Myocardial Infarction : Causes, Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment
Myocardial Infarction (MI) also known more commonly as a heart attack can be defined as condition in which, there is death or necrosis of myocardial cells. Myocardial Infarction occurs when blood flow to the heart becomes blocked by some obstruction in a blood vessel. A heart relies on a continuous stream of blood to provide it with the oxygen that it needs to function. When a heart does not receive the necessary blood flow, heart cells may die or become permanently damaged. This can place greater strain on the heart and cause it to function inadequately or even stop altogether, which can be deadly if not treated immediately.
Most of the cases of myocardial infarction are caused due to a commotion in the vascular endothelium that is linked with unstable atherosclerotic plaques those stimulate the formation of an intracoronary thrombus that ultimately ends up in coronary artery blood flow block. If such blockage persists for longer duration (approximately 20 to 40 min) there will be irreversible myocardial cell damage and cell death. The development of atherosclerotic plaques occurs over a period of years and even to the decades. However, the reason for initial vascular lesion that leads to the development of atherosclerotic plaques is still illusive.
There is a wide range of risk factors that can increase a person's chance of having a myocardial infarction. Some of these are genetic predispositions, while others are based on a person's habit and diet. Common risk factors include:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Smoking
- High cholesterol
The warning signs of a myocardial infarction differ from individual to individual and between women and men. If you experience any of the following symptoms for more than a minute or two, call for emergency medical assistance (9-1-1) immediately:
- Chest pain
- Discomfort or pain in the limbs, back, neck, or jaw
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea or vomiting
- Lightheadedness
The main issue with a heart attack is there isn't a completely guaranteed to work treatment. After the damage to the heart has been done it's more about reducing the chance of any further problems.
It's one of those cases where preventing is the best possible treatment you can get. And the prevention process isn't hard: it's simply a case of the best treatment being preventing it from happening in the first place.
The heart is a very valuable organ, so it makes sense for us to take really good care of it. And in order to do so, we just really need to change some very simple things. Get a better, healthier diet and exercise more often. These two factors alone will help your heart get in a much better condition and be able to improve you life expectancy for many years. Heart attacks are the number one cause of death in the US, and you don't want to be a part of those statistics.
If you subscribe on the form above, you'll be able to check some foods you can introduce in your diet that will certainly make a difference in the health of your heart. Now that we've cleared up on what is a myocardial infarction, it's up to you to make the change.
