You can survive a heart attack
The majority of heart attacks can be avoided by understanding and managing the risk factors for coronary artery disease.
It is possible to survive a heart attack and regain good health by getting the right treatment as fast as you can.
Medical organisations across the globe are using World Heart Day on 29 September to raise awareness and highlight the seriousness of heart disease for all sections of the population, by assisting people to take their heart health into their own hands.
Dr Shanil Naidoo, Medical Director of Boehringer Ingelheim South Africa, a top international pharmaceutical company, said they want every South African to understand the link between lifestyle and cardiovascular disease.
“Healthy lifestyle choices significantly decrease the risk of heart attacks and strokes and have the further benefit of improving an individual’s quality of life,” said Dr Naidoo.
A heart attack occurs when an artery that carries oxygen to the heart becomes blocked, usually by a blood clot. The likelihood of such a blockage increases when the arteries are narrowed by fatty cholesterol deposits or plaques. This condition is referred to as coronary artery disease.
There are numerous factors that increase the risk of developing coronary artery disease and suffering a heart attack:
• Behavioural risks that have a connection to heart disease include smoking, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and obesity
• A family history of heart disease and advancing age are also considered as risk factors
• Medical risks that are associated with heart disease include diabetes; hypertension (high blood pressure) and high cholesterol
Giving up smoking, modifying our diets and increasing physical activity – where necessary – are all within our power as individuals. It is critical to manage diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol under the supervision of a medical professional, with appropriate medication where necessary.
“Many South Africans have uncontrolled or undiagnosed hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol. These individuals are placing themselves at an even higher risk of having heart attacks or strokes,” said Dr Naidoo.
While we cannot change our genetics or age, it is important to understand that we need to be disciplined about lifestyle choices which include regular medical check-ups.
Speed of reaction is absolutely critical to surviving a heart attack and regaining good health. In some cases, a heart attack causes virtually instantaneous death. However, in many cases survival and recovery are perfectly possible.
What does having a heart attack feel like?
• There is heavy pressure, tightness, unusual discomfort or crushing pain in the centre of the chest.
• This may last more than 15 minutes and could stop or weaken and then return.
• The pulse could be weak
• This may be accompanied by sweating, nausea, faintness or shortness of breath
Important things to note:
• A heart attack can be silent and produce no signs or symptoms
• A sharp stabbing pain in the left side of the chest is usually not heart pain
• Women may have different symptoms to men, with more pronounced nausea, dizziness and anxiety
What to do if you experience or witness a heart attack:
• If unexplained chest pain lasts for more than a few minutes, do not delay, do not try and figure out the cause, call an ambulance and state that you are dealing with a suspected heart attack
• If the ambulance is delayed, access private transport to get to the emergency department of the nearest hospital. On arrival, advise the staff this is a suspected heart attack
• If you have been trained and you are near a person who loses consciousness due to these symptoms, perform chest compressions at a rate of about 100 per minute
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