Heart Attack by:J.A. Burror

I'm In Green/ all else is information that I wanted to share. To know myself, but also to let anyone wanting to learn notice as well. This is no joke as some might say with their words, that you will have a heart attack. If you don't, if you leave or if they don't get what they want at that time. Life is not a game, Health shouldn't be a game. Life is life and should be cherished. I know corny but it is so true.

Today was just one of those days as it seems. I started my day with getting out of bed to fix my Dads morning coffee and pack his lunch. With this heat I made him a cup of just ice then he had his coffee to take. It's a Monday to Friday job so that's what I do for him. Not must because I know all he does for me. Pains in stomach and back with a headache that never takes a day off. Not very out of the normal of things going on here. But yet, yes another Doctors visit. I knew it was coming and it was only for test to be run for the surgery. The Surgery I'm talking about is my back surgery, to remove the lumps in my back. Near my lower part of my spine. To have the all clear-okay mark. 

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

What is it?
An electrocardiogram — abbreviated as EKG or ECG — is a test that measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat. With each beat, an electrical impulse (or “wave”) travels through the heart. This wave causes the muscle to squeeze and pump blood from the heart. A normal heartbeat on ECG will show the timing of the top and lower chambers. 

Why is it done?
An ECG gives two major kinds of information. First, by measuring time intervals on the ECG, a doctor can determine how long the electrical wave takes to pass through the heart. Finding out how long a wave takes to travel from one part of the heart to the next shows if the electrical activity is normal or slow, fast or irregular. Second, by measuring the amount of electrical activity passing through the heart muscle, a cardiologist may be able to find out if parts of the heart are too large or are overworked.

What is it 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 (View an animation of blood flow). This happens because coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood flow can slowly become narrow from a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances that together are called plaque. This slow process is known as atherosclerosis . When a plaque in a heart artery breaks, a blood clot forms around the plaque. This blood clot can block the blood flow through the heart muscle. When the heart muscle is starved for oxygen and nutrients, it is called ischemia. When damage or death of part of the heart muscle occurs as a result of ischemia, it is called a heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI). About every 43 seconds, someone in the United States has a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Heart attacks are caused by a blockage that stops blood flow to the heart. Cardiac arrest is caused when the heart's electrical system malfunctions.

            Different Medical Terms Used for a Heart Attack 

Myocardial infarction – The damaging or death of an area of the heart muscle (myocardium) resulting from a blocked blood supply to that area; medical term for a heart attack.

Coronary thrombosis – Formation of a clot in one of the arteries that conduct blood to the heart muscle. Also called coronary occlusion.

Coronary occlusion – An obstruction of a coronary artery that hinders blood flow to some part of the heart muscle. A cause of heart attack. 

 One very common type of chest pain is called angina, or angina pectoris. It's a recurring discomfort that usually lasts only a few minutes. Angina occurs when your heart muscle doesn't get the blood supply and oxygen that it needs. The difference between angina and a heart attack is that angina attacks don't permanently damage the heart muscle. Often angina occurs during exercise or emotional stress when your heart rate and blood pressure increase and your heart muscle needs more oxygen. * this is just one of different kinds of chest pain that one might have, not to go out and say when you are having one when it's really a broken heart that appears to feel as a heart attack in its self

 The heart muscle begins to heal soon after a heart attack and usually takes about eight weeks. Scar tissue may form in the damaged area, and that scar tissue does not contract or pump as well as healthy muscle tissue. That means that extent of damage to the heart muscle can impact how well the heart pumps blood throughout the body. The degree of loss of function depends on the size and location of the scar tissue. Most heart attack survivors have some degree of coronary artery disease (CAD) and will have to make important lifestyle changes and possibly take medication to prevent a future heart attack and lead a full, productive life. *Recovery is a likely out come, but don't shy away from the health warring your body just handed you

  This is just information that I needed to know about for my health. I am not a Doctor so please don't take me as knowing everything about it. I write and learn at the same time and I like it that way. I write from knowing first hand and seeing others do. I read a lot, but it has to be something that I feel the need to know moment or else I will leave it to gather dust. I truly hope this helps someone, when I write or post it's like I'm able to speak my mind and I get no judgemental 'you shouldn't think that way'.

Is my heart permanently damaged?

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. Damage to the heart muscle from a heart attack heals by forming scar tissue. It usually takes several weeks for your heart muscle to heal. The length of time depends on the extent of your injury and your own rate of healing. The heart is a very tough organ. Even though a part of it may have been severely injured, the rest keeps working. But because your heart has been damaged, it may be weaker and can't pump as much blood as usual. However, with proper treatment after a heart attack and lifestyle changes, further damage can be limited or prevented.

