What is a heart attack?

A heart attack (also called myocardial infarction) is when part of the heart muscle is damaged or dies because it isn't receiving oxygen. Oxygen is carried to the heart by the arteries (blood vessels). Most heart attacks are caused by a blockage in these arteries. Usually the blockage is caused by atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of fatty deposits (called plaque) inside the artery. This buildup is like the gunk that builds up in a drainpipe and slows the flow of water.

Heart attacks can also be caused by a blood clot that gets stuck in a narrow part of an artery to the heart. Clots are more likely to form where atherosclerosis has made an artery more narrow.


How do I know if I'm having a heart attack?

The pain of a heart attack can feel like bad heartburn. You may also be having a heart attack if you:

• Feel a pressure or crushing pain in your chest, sometimes with sweating, nausea or vomiting

• Feel pain that extends from your chest into the jaw,
left arm or left shoulder.

• Feel tightness in your chest

• Have shortness of breath for more than a couple of seconds

Don't ignore the pain or discomfort. If you think you are having heart problems or a heart attack, get help immediately. The sooner you get treatment, the greater the chance that the doctors can prevent further damage to the heart muscle.


What should I do if I think I am having a heart attack?

Right away, call for an ambulance to take you to the hospital. While you wait for the ambulance to come, chew one regular tablet of aspirin. Don't take the aspirin if you're allergic to aspirin.

If you can, go to a hospital with advanced care facilities for people with heart attacks. In these medical centers, the latest heart attack technology is available 24 hours a day. This technology includes rapid thrombolysis (breaking up clots using medicines called "clot busters"), cardiac catheterization and angioplasty.

In the hospital, you might be given "clot busters" that reopen the arteries to your heart very fast. Nurses and technicians will place an IV line (intravenous line) in your arm to give you medicines. They will also do an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), give you oxygen to breathe, and watch your heart rate and rhythm on a monitor.


Risk factors for a heart attack

• Smoking

• Diabetes

• Increasing age
83% of people who die from heart disease are 65 years of age or older

• High cholesterol level

• High blood pressure

• Family history of heart attack

• Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)

• Lack of exercise

• Stress

• Obesity

• Sex
More males have heart attacks, although heart disease is the leading cause of death for women.


How can I avoid having a heart attack?

Talk to your family doctor about your specific risk factors (see above)
for a heart attack and how to reduce your risk. Your doctor may tell you to do the following:

Quit smoking.
Your doctor can help you. (If you don't smoke, don't start!)

Eat a healthy diet.
Cut back on foods high in saturated fat and sodium (salt) to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Ask your doctor about how to start eating a healthy diet.

Control your blood sugar if you have diabetes.

Exercise.
This sounds hard if you haven't exercised for a while, but try to work up to at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (that raises your heart rate) at least 4 times a week.

Lose weight if you're overweight.
Your doctor can advise you about the best ways to lose weight.

Control your blood pressure if you have hypertension.



Talk to your doctor about whether aspirin would help reduce your risk of a heart attack. Aspirin can help keep your blood from forming clots that can eventually block the arteries.

Source from FamilyDoctor

Good guide bro. Thanks for sharing. Stress would be the factor too.

Lagi satu info berguna dari doktor highwaystar kita,thanks doc!!!

Guess i should contribute something here... hehehe. Let me start with... if ure diagnosed with MI then ure screwed. Its yellow alert for the rest of your life. U'll be taking bag full of medications every day. Doctors will really be worried for u if ure admitted for ANY reasons cause they have to alter their treatment. Sooo... better not to hear a doctor to say " U just had an MI".

Usually before u have a full blown MI u'll hve what we call Angina. Simply means chest pains. Can be due to atherosclerosis or vessel SPASM of the blood vessels to the heart muscles. This causes reduce blood supply to the heart. Usually triggered by EXCERCISE or STRESS. The type of pain can be mild chest pain or even sometimes pain over the back at the tip of scapula. ( erm... dekat urat belikat hehe) Ususally associated with heavy sweating as well. If there is CRITICAL reduction of blood supply then the muscles will die and thus becoming MI

ECG may or MAYNOT show any changes. This is when a STRESS test is indicated. Means that doctors have to stress your heart to see if any changes occur in the ECG. Done in controlled environment with a doctor by your side , some excersises are asked to be done to see the changes.
a HOLTER's test can also be done. Means that a little ECG machine is strap to your chest for a full 24hrs to see if any changes occur.

Patients will take a med when ever he has angina to relax the vessel spasm. Much like Ismet ulam raja taking medication whenever he's having stress....hehehe.

Soo.... Angina is like a warning sign already. Sometime heavy smoking can also cause angina which is not a good sign for your heart. So careful bros.

ps- I'm not into Internal Medicine much .... have to dig out my old text book so dun ask too detail. but i'll try to help if i can lar

Bro, that a crystal clear explanation. I guess MI is Myocardial Infarction, rite? From what I know, stress can trigger other things as well, like the cancer cells that everyone has.

