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Heart attack - How is the diagnoses of heart attack ?

Heart attack can be  diagnosed by Doctor  based on the signs and symptoms, family histories, and test results.

Diagnostic Tests EKG (Electrocardiogram) An EKG is  painless test that detects and records the heart's electrical activity. The method of test is detect  how fast the heart  beating and its rhythm (steady or irregular). An EKG also records the strength and timing of electrical signals as they pass through each part of the heart. An EKG can show signs of heart damage due to coronary heart disease (CHD) and signs of a previous or current heart attack.

Blood Tests During a heart attack, heart muscle cells die and release proteins into the bloodstream. Blood tests can measure the amount of these proteins in the bloodstream. Higher than normal levels of these proteins suggest a heart attack.

Commonly used blood tests include troponin tests, CK or CK–MB tests, and serum myoglobin tests. Blood tests often are repeated to check for changes over time.

Coronary Angiography

Coronary angiography  is a test that uses dye and special x rays to show the insides of your coronary arteries. This test often is done during a heart attack to help find blockages in the coronary arteries. To get the dye into your coronary arteries, Doctor will use a procedure called cardiac catheterization . A thin, flexible tube called a catheter is put into a blood vessel in your arm, groin (upper thigh), or neck. The tube is threaded into your coronary arteries, and the dye is released into  bloodstream. Special x rays are taken while the dye is flowing through the coronary arteries. By The dye,  doctor will study the flow of blood through the heart and blood vessels. If  the result, found the flow got  blockage,patient  may recommend a procedure called angioplasty . This procedure can help restore blood flow through a blocked artery. Sometimes a small mesh tube called a stent is placed in the artery to help prevent blockages after the procedure.

Heart attack - How is the treatment of heart attack ?

How Is a Heart Attack Treated?
Start for earlier treatment of a heart attack can prevent or limit damage to the heart muscle. Take a fast action, at the first symptoms of a heart attack, can save our life. Medical personnel can begin diagnosis and treatment even before  get to the hospital.
Certain treatments usually are started right away if a heart attack is suspected, even before the diagnosis is confirmed. These include:

• Oxygen therapy 
• Aspirin to thin your blood and prevent further blood clotting
• Nitroglycerin to reduce your heart's workload and improve blood flow through the coronary arteries 
• Treatment for chest pain 

After the diagnosis of a heart attack is confirmed or strongly suspected, doctors will start  treatments and  try to promptly restore blood flow to the heart. The two main treatments are "clot-busting" medicines and angioplasty, a procedure used to open blocked coronary arteries. Clot-Busting Medicines

Thrombolytic medicines, also called "clot busters," are used to dissolve blood clots that are blocking the coronary arteries. In order to work best, these medicines must be given within several hours of the start of heart attack symptoms. Ideally, the medicine should be given as soon as possible.

Angioplasty Angioplasty is a nonsurgical procedure that opens blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. This procedure also is called percutaneous  coronary intervention (  PCI )

A thin, flexible tube with a balloon or other device on the end is threaded through a blood vessel to the narrowed or blocked coronary artery. Once in place, the balloon is inflated to compress the plaque against the wall of the artery. This restores blood flow through the artery. During the procedure, the doctor may put a small mesh tube called a stent in the artery. The stent helps prevent blockages in the artery in the months or years after angioplasty.

Other Treatments for Heart Attack Medicines

• Beta blockers. Beta blockers decrease  heart's workload. These medicines also are used to relieve chest pain and discomfort and to help prevent repeat heart attacks. Beta blockers also are used to treat arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats).
• ACE inhibitors. ACE inhibitors lower blood pressure and reduce strain on your heart. They also help slow down further weakening of the heart muscle. 
• Anticoagulants. Anticoagulants, or "blood thinners," prevent blood clots from forming in your arteries. These medicines also keep existing clots from getting larger. 
• Anticlotting medicines. Anticlotting medicines stop platelets from clumping together and forming unwanted blood clots. Examples of anticlotting medicines include aspirin and clopidogrel.

