Heart Muscle Injury
Heart muscle injury occurs when the heart is deprived of oxygen. The human heart is quite complex and functions as pump. It derives blood from small blood vessels known as coronary arteries. These 1-2 mm blood vessels provide oxygen. However, when the blood supply is interrupted this can lead to chest pain and damage the heart. When blood supply to the heart is stopped for longer than a few minutes, it is called a heart attack. Medically speaking, a heart attack is called a myocardial infarction. This medical disorder was frequently fatal 20 years ago, but thanks to better awareness of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, most people can survive by rapidly going to emergency rooms.
When heart muscle injury occurs, the classic symptoms include:
A crushing or a squeezing sensation in the left chest wall
The pain may radiate to the jaws or left arm
Shortness of breath
Sweating
Dizziness or lightheadness
Fainting
Nausea and vomiting
Cool clammy skin
Fatigue
Not all patients who have heart injury from a heart attack have the same symptoms. In fact a number of episodes are completely painless. The earliest warning that heart muscle injury is occurring is recurrent chest pain that occurs during some type of activity or exertion. If one is having above symptoms, then the first thing to do is call 911 and get to the nearest emergency center. If you have been prescribed nitroglycerin than you should take the pill as prescribed.
The chief cause of heart attack is atherosclerosis. The fat build up in the coronary vessels eventually causes them to narrow down and the heart does not receive oxygen. In rare cases muscle injury may occur when one of the coronary arteries goes into spasms. Once a heart attack starts, each minute is critical as heart muscle starts to die. The name of the game is to restore blood flow to the heart as soon as possible.
Heart muscle injury from heart attacks is more like to occur in:
Men who are over 45 and women greater than 55
Those who smoke tobacco
Diabetic individuals
Individuals with uncontrolled high blood pressure
Individuals with high blood cholesterol
Inactive individuals
Obesity
Emotional stress
Illicit drug use like cocaine
Once a heart attack starts, it can lead to a variety of complications including:
Abnormal heart rhythms
Heart failure
Rupture of the heart
Leaky valves
The diagnosis of heart attack is routine in most hospitals. Blood work, ECG and chest x ray are often the standard investigations. In every single case, the aim is to treat or prevent further heart muscle damage. The currently used medications to arrest heart muscle injury include use of aspirin, potent blood thinners, pain relievers, drugs to decrease blood pressure and dissolve blood clots. When the heart attack has subsided the individual may undergo a coronary angioplasty which can balloon or open up the narrowed coronary arteries. For those with severe coronary artery disease, open heart surgery may be the next option. In most cases heart muscle injury from atherosclerosis can be prevented by adopting changes in life style.