11/26/2011

Heart Attack - Myocardial Infarction

When we say heart attack it means that the heart muscles dies due to an unexpected obstruction of coronary artery with some blood clot. Heart attack is also known as myocardial infarction. Coronary arteries happen to be the blood vessels which are responsible for supplying oxygen and blood to the heart muscles. In the case of heart attack what happens is that heart muscles is unable to receive oxygen and blood due to blockage in coronary artery, due to which the heart muscles get injured. When injury is caused to the heart muscles it will cause pain in the chest and pressure is exerted on the chest. It is required to restore blood flow to the muscles within a period of 20-40 minutes; otherwise irretrievable passing away of the heart muscle will start occurring. The heart muscles which are there continue to pass away for approximately 6 to 8 hours at the time you are suffering the heart attack is usually complete.

There are various reasons why heart attack occurs let start with Atherosclerosis is a condition in which plaque of cholesterol gets deposited on the walls of the arteries, it is a steady procedure. As cholesterol gets deposited on the artery walls, it makes the walls of these arteries hard and also narrows the inner channel of the artery. Once the arteries get narrowed due to atherosclerosis enough blood cannot be supplied, as a result normal functioning of the body parts is not there. Let’s take an example like the arteries of the legs gets atherosclerosis than the flow of blood to legs will get reduced. Due to which what will happen is there will be pain in legs even as you are walking or exercising, leg ulcers and there will be delay in curing of injuries. Atherosclerosis of all the arteries that provide blood into the region of the brain could be the reason of vascular dementia or stroke.

It has been observed that in majority of the patients atherosclerosis is silent in nature, due to which there are no symptoms and no health problem as well for many years. Atherosclerosis is something which can begin in childhood, but the symptoms and health problems will only appear when the arteries narrowing are more rigorous. Cigarette smoking, hypertension, increased level of cholesterol and diabetes are some of the ailments that can augment atherosclerosis, due to these conditions early symptoms can be seen, especially in those people who have inherited atherosclerosis.

In the case of coronary atherosclerosis, it is that artherosclerosis in which the coronary artery gets hard and narrowed. This disease is caused when the blood supply to the heart muscles is lesser from coronary artherosclerosis. Under the preview of coronary heart disease come heart attack, unanticipated death, pain in the chest, irregular heart murmurs and heart crash owing to weakening of the muscles of the heart.

Angina pectoris or it is commonly referred as angina and it is a pain in chest or pressure, which is there because the oxygen and blood delivered to the muscles of the heart and is unable to fulfill the requirements of the heart muscles. The coronary arteries which are there once gets narrowed by percentage beyond normal, the arteries are unable to boost the blood supply when there is high demands of oxygen. The inadequate furnishing of the oxygen into the heart muscles causes angina. Exertional angina is one which occurs due to excess of work outs is also a cause of concern. Diabetic patients and in some other patients as well a decrease in the blood inflow to the heart may be experienced devoid of any pain and you may get tired very soon.

When there is exceptional angina there is heaviness or acute pain in the chest. The pain which is there can go up to the neck, arms, back, and jaw and at times even up to the teeth and it may be followed by tiredness and lot of sweat. Typically the lasting period for exertion angina is nearly 20 minutes and one can get relief from it by resting or by consuming nitroglycerin by keeping a pill under the tongue.

Due to the clot which is formed the blood flow gets blocked and it might cause a heart attack. The reason for the rupture and clot is still not known, but there are certain factors which may include smoking of the cigarette or some other kind of nicotine consumption, increased level of  cholesterol or undesired cholesterol ratio, eminent increase in levels of blood , hypertension numerous other involuntary and other biochemical forces.

01:39 Posted in Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this

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