When to see a cardiologist?
If you notice a pattern of heart disease, chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations or dizziness including high cholesterol and high blood pressure, take action and get checked by a cardiologist.
How can you prevent blood pressure?
Lead an active lifestyle, Exercise regularly, Keep yourself at a healthy weight and avoid drinking alcohol and smoking.
What is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is a common condition that affects the body's arteries. It is also called hypertension. Normal pressure is 120/80 or lower.
How bad is alcohol for the heart?
Excessive alcohol intake can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure or stroke. Excessive drinking can also contribute to a disorder that affects the heart muscle.
Alcohol can contribute to obesity and the long list of health problems that can go along with it.
What is Angioplasty?
Procedure to improve blood flow in blood vessels that have become narrow or blocked.
What are the common causes of heart disease?
High-risk factors are: Smoking Having high blood pressure Physical Inactivity High cholesterol High levels of lipoprotein Diabetes Excessive use of alcohol or caffeine Heart problem present at birth.
What are the symptoms of a heart attack?
Chest pain : This symptom can be mild and feel like discomfort or heaviness Pain on left arm and shoulder, neck, jaw, back or down toward your waist Shortness of breath or trouble breathing Nausea or stomach discomfort Anxiety Sweating Feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or passing out.
What is heart attack?
A heart attack occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the heart. It is also called Myocardial Infarction (MI) and is a medical emergency treated without delay.
Are there different types of heart attacks? If so, what are they?
Based on the variation in the ECG during a heart attack, doctors recognize two types of heart attacks.
ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI)
Non-ST-elevation Myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).
STEMI and NSTEMI differ not only in the variation in the ECG but also in their severity. In general, STEMI is more likely to be immediately fatal or disabling than NSTEMI. Consequently, STEMI requires more urgent treatment than NSTEMI in most instances.
However, this is just a thumb rule: Some NSTEMIs can be equally ominous and may require emergency treatment just like STEMI.
What should I do if I have symptoms suspicious of a heart attack?
First, seek help. Make any person in proximity aware of your situation. The most important step to ensure a safe outcome in a heart attack is to see that you reach a hospital with appropriate facilities as soon as possible. It is a good practice to be aware of the hospitals around you and the facilities they provide.
When someone has chest pain or other symptoms suggestive of a heart attack, the immediate first aid should be to take 350 mg of the soluble form of Aspirin (common trade names Disprin or Aspisol in India). Ideally, the tablet should be chewed because the medicine is absorbed from the mucosal membrane of the oral cavity and starts to act immediately. If the patient cannot chew the tablet for some reason, the tablet can be dispersed in a small quantity of water and taken orally.
If I see someone who is having a heart attack, what can I do to ensure he survives till help arrives?
Call the nearest hospital with cardiac facilities as soon as you recognise that someone around you might be having an ongoing attack. Shift the person to a comfortable position and reassure them. If possible, give them an Aspirin tablet to chew. While waiting for help to arrive, monitor their breathing and pulse. If they lose consciousness, initiate Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