Patient  may be given medicines to relieve pain and anxiety, treat arrhythmias (which often occur during a heart attack), or lower your cholesterol (these medicines are called statins). Medical Procedures Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) also may be used to treat a heart attack. During CABG, a surgeon removes a healthy artery or vein from your body. The artery or vein is then connected, or grafted, to the blocked coronary artery. The grafted artery or vein bypasses (that is, goes around) the blocked portion of the coronary artery. This provides a new route for blood to flow to the heart muscle. When patient  leave the hospital, treatment doesn't stop. At home, the treatment may include daily medicines and cardiac rehabilitation (rehab).
Doctor may give some advise include :

• Having a flu shot and pneumococcal vaccine each year.
• Recommend lifestyle changes, including following a heart healthy diet, being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and quitting smoking. Taking these steps can lower your chances of having another heart attack. 
• Cardiac Rehabilitation. Doctor may recommend cardiac rehab to help you recover from a heart attack and to help prevent another heart attack. Almost everyone who has had a heart attack can benefit from rehab. Cardiac rehab is a medically supervised program that may help improve the health and well-being of people who have heart problems. The cardiac rehab team may include doctors, nurses, exercise specialists, physical and occupational therapists, dietitians or nutritionists, and psychologists or other mental health specialists.

Rehab has two parts:

• Exercise training. This part helps to learn how to exercise safely, strengthen your muscles, and improve the stamina. This exercise plan will be based on the personal abilities, needs, and interests. 
• Education, counseling, and training. This part of rehab helps to understand the heart condition and find ways to reduce the risk of future heart problems. The rehab team will help to learn how to cope with the stress of adjusting to a new lifestyle and deal with the fears of the future.

Heart attack - Who and what is at risk of heart attack ?

Who Is at Risk for a Heart Attack?
 The major risk factors for a heart attack that  can control include:

• Smoking 
• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Overweight and obesity
• An unhealthy diet (for example, a diet high in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium) 
• Lack of routine physical activity
• High blood sugar due to insulin resistanceexternal link icon or diabetesexternal link icon

Some of these risk factors, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar tend to occur together. When they do, it's called metabolic syndrome. In general, a person who has metabolic syndrome is twice as likely to develop heart disease and five times as likely to develop diabetes as someone who doesn't have metabolic syndrome.
The Risk Factors that  Can't Control control include:

1. Age. The risk of heart disease increases for men after age 45 and for women after age 55 (or after menopause). 
2. Family history of early heart disease. Your risk increases if your father or a brother was diagnosed with heart disease before 55 years of age, or if your mother or a sister was diagnosed with heart disease before 65 years of age. 
3. Preeclampsia external link icon .This condition can develop during pregnancy. The two main signs of preclampsia are a rise in blood pressure and excess protein in the urine. Preeclampsia is linked to an increased lifetime risk of heart disease, including CHD, heart attack, heart failure, and high blood pressure.

Heart attack - How can a heart attack be prevented

How Can a Heart Attack Be Prevented?
The way to reduce the risk factors of  coronary heart disease (CHD) can help  prevent a heart attack. By knowing about risk factors, we can  take steps to lower the risk of a heart attack. These steps involve following a heart healthy lifestyle and getting ongoing care. Heart Healthy Lifestyle Following a healthy diet is an important part of a heart healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It also includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, and fat-free or low-fat milk or milk products. A healthy diet is low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium (salt), and added sugars.  If you're overweight or obese, work with your doctor to create a reasonable weight-loss plan that involves diet and physical activity. Controlling your weight helps you control risk factors for CHD and heart attack. Be as physically active as you can. Physical activity can improve your fitness level and your health. It is better to consult with doctor about what types of activity are safe .

