The Ischaemic Heart Disease has been one of the top-ranking causes of death in Singapore according to the World Health Organization statistics.
Heart Attack and Ischaemic Heart Disease: What is it
Your heart pumps blood 72 times each minute, 100,000 times each day, making sure all parts of the body are supplied with blood. How does the heart itself receive blood? The coronary arteries, coming straight from the main artery or aorta, supply blood to the heart.
What is coronary artery disease?
Ischaemic heart disease, also called coronary artery disease, is what the layman refers to as having ‘heart problem’. The coronary arteries are narrowed, causing chest discomfort, breathlessness and tiredness because of inadequate blood flow to the heart muscle. ‘Ischaemic’ means ‘inadequate blood flow’.
These narrowings occur because the lining of the coronary vessels become accumulated with cholesterol and fat in layers called atherosclerotic plaques. In Singapore, heart disease and cancer are the top two causes of death.
What is a heart attack?
A heart attack occurs in someone with ischaemic heart disease when any of these three arteries get suddenly (acutely) blocked. This may happen because a blood clot suddenly forms over the narrowed portion, or a fat-filled plaque bursts or ruptures. The heart muscle (myocardium) that has its blood supply interrupted will die (‘infarction’) if flow is not restored. A heart attack is also called acute myocardial infarction.
Consequences of a heart attack A severe blockage will result in immediate death. Heart attacks are the leading cause of sudden death for both men and women worldwide. Less severe blockage will weaken the heart and result in heart failure later on, where the person feels breathless as the heart cannot pump enough for the body’s needs. Irregular or slow heart rates can also happen.
Try our mindfulness practice and learn to calm yourself and destress. Let this moment be for you only.
Signs and symptoms of a heart attack
Chest pain or discomfort is the most common symptom (angina). Discomfort can occur in the centre or left side of the chest, may go up to the neck, jaw or left arm. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. It can be mild or severe.
It can be associated with shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, sweating and anxiety. Women may experience fewer typical symptoms than men and approximately one quarter of all heart attacks are silent, without chest pain or other symptoms.
If detected early, doctors may choose to do either a Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG) or a Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PTCA) to improve blood flow.
Stay tuned to our next article on How to Prevent Heart Diseases.
Tags: #heartattack, #cardial, #heartbeat, #breathless
Comments