Heart_Attack_and_Cardiac_Arrest

Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest Every year 1.1 million people in the United States have a heart attack, and about 550,000 of them die. (National Institutes). Heart attacks affect millions of people annually; discovering the causes, treatment, and prevention is crucial to saving human life. A wide range of causes that vary from unhealthy lifestyles to an underlying heart condition can cause heart attacks. Treatments can range from oral medications to major open heart surgery. Prevention can often be as simple as making miniscule lifestyle changes such as dieting and exercise. Treatment and diagnosis are dependent upon each victim’s overall health and the health of the heart. Most heart attacks are caused when your arteries or other vessels become filled with a substance known as plaque. Eventually the arteries will become so filled that a section of plaque will burst open causing a blood clot, or occlusion, to form at the site. If the clot is large enough it will inhibit oxygen-enriched blood from reaching the heart. The lack of oxygen to the heart begins to cause damage to the heart muscle and surrounding tissue. If the occlusion is not quickly remedied the heart will begin to die (De Milto “Heart Attack” 1362). Heart attacks can be caused by a number of other reasons, although, the most common is coronary artery disease also known as CAD. Coronary artery disease is the gradual buildup of plaque in the arteries that supply oxygen to the heart (Stonely “Coronary Artery” 164). Heart attacks can be caused by other less common reasons, such as illegal substance abuse, emotional stress, extreme hypothermia, and cigarette smoking. If a heart attack is caused by any of the above four reasons the coronary artery has become constricted to point where blood can no longer flow through the artery to the heart (National Institutes) Often in movies when someone has a heart attack they usually exhibit excruciating pain. This is not true for everyone. The symptoms of a heart attack vary greatly for each victim. So, how does someone know they are having a heart attack' The most common sign is an uncomfortable tightening or pressure in the chest. For some people it is a sharp piercing pain, while for others the pain could be as mild as the feeling of intense heart burn or indigestion. Many victims will wait for hours before seeking medical attention because they mistake the first symptoms of a heart attack as bad indigestion or heartburn. Symptoms include a pain that may radiate into the arms, neck, or other parts of the upper body, shortness of breath that may occur with or before the chest pain (De Milto “Heart Attack” 1364). For those experiencing a heart attack, 9-1-1 should be called immediately to receive life saving medical treatment. Typically if a person claims to be having a heart attack, medical personnel will begin treatment with or without a confirmed diagnosis. The patient is given oxygen through a nose tube so that the heart and other organ are able to receive some form of oxygen. Next, the victim may receive an antiplatelet medication like aspirin or Plavix. Antiplatelet medicines stop blood cells from bunching together and forming more unwanted blood clots. Finally, the victim will receive a spray of nitroglycerin under the tongue. Nitroglycerin dilates every blood vessel in the entire body, allowing the blood to flow freely through the coronary arteries. Other medications and procedures are later provided to the victim upon a confirmed diagnosis of a heart attack. (National Institutes) Diagnosis of heart attack is based on personal symptoms, personal and family medical history, as well as diagnostic testing. There are two diagnostic tests performed on someone suspected of a heart attack; an electrocardiogram better known as an EKG and blood tests. An EKG is able to detect electrical activity in the heart. If an EKG detects changes in the appearance of electrical waves produced by the heart, it is usually an indication the person has suffered a heart attack (De Milto “Heart Attack” 1364-1365). To prevent future heart attacks the patient must be diligently aware of his or her risk factors. There are several risk factors that increase the likelihood of having a heart attack; some can be managed while others cannot. Risk factors that someone cannot control include age, gender, and family history. Men over the age of 45 and women over 55 are more likely to have a heart attack. According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine “men under the age of 60 are more likely to have a heart attack than a woman of the same age.” People who have a family history of heart attack or coronary artery disease are at greater risk of having a heart attack, than the average person. There are numerous other risk factors that are completely manageable. They include smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle or physical inactivity, and diabetes. If a person stops smoking, gets active, controls their blood sugar, loses weight, and lowers their blood pressure and cholesterol, they considerably lower their chances of getting coronary artery disease; which can cause not only heart attacks but cardiac arrest as well (Silverstein 68).