With every passing year death from heart attack is increasing at an alarming rate. Earlier it was mostly restricted to elderly population but in recent times the younger population is getting affected equally. Cardiovascular diseases cause heart attacks. Like any other muscle in the body, the heart also needs oxygen and during a heart attack, the heart fails to get enough oxygen. Here is a detailed guide about what causes heart attack and how you can prevent it.
How does a heart attack happen?
Coronary arteries supply oxygenated blood to the heart. Plaques or fatty deposits grow on the circumference of the coronary arteries. Plagues grow due to an unhealthy lifestyle. These fatty deposits sometimes become chunky, hardened or inflamed. In due course, the plaques can take the form of blockages. If one of the plaques cracks, a blood clot is formed around it within minutes which results in complete path block of the oxygenated blood. Heart muscles do not get oxygen anymore, leading to the oxygen deficit. In the absence of oxygen cells start to die in some time. This is called heart attack, which is also known as myocardial infarction. If not treated immediately, the situation can worsen. The damaged muscle of the heart may not be able to pump blood and the heartbeat becomes abnormal. A heart attack can also be fatal if the patient is not immediately treated.
Here are the factors that lead to Heart attack
There are numerous causes that are leading to heart attacks at a younger age.
- 1. Genetic Predisposition– An individual with a family of heart attack or any kind of heart disease is at a much higher risk than another not reporting any such heart disease in the family. For instance high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis are examples of those heart diseases which may be favoured due to family genes.
- Diabetes- India is soon heading to becoming the diabetic capital of the world. Young age groups with diabetes are increasing. Diabetes promotes premature myocardial infarction.
- Tobacco abuse & Smoking- In multiple research it has been found that the chemicals in tobacco cause inflammation in individuals. Inflammation in coronary arteries can accelerate the deposition of plaques. Studies have found that the one who smokes is at three times greater risk than the one who doesn’t.
- Unhealthy diets- Nowadays, young groups are strongly drawn toward junk food like deep oil fried foods, fat rich foods. These foods shoot up bad cholesterol levels and therefore accelerate the fat deposits in the walls of coronary arteries.
- Obesity- High body mass index also increases the amount of fat deposits in the arteries thereby exposing the individual to heart diseases.
Symptoms of Heart attack
Few patients face an early symptoms of heart attack which could be a saviour if taken to hospital immediately
* Pain or discomfort in chest or area around the heart which prolongs for more than thirty minutes even after taking painkillers or gastric medicine.
* Difficulty in breathing
* Nausea or dizziness
* Difficulty in sleeping
* Tingling or discomfort in other body parts- Numbness or pain in the left arm or shoulder, pain in jaw, pain or discomfort in back, pain or discomfort in stomach which isn’t normal and doesn’t go away in a few minutes.
* Cold sweats
* Irregular heartbeat.
These are some common symptoms which one should look out for and never be ignorant. In addition to these, any other unusual symptoms that do not go away in a few minutes should be reported to the doctor without any delay.
Ways to avoid heart attacks at young age and how to treat your heart related issues
Nowadays, youth in India is stressed because of work and family problems, so many young people in India have heart problems. If you are from India and you have some heart related issues, there are many hospitals in Southern India especially in Bangalore which are known for the best cardiologists. You can easily search for the best heart hospital in Bangalore online and you can get the best treatment for yourself.
These tips can also help you:
* Healthy eating habits- Everyone should avoid oily, fat rich junk food. Rather once should take a protein rich clean diet so as to maintain the cholesterol levels.
* Healthy Lifestyle- Quitting smoking and tobacco use. Exercise regularly and maintain proper sleep cycles and eat food timely. Meditation to keep away from stress and anxiety.
* Those with heart disease running in their family history should monitor the blood pressure and diabetes levels from a young age itself. Remember prevention is always better than cure.
