chest, the prime symptom of a heart attack.
When this symptom strikes, it is urgent to get to the nearest hospital emergency room– immediately! Cardiologists can now thread a balloon catheter from the groin into the blocked area and open it up, salvaging precious heart muscle, which can substantially improve long-term prognosis. Remember: your heart is a remarkably resilient organ. It can suffer significant damage before impairment in function occurs. The outlook for patients with coronary atherosclerosis depends on the extent of heart muscle damage from a heart attack and on the extent of blockage in the coronary arteries. Reducing the initial damage, as well as taking the vital steps to reduce your risk factors for a second attack (i.e. lowering your cholesterol, normalizing blood pressure, supervised exercise, diet and weight reduction, reducing stress, etc.) are the keys to living a long and healthy life after suffering a heart attack.

Debra

Gerd C. Pacher asked:


A heart attack occurs when there is a blockage in one of the heart’s arteries. When an artery is blocked, blood cannot flow to the chambers of the heart which results in a heart attack also known as myocardial infarction. If medical attention is not received immediately the heart can become permanently damaged so it is important that you are able to recognize the signs that you may be experiencing a heart attack.According to the American Heart Association, the following are possible symptoms of a heart attack:Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. The pain can feel like pressure, squeezing, or fullness.Pain in the upper body: There could be pain or discomfort in either or both of your arms, the back, the neck, jaw or stomach.Shortness of breath with or without the chest pain can be a warning sign.Other possibilities include cold sweat, nausea, lightheadedness, paleness, or an irregular heart rate. Some patients say that they have experienced an unexplainable feeling of impending doom prior to their heart attack. As you can see from these possible symptoms there are a lot of things to look for. Not every heart attack patient has had these symptoms prior to their heart attack, so the presence of all, some and none of these are possible. If you feel that you have these symptoms, it is best to seek medical attention right away, especially if you or someone in your family has a history of heart trouble. Doctors would much rather have you tested and find out that you didn’t have a heart attack than have you ignore the symptoms and possibly die because you did not go for help. Learning what to look for can save your life.

Marcus

Peter sams asked:


Any of a number of conditions that can affect the heart. Some examples include coronary heart disease, heart attack, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary heart disease and high blood pressure. Heart disease is a big problem in today’s society because of lifestyle issues such as poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking.

Heart attack (myocardial infarction or coronary thrombosis) is when part of the heart muscle dies because it has been starved of oxygen. . It can occur as a result of one or two effects of atherosclerosis:

(1) If the artery becomes completely blocked and ischemia becomes so extensive that oxygen-bearing tissues around the heart die.

(2) If the plaque itself develops fissures or tears. Blood platelets adhere to the site to seal off the plaque, and a blood clot (thrombus) forms. A heart attack can then occur if the formed blood clot completely blocks the passage of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

Usually, this happens when a blood clot forms in one of the coronary arteries (blood vessels to the heart muscle), which blocks the blood supply. Occasionally, a blockage is caused by a spasm (sudden narrowing) of a coronary artery.

Cause of Heart attack:

A heart attack happens when a blood vessel in or near the heart becomes blocked. Not enough blood can get to that part of the heart muscle. That area of the heart muscle stops working, so the heart is weaker. During a heart attack, you may have chest pain along with nausea, indigestion, extreme weakness, and sweating

A heart attack occurs when there is a severe blockage in an artery that carries oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. The blockage is usually caused by the buildup of plaque (deposits of fat-like substances, or atherosclerosis) along the walls of the arteries. The sudden lack of blood flow to the heart muscle deprives the heart of needed oxygen and nutrients. If the blockage is not opened quickly, the heart muscle is likely to suffer serious, permanent damage as areas of tissue die.

Warning Signs for Heart Attack

• Chest discomfort: uncomfortable pressure, squeezing or fullness.

• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body: one or both arms or in the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.

• Shortness of breath, either with chest discomfort or alone.

• Other signs, including nausea, lightheadedness, or breaking out in a cold sweat.

Common Symptoms.

Other common symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Nausea, vomiting, and cold sweats

• A feeling of indigestion or heartburn

• Fainting

• A great fear of impending death, a phenomena known as angor animi

Medical Treatment

Medical treatment may be started immediately, before a definite diagnosis of a heart problem is made. General treatment measures include the following:

• Oxygen through a tube in the nose or face mask

• Nitroglycerin under the tongue

• Pain medicines (morphine or meperidine)

• Aspirin: Those with allergy to aspirin may be given clopidogrel (Plavix).

Surgery

After a heart attack, you will usually be offered an exercise test. If this suggests that your coronary arteries have narrowed, an angiogram will be carried out. This involves injecting a dye into the blood so that the coronary blood vessels show up on an X-ray. If your arteries are narrowed, you can sometimes be treated with angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting.

Holly