Why didn't I have any warning?

The process of Atherosclerosis has no symptoms. One reason there may be no warning signs is that sometimes when a coronary artery becomes narrowed, other nearby vessels that also bring blood to the heart sometimes expand to help compensate. The network of expanded vessels is called collateral circulation and helps protect some people from heart attacks by getting needed blood to the heart. Collateral circulation can also develop after a heart attack to help the heart muscle recover.

Stress
Individual response to stress may be a contributing factor. Some scientists have noted a relationship between coronary heart disease risk and stress in a person's life, their health behaviors and socioeconomic status. These factors may affect established risk factors. For example, people under stress may overeat, start smoking or smoke more than they otherwise would.

Alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, increase risk of cardiomyopathy and stroke, cancer and other diseases. It can contribute to high triglycerides, and produce irregular heartbeats. Excessive alcohol consumption contributes to obesity, alcoholism, suicide and accidents. However, there is a cardioprotective effect of moderate alcohol consumption. If you drink, limit your alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day for men and no more than one drink per day for women. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines one drink as 1-1/2 fluid ounces (fl oz) of 80-proof spirits (such as bourbon, Scotch, vodka, gin, etc.), 5 fl oz of wine or 12 fl oz of regular beer. It's not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or that drinkers increase the amount they drink.

Diet and Nutrition
A healthy diet is one of the best weapons you have to fight cardiovascular disease. The food you eat (and the amount) can affect other controllable risk factors: cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes and overweight. Choose nutrient-rich foods — which have vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients but are lower in calories — over nutrient-poor foods. Choose a diet that emphasizes intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains; includes low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish, legumes, nontropical vegetable oils, and nuts; and limits intake of sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, and red meats. And to maintain a healthy weight, coordinate your diet with your physical activity level so you're using up as many calories as you take in.

*You Are What You Eat/ You become healthy from the foods you take in. That's what I want to believe, but I am very healthy on the mark. I even choose to leave the salt out when I can, so take the salad with just lemon and pepper for dressing. I eat sweets but I make my own most of the time and they are what I put into them. I hate cooking with real sugar and different oils. Because of what is can do to the inside of the body and my body reacts as if I hit it with a ton of brinks.

                                 [I fall out of most of the risk factors I found here]

But I had the EKG today and it left me in tears. My doctor started asking about chest pain, when and where also how I get it. She felt my feet, pressing on them. Listening to my heartbeat and asking about my sleeping. If I'm out of breath a lot, and if I get tired often. Parts of my back I haven't been able to fully feel for years and I guess that was another red flag to my Doctor. I'm being sent to a Heart Doctor within this next month. And to be perfectly clear about my feelings here, I'm freaking out. Heart Problems, I've heard this before. I had Weight Loss Surgery in Sept. 09', and ever scene I've had so many tests that it's worrisome. To list everything is a chore that leaves my heart chipping away bit by bit. The EKG wasn't normal at all, the Doctor told me it looks like a Heart Attack. I wanted to look it up because How, Couldn't I have known?

Symptoms of heart attack

If you are concerned that you may be experiencing a heart attack, call 9-1-1. Minutes matter! Learn the warning signs to familiarize yourself in case of an emergency.

Symptoms of heart disease which may lead to a heart attack

You may be experiencing cardiovascular problems if you notice that ordinary physical activity causes you to experience the following symptoms:

• Undue fatigue
• Palpitations --- the sensation that your heart is skipping a beat or beating too rapidly
• Dyspnea --- difficult or labored breathing
• Chest pain --- chest pain or discomfort from increased activity
  • Angina pectoris also called stable angina or chronic stable angina
  • Unstable angina

A healthcare provider can diagnose a heart attack based on several assessment findings. These include:

• the patient's complete medical history.
• a physical examination.
• an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) to discover any abnormalities caused by damage to the heart. An ECG is a medical device that makes a graphical record of the heart's electrical activity.
• blood testing to detect abnormal levels of certain enzymes in the bloodstream.

Blood tests confirm (or refute) suspicions raised in the early stages of evaluation that may occur in an emergency room, intensive care unit or urgent care setting. These tests are sometimes called heart damage markers or cardiac enzymes.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/

                                            Heart Attack

I was at the ER just last month and had a EKG done that showed nothing wrong. But now they tell me different it's a back in-forth game I wish not to play. Really can someone just out of the blue have a Heart Attack and be unaware. The answer is sadly but YES, it happens and it's not good. To have something meager happen and your body gives you no warring signs. Can leave you with more issues to follow. But not always, I'm just going off what I've read and seen.  

Heart Attack Signs in Women

1. Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
2. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
4. Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
5. As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

If you have any of these signs, call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.