Smoking can raise your risk of CHD and heart attack. Talk with your doctor about programs and products that can help you quit. Also, try to avoid secondhand smoke.  Ongoing Care Treat Related Conditions Treating conditions that make a heart attack more likely also can help lower your risk for a heart attack. The important advise :

• High blood cholesterol. Doctor may prescribe medicine to lower your cholesterol if diet and exercise aren't enough. 
• High blood pressure. Doctor may prescribe medicine to keep your blood pressure under control. 
• Diabetes. Control your blood sugar level through diet and physical activity (as your doctor recommends). If needed, take medicine as prescribed. Have an Emergency Action Plan Make sure that you have an emergency action plan in case you or someone in your family has a heart attack. This is very important if you're at high risk for a heart attack or have already had a heart attack. Talk with your doctor about the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.

Heart Attack - Causes of heart attack

What is The Causes of  Heart Attack?  ( Coronary Heart Disease ) .
A heart attack is caused of  the flow of oxygen together with  blood to a section of heart muscle becomes blocked. Most heart attacks occur as a result of coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD is a condition in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside of the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart. When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis. The build up of plaque occurs over many years. Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture (break open) inside of an artery. This causes a blood clot to form on the plaque's surface. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block blood flow through a coronary artery. If the blockage isn't treated quickly, the portion of heart muscle fed by the artery begins to die. Healthy heart tissue is replaced with scar tissue. This heart damage may not be obvious, or it may cause severe or long-lasting problems.
Coronary Artery Spasm A less common cause of heart attack is a severe spasm (tightening) of a coronary artery. The spasm cuts off blood flow through the artery. Spasms can occur in coronary arteries that aren't affected by atherosclerosis.
What causes a coronary artery to spasm isn't  clear, but A spasm may be connected with:

•  Using certain drugs, for example : cocaine 
•  Emotional stress or pain 
•  Exposure to extreme cold 
•  Smoke behavior.

Heart Attack - What is heart attack

What Is a Heart Attack?

A heart attack occurs When the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a section of heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked. If blood flow isn't restored quickly, the section of heart muscle begins to die. A lof people in the world die caused of heart attack. The good news is that excellent treatments are available for heart attacks. These treatments can save lives and prevent disabilities. Heart attack treatment works best when it's given right after symptoms occur. Heart attacks most often occur as a result of coronary heart disease (CHD), also called coronary artery disease. CHD is a condition in which a waxy substance called plaque (plak) builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart. When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis ( read : ath-er-o-skler-O-sis). The buildup of plaque occurs over many years. Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture (break open) inside of an artery. This causes a blood clot to form on the plaque's surface. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block blood flow through a coronary artery. If the blockage isn't treated quickly, the portion of heart muscle fed by the artery begins to die. Healthy heart tissue is replaced with scar tissue. This heart damage may not be obvious, or it may cause severe or long-lasting problems. 

Heart With Muscle Damage and a Blocked Artery Figure A shows a heart with dead heart muscle caused by a heart attack. Figure B is a cross-section of a coronary artery with plaque buildup and a blood clot. Figure A shows a heart with dead heart muscle caused by a heart attack. Figure B is a cross-section of a coronary artery with plaque buildup and a blood clot. A less common cause of heart attack is a severe spasm (tightening) of a coronary artery. The spasm cuts off blood flow through the artery. Spasms can occur in coronary arteries that aren't affected by atherosclerosis. Heart attacks can be associated with or lead to severe health problems, such as heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias (ah-RITH-me-ahs). Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Arrhythmias are irregular heartbeats. Ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening arrhythmia that can cause death if not treated right away. Get Help Quickly Acting fast at the first sign of heart attack symptoms can save your life and limit damage to your heart.

Treatment works best when it's given right after symptoms occur.
Heart attack symptoms include:

• Chest pain or discomfort. This involves uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center or left side of the chest that can be mild or strong. This discomfort or pain often lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
• Upper body discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or upper part of the stomach. * Shortness of breath, which may occur with or before chest discomfort. 
• Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach), vomiting, light-headedness or sudden dizziness, or breaking out in a cold sweat. 

Symptoms also may include sleep problems, fatigue (tiredness), and lack of energy.having a heart attack, call Quick treatment can save our  life.