Btw, can we be tested for MI if we are not sure we are having Angina? Because sometimes, I had this chest pain but not sure caused by what. Orang tua-tua said angin? Any other symptoms bro?

Thanks a bunch my brother =)

p/s bila balik KL bang?

Whaatttt? Oh man, i'm deep shit already heheheh...

Dr. Bruised, your explaination about medical memang gua tabik! al-maklumlah, we are now speaking to a real Doctor. Anyway, are you interested to become Moderator for this Room? Atleast, you can assist us finding the true nature of a Healthy Lifestyle.... what say you doc?

Again Thank you for your Diagnose doc.

Cheers!

Hmm...aku setuju sgt tu,aku cadangkan cadangan ditutup,he..he..amacam Dr Bruised ada setuju ka jd moderator for this room???

aRRrgghh wrote:

Bro, that a crystal clear explanation. I guess MI is Myocardial Infarction, rite? From what I know, stress can trigger other things as well, like the cancer cells that everyone has. Btw, can we be tested for MI if we are not sure we are having Angina? Because sometimes, I had this chest pain but not sure caused by what. Orang tua-tua said angin? Any other symptoms bro? Thanks a bunch my brother =) p/s bila balik KL bang?

Bro... MI means part of your heart muscle is already dead. Angina means it's dying due to lack of blood supply - intermittently.

And cause for chest pain is numerous - eg, costochondritis, dissecting aneurysm, pneumothorax, embolism, reflux, esophegeal spasm, musculo skeletal, anxiety etc ( hehehe dlm buku teks )

Sooo. what we want to know is....
where is the pain??... can pinpoint with finger or all over the chest??
How is the pain??.... deep in the chest pain??... crushing pain??... mild pain??
Does it go anywhere??....to the neck??... to the arm??... or just localize??
is this 1st time??.... many times??
how long is the pain??... 5 min??... 30 mkins??
is the pain getting worse??.... longer that b4??
associated with sweating??...
cause by what???... after exercise??.... while watching TV??.... after eating??
can u breathe while having the pain??...or painful on deep breathing??
does your family member had nay history of heart prob??....

soo byk lar nak tanyer... sejam pun tak abis lagi.. it's not as simple A,B,C
and for the test.... blood test will only confirm when u're already had MI. But the risk of high cholestrol in blood, strong family history, worsening chest pain... does increase our suspision.

Other test can be done cam ECG, Stress test, Holter, Angiogram... but time consuming and expensive.

If ure worried pls visit your doctor,... and pls be prepared to come to the hosp often for test.

ps- ader ura2 ake kene kerja 1st day rayer... tk konfim lg. Klau blk KB calll kiter pie makan sup gear box aku blanja.hehehe

highwaystar wrote:

Whaatttt? Oh man, i'm deep shit already heheheh... Dr. Bruised, your explaination about medical memang gua tabik! al-maklumlah, we are now speaking to a real Doctor. Anyway, are you interested to become Moderator for this Room? Atleast, you can assist us finding the true nature of a Healthy Lifestyle.... what say you doc? Again Thank you for your Diagnose doc. Cheers!

Bro... sungguh terharu dgn penghargaan ni. Tp aku still tk sure per moderator buat??.. hehehe. Anyway... i'm into Orthopedics and Trauma soo i can give updates on that lar.... but others still level kat undergrad dlu.But can help to clear some doubts for u and also for me

Ala...moderator tu keja lebih kurang cam doktor jgk la...chek2 org sakit...heh..heh..heh...

hehehe... saya setuju enche bruised jadi moderator. kejanya macam Mr_Bimmerasta cakap la... lebih kurang macam doktor la. selain dai check2 orang sakit bleh la update info2 kesihatan seperti keburukan merokok (kehkehkeh) ka senaman2 yang boleh mengelakkan MI ka dan juga memperkenalkan misi2 yang comel2 di sudut ini. ekekeke...

bruised apasal susah sgt medical term tu...parts nbr ada tak

bedoqstar wrote:

bruised apasal susah sgt medical term tu...parts nbr ada tak

potong stim betol kekekeke...

bruised wrote:

Bro... sungguh terharu dgn penghargaan ni. Tp aku still tk sure per moderator buat??.. hehehe. Anyway... i'm into Orthopedics and Trauma soo i can give updates on that lar.... but others still level kat undergrad dlu.But can help to clear some doubts for u and also for me

Moderator is to fixed up the error or correct by reasoning or be as advisor base on topic presented by members...kekekek
Well, i guess you are the most suitable candidate to moderate this room and on behalf of malatbimmer.com, we are honored to welcome you onboard... oh one more thing...takde gaji ahhh...kekekek

cheers!

possible active thread for SPAM. Have to locked it. Anyway, if there any topic pertaining to this thread. Kindly create a new one. Thank you.