Why Does A Heart Attack Occur?

[arghyaghosh01 0]

It has been observed that the most common causes of a heart attack are addiction to drugs, too much stress, very bad eating habits and sleeplessness.Actually what happens is, in the heart, coronary artery gets blocked by things like unsaturated fat , bad cholesterol etc. for this reason blood can not move easily through the artery so it becomes very difficult for the heart to pump blood .So, the point that comes out is that if we can restrict ourselves from the above mentioned causes, then it become easier to restrict a heart attack as well and make our heart healthy forever

[multfilm 0]

However, those are only the most common reasons. There are, of course, other reasons. For example, I might have a genetic predisposition to heart attacks because my grandfather had one. So my heart might be just not as strong, and a lot more sensitive to different outside factors than for other people. Also, there is a natural calcification of the arteries that happens with age.

[nanna 0]

Ive always heard that stress is one of the biggest causes of a heart attack.And another big cause of a heart attack is obesity as the bigger you are the heart has to pump harder to circulate the blood around your body .But lately how many of the fittest of fittest are dropping dead on football fields and sports ground.And why because these people have been born with a heart problem that the never knew about till it was to late.In Belgium they have started testing young new footballers to see if they hearts are healthy before they start playing to try and combat these all of a sudden heart attacks.

[mrdee 1]

It is quite correct that genetic elements may play a part in people having heart attacks.

Also, many people suffer from a heart condition without realising it, some of them lead a perfectly normal life with a heart condition going undetected,

However, there might come a day when some of those apparently perfectly healthy people all of a sudden get an unexpected heart attack.

 

Most heart attacks occur as a result of coronary heart disease, 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. (as was mentioned earlier in this thread).

 

This build up of plaque occurs over many years and is called arteriosclerosis.

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.

 

There is also Coronary Artery Spasm,which is a less common cause of a heart attack, it is a severe spasm or tightening of a coronary artery.

Because of those spasms, the blood flow through the artery is cut off.

 

It is not always clear what causes the spasms, but they might be related to:

Using certain drugs, eg. cocaine.

Emotional stress or pain.

Exposure to extreme cold.

Cigarette smoking.

The blockage in the artery can also cause severe chest pains, and getting out of breath, this concition is called angina pectoris, or angina for short.

 

However, there is never any guarantee that, no matter what a healthy lifestyle someone leads, a heart attack will not occur, also due to the fact I stated in the beginning of this post.

 

An example: lately, a number of football players (for the non-Europeans here, I mean soccer) have died on the pitch as a result of cardiac arrest.

In this case we are talking about people who are not overweight, who (usually) do not smoke and who take regular exercise.

 

That is why plans have been made in some countries to set up screening for young football players.

 

There is obviously a lot that can be done to prevent a heart attack, but there is never any guarantee.

[sharmiladevi 0]

Well this was a question that often used to come into my mind after I lost my father in heart attack. It happened to him because of pulmonary edema.Heart attack occurs due to various reasons. It is also caused because of a disease condition called pulmonary edema, in which there is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the lungs that leads to inflammation. Lungs are located in the mediastinum. The mediastinum is the "middle" section of the chest cavity. The chest cavity contains the left and right lungs, which lie on either side of the heart. This vital organ is made up of air sacs known as alveoli. Lungs perform the important function of taking in oxygen and giving out carbon-dioxide. So when there is pulmonary edema, there will be a swelling in the lungs and as a result of it, the heart which is located in between the two lungs is exerted and hence the condition called congestive heart failure or heart attack. This condition also happens vice versa that is, a person who has CHF often will also develop pulmonary edema, which is associated with restlessness, shortness of breath, anxiety and so on. So for this condition the goal of treatment is to reduce or eliminate the excess fluid from lungs and improve the heart function. This condition can be life-threatening, if not treated properly. So people diagnosed with pulmonary edema must take appropriate medications correctly and on time. For the treatment to be effective, one must maintain a healthy diet, reduce salt intake, avoid smoking and excess alcohol consumption. Proper exercise routine and having a nutritious diet rich in vegetables and vitamins can surely prevent heart disorders.