Heart Attack
A heart attack is a frightening experience. If you have experienced a heart attack, or are close with someone who has, you should know that you are not alone. Tens of thousands of people survive heart attacks and go on to lead productive, enjoyable lives.
What is a heart attack?
- Your heart muscle needs oxygen to survive. A heart attack occurs when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or cut off completely.
- This happens because coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood flow can become narrowed from a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances that together are called plaque. This slow process is called atherosclerosis.
Why didn’t I have any warning?
- The process of atherosclerosis has no symptoms. When a coronary artery narrows and constricts blood flow, other nearby vessels that serve the heart sometimes expand to compensate, which explain why there are no warning signs.
Is my heart permanently damages?
- When a heart attack occurs, the heart muscle that has lost blood supply begins to suffer injury. The amount of damage to the heart muscle depends on the size of the area supplied by the blocked artery and the time between injury and treatment.
Will I recover from my heart attack?
- The answer is most likely YES!
- The heart muscle begins to heal soon after a heart attack. It usually takes about eight weeks to heal.
What can you do to prevent a heart attack?
- Eat your best
- Add plenty of fruits and veggies, grains, and foods high in omega-3 fatty acids like fresh tuna or herring to your diet.
- Cut down on salt, saturated fats, sweets and red meats.
- Take it easy
- Find a relaxation method that works for you.
- Yoga, meditation, dedicated time to unwind after work.
- Stressful emotions such as anger and hostility may also lead to heart attack risk, so keep calm and be cool!
- Find a relaxation method that works for you.
- Ban smoking
- If you smoke, STOP.
- Even people who smoke fewer than five cigarettes a day can have early signs of heart attack disease.
- If you smoke, STOP.
- Keep tabs on your blood pressure
- If its too high, your risk of heart attack and heart disease goes up.
- Stress management, a healthy diet, and regular exercise can help you manage your blood pressure.
- Mind your blood sugar
- Too much sugar in your blood can damage your arteries.
- Remember you cant tell if you have diabetes based on how you feel
- Be smart about cholesterol
- When blood flows through your blood vessels, it can drop traces of cholesterol, fat, and calcium, creating a buildup of plaque in your arteries.
- Too much of that plaque makes a heart attack more likely.
- Check your weight
- Get a move on
- Try to be active every single day!
- Be social
- Stay in touch with family and friends.
- Research shoes that people with more social support are less prone to heart trouble.
If you think that you are at risk of a heart attack contact your doctor and ask them to do a screening on you. Maybe even change your lifestyle a little bit at a time. It never hurts to be HEALTHY!
Helpful Links:
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack
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