What Happens During a Heart Attack?
The heart is the primary muscle the cardiovascular system. Its job is to pump blood throughout the entire body. This blood supply is carried by the coronary arteries, delivering oxygen and nutrients the body needs to function properly. Red blood cells or RBC's carry oxygen while White blood cells or WBC's fight off infections.
If someone is healthy, their artery walls are smooth and uniform in thickness. However, as the body ages, high levels of cholesterol can circulate resulting in the buildup of plaque deposits or fatty deposits on the interior of the artery walls.
This plaque buildup begins to accumulate and eventually hardens, narrowing the artery and causing it to be less flexible than it once was. This condition is known as atherosclerosis and is the main cause of CAD or Coronary Artery Disease.
Due to the hardened plaque, blood flow can be blocked to the heart, resulting in a heart attack. If the blockage to the coronary artery is more than 90%, the risk for experiencing a heart attack is greater. Furthermore, if the coronary artery is completely blocked by plaque, a heart attack is eminent.
The development of a blood clot can also increase the risk for a heart attack. It is common for a crack to develop at the site of the plaque buildup. Blood can coagulate, or clump, at the site of the crack forming a blood clot. This blood clot, or thrombus, can grow to totally block blood flow and cause a myocardial infarction.
The damage the heart will endure during a heart attack event is based largely on the location of the blockage as well as how long it takes to receive proper medical treatment. The longer the wait for assistance, the more extensive the damage to the heart. Luckily, atherosclerosis can be prevented and this in turn lowers the risk for a heart attack.
It is important to slow the progression of the disease process. This can be accomplished by medications, and reducing your risk factors. You can reduce risk factors by losing excess weight, starting a low fat " low cholesterol " low saturated fat diet, quitting smoking, control of diabetes and hypertension if present, and regular exercise.
Shorter hospital stays and declining medical insurance along with sky rocketing medical costs don't make it easy to educate ourselves about the risk factors and methods of prevention for heart disease. However, we must take charge and learn these tools. They will benefit everyone. - 17269
If someone is healthy, their artery walls are smooth and uniform in thickness. However, as the body ages, high levels of cholesterol can circulate resulting in the buildup of plaque deposits or fatty deposits on the interior of the artery walls.
This plaque buildup begins to accumulate and eventually hardens, narrowing the artery and causing it to be less flexible than it once was. This condition is known as atherosclerosis and is the main cause of CAD or Coronary Artery Disease.
Due to the hardened plaque, blood flow can be blocked to the heart, resulting in a heart attack. If the blockage to the coronary artery is more than 90%, the risk for experiencing a heart attack is greater. Furthermore, if the coronary artery is completely blocked by plaque, a heart attack is eminent.
The development of a blood clot can also increase the risk for a heart attack. It is common for a crack to develop at the site of the plaque buildup. Blood can coagulate, or clump, at the site of the crack forming a blood clot. This blood clot, or thrombus, can grow to totally block blood flow and cause a myocardial infarction.
The damage the heart will endure during a heart attack event is based largely on the location of the blockage as well as how long it takes to receive proper medical treatment. The longer the wait for assistance, the more extensive the damage to the heart. Luckily, atherosclerosis can be prevented and this in turn lowers the risk for a heart attack.
It is important to slow the progression of the disease process. This can be accomplished by medications, and reducing your risk factors. You can reduce risk factors by losing excess weight, starting a low fat " low cholesterol " low saturated fat diet, quitting smoking, control of diabetes and hypertension if present, and regular exercise.
Shorter hospital stays and declining medical insurance along with sky rocketing medical costs don't make it easy to educate ourselves about the risk factors and methods of prevention for heart disease. However, we must take charge and learn these tools. They will benefit everyone. - 17269
About the Author:
Barb Hicks is a licensed registered nurse who loves to share her knowledge about Women Heart Disease. She has an online classroom at Clivir.com where you can find more of her articles about Heart Disease Atherosclerosis Symptoms.
posted by X - Men at
7:49 AM
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