Heart Attack

By Author: joe swails
Total Articles: 29
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What is a heart attack?
A heart attack can be an extremely traumatic experience not only for the person having the attack, but also for those around them at the time.

Simply put, a heart attack occurs when the coronary arteries (blood vessels) leading to the heart become blocked. Not enough blood, oxygen and nutrients reach the heart, and the heart ‘panics’ as a result, with part of the heart muscle dieing and a whole range of symptoms occurring throughout this process.

Symptoms
Symptoms of a heart attack include:

Severe chest pain (accompanied by a kind of tightening or crushing feeling that comes on suddenly and stops you in your tracks, or is preceded with symptoms of angina)

A feeling similar to that of acute heartburn

Pain spreading through other parts of the body (the arms, neck, back and jaw)

For some people (particularly the elderly or those with diabetes) there may be no symptoms at all – the attack has occurred without your actual knowledge. If this is the case, the ‘evidence’ of your heart attack is highlighted through an electrocardiograph test (ECG) ...
... after the event – please see Diagnosis section below.

Note: After a heart attack, some people develop depressive illness during their long rehabilitation process, usually due to the incapacitation over this time. (Please see contact details for the Depression Alliance at the Advice & Support section at the foot of this article).

Causes
Causes of heart attacks can include:

smoking

high blood pressure

high blood cholesterol

being diabetic

obesity

poor diet (which is high in saturated fats)

lack of exercise, and

simply as a result of getting older (in the UK, men over 45 and women over 55 are more likely to have a heart attack)
Some people may also have a genetic predisposition to developing a heart disease and then suffering from a heart attack as a result. (This is means that heart disease is already in the family – the susceptibility to having a heart attack is passed down.)

Diagnosis
If someone is seriously at risk of having a heart attack, this is usually diagnosed through:

Blood tests

Monitoring of heart rate

Measuring of blood pressure

A 5-minute electrocardiogram (ECG) – to locate blocked or partially blocked coronary arteries. The ECG also traces the electrical activity of the heart – where tiny electrical signals are produced with each heart beat.

Treatment
Treatments following a heart attack include:

Beta-blockers – these slow down the heart rate, to take the pressure off the heart, so that less is expected of it

Other medications, such as statins and ACE inhibitors – to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels

Angioplasty surgery – where the coronary arteries are opened up to allow for blood to flow to the heart more normally

Heart bypass surgery – where blocked blood vessels to the heart are replaced by healthy ones taken from other areas of the body, again to allow for more normal blood flow.

Important: If you suspect that you (or someone you know) may be having a heart attack, do not wait, ring the emergency services immediately.

How Chemist Online can help
Through this website we have a range of treatments available to buy which can help you to maintain a healthy heart, such as: Kwai Garlic Tablets – effective anti-oxidants with the natural anti-oxidant power of garlic. Kwai Garlic Tablets maintain your cholesterol level and help you to attain a stronger heart and healthy blood circulatory system.

We can also offer you Hofels Neo Garlic One-a-day Pearles – an odourless garlic supplement for general health and well being, and which can help maintain a healthy heart, circulation and cholesterol levels.

Also, insufficient folic acid in your diet can damage the lining of your arteries. We can offer you Healthaid Folic Acid Tablets 400mcg, which aid the utilisation of sugar, amino acids and the division of body cells – helping you to maintain a healthy heart and better circulation.

www.chemistonline.co.uk

Advice & Support
Heart UK
7 North Road
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 1PE
Tel: 0845 450 5988 (Helpline)
Website: www.heartuk.org.uk
E-mail: ask@heartuk.org.uk

British Heart Foundation
14 Fitzhardinge Street
London
W1H 6DH
Tel: 08450 70 80 70 (Helpline)
Website: www.bhf.org.uk
E-mail: internet@bhf.org.uk

Depression Alliance
212 Spitfire Studios, 63–71 Collier Street, London N1 9BE
Tel 0845 123 23 20
Website: www.depressionalliance.org

This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.