Acute myocardial infarction is a syndrome that occurs due to obstruction or blockage of the flow of blood that feeds the heart. Generally, these blockages occur in one of the arteries that transport blood to the heart due to the appearance of a blood clot, the accumulation of fat or other substances.
He acute myocardial infarction It is also known as a heart attack or heart attack. In order to save the patient's life, a heart attack requires emergency medical attention, ideally within 4 hours of the event, although there are interventions that must be performed within 90 minutes after arriving at the hospital. Heart attack can occur in different organs, not only in the heart.
Symptoms of a heart attack
The symptoms of a heart attack vary from person to person. There are some people who may experience more severe symptoms than others and, in some cases, not even have any symptoms.
Remember that the heart attack represents a medical emergency and requires immediate attention, so if you have any of the following symptoms you must contact 911:
- Chest pain or chest pain in the form of pressure or squeezing sensation.
- Cold sweating
- Pain that radiates to the arm, neck, shoulder, jaw, back, teeth, or upper abdomen.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
- Feeling of fatigue.
- Fainting.
- Sudden dizziness.
- Rapid heart rate.
“Leading a life with emotional balance is the most important thing to prevent the symptoms of a heart attack, since stress leads to a series of hormonal reactions and effects triggered by neurotransmitters that favor a low-level systemic inflammatory state with alterations in biomechanics. arterial, endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffness, angiogenesis, cardiac hemodynamic overload and with it progression of the pathology and possibility of new cardiovascular events.” Dr. Ramón Jiménez Sibira - Cardiologist
Causes and risk factors of a heart attack
Heart attack generally occurs due to blockages in any of the (coronary) arteries that supply blood to the heart, although there may be other arteries. Causes such as certain infections and structural damage to some arteries. Through an electrocardiogram, the doctor can identify the type of heart attack suffered according to its cause:
- Infarction due to partial obstruction.
- Infarction due to acute complete obstruction.
“The causes and risk factors for suffering a heart attack are genetic, family history of death due to cardiovascular causes that occurred in men under 55 years of age or in women under 65, familial hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Other causes are environmental such as smoking, sedentary lifestyle, drug use, alcoholism, inadequate diets, etc.” Dr. Ramón Jiménez Sibira - Cardiologist
Despite being one of the main causes of death among men and women, there are some factors that increase the chances of suffering an acute myocardial attack such as:
- Smoking: Smokers or people constantly exposed to cigarette smoke are at greater risk.
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Age: Women over 55 years of age and men over 45 years of age are at greater risk of having a heart attack.
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Obesity: the obesity It is a disease associated with hypertension and different coronary problems.
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Hypertension: the hypertension It can cause some damage to the coronary arteries over time.
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Hypertension: the hypertension It can cause some damage to the coronary arteries over time.
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Family history: having a family member with a history of heart attacks at an early age increases the likelihood of having a heart attack.
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Harmful habits: not eating a healthy diet, not doing physical activity, having constant emotional stress and episodes of anger, along with the consumption of psychoactive substances, are some habits that can increase the risk of suffering a heart attack.
How to prevent a heart attack?
Before the disease comes prevention. There are some things that are in your hands to reduce the risk of suffering an acute myocardial infarction or another type of heart attack. We recommend you:
Learn to regulate your emotions and take care of your mental health:
Emotional stress, intense anger, and extreme anxiety are emotions that increase the chance of having a heart attack. Lack of emotional control can be a precipitating factor for the onset of heart disease. The Psychotherapy, support groups and having someone to listen to you are determining tools in emotional regulation.
Keep other diseases under control:
Diseases like obesity, the hypertension, the Diabetes, metabolic syndrome, addictions, among others, can increase the risk of suffering a heart attack. For this reason, it is crucial that you follow all of your doctor's medical suggestions and seek care if you have not yet started appropriate treatment.
Acquire new healthy habits:
Reduce alcohol intake, do not smoke, maintain a healthy diet and engage in safe physical activity regularly. All of these factors help maintain an optimal overall state of health and avoid the risk of heart attack.
Regularly attend medical consultations:
The best way to prevent acute or chronic diseases is to obtain a timely diagnosis. Requesting regular medical appointments with the doctors of your choice is essential to keep the appearance of any symptoms and/or a heart attack under control.
“The most appropriate thing to prevent a heart attack is to know the family history of heart disease, cardiovascular death in men under 45 years of age and in women under 65. Perform physical activity daily, do not drink soft drinks or drugs, do not smoke or consume alcohol, carry a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, do not consume processed foods. Fight stress, socialize and avoid loneliness. PREVENT FROM CHILDHOOD.” Dr. Ramón Jiménez Sibira - Cardiologist
