MACKENZIE SANDERS

A heart attack can occur at any age, due to a blockage that prevents blood flow to the heart depriving it of oxygen. This blockage can be caused from fat buildup or other plaques that find their way into the major arteries of the heart.

It is never too early to start considering how healthy your lifestyle is in regards to heart health. In fact, in the United States a heart attack occurs about every 40 seconds. There are many factors that increase your risk of heart attack. Some unmodifiable risk factors or things that cannot be changed are increasing age, male gender, heredity and race. Modifiable risk factors, or things that you can change are tobacco smoke, high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes, stress and alcohol.

There are many things we can do to decrease the risk of heart attack. One of the most important things is smoking cessation. Another thing is to improve the foods that we consume. It is important to choose foods that contain vitamins and minerals but are low in calories and fat, as being at a healthy weight for your height and age can decrease your chances of heart attack. Decreasing the amount of sugary foods and the amount of red meat we consume can significantly decrease our risk for heart attack as well.

The most common sign of a heart attack is chest discomfort. This pain or discomfort may go and come back, and will last more than a few minutes. Many people describe the discomfort as an “elephant on their chest.” Discomfort is common in other areas, such as pain in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach, as well. Shortness of breath may accompany chest pain, or it can occur without chest pain. Some other signs may include cold sweats, nausea and vomiting and lightheadedness. Women tend to experience a slight difference in symptoms when suffering from a heart attack. Women are more likely to experience jaw pain, back pain and shortness of breath.

If you have any suspicions that you are having a heart attack call 911 immediately. Acting in a fast manner and getting emergency services to you or a loved one can make a huge difference in health following the heart attack or even save your or your loved one’s life. Emergency services staff begin treatment immediately upon arrival and are trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped.

Treatment for a heart attack depends on the type of heart attack you have. There are two types of heart attacks. There is a complete blockage, which is called an STEMI and a partial blockage, which is called an NSTEMI. The treatments for a STEMI and NSTEMI tend to overlap but sometimes they differ. Typically, a clot-dissolving drug is given or cardiac catheterization is performed. A cardiac catheterization is when a doctor threads a tiny catheter through your radial or femoral artery into the heart to determine how severe the heart attack is. If there are only one or two blockages, the doctor may place a stent, which is a little device that holds the artery open to allow blood flow back through the heart. If there are multiple blockages, the doctor may determine that open-heart surgery is required to fix the blockages. This surgery is more intense than the cardiac catheterization and has a longer recovery period.

Following recovery from surgery, the heart will usually recover even if the damage is extensive. The rest of the heart continues to work even if a portion is severely damaged and weak — it just may be unable to pump as adequately as it did before. But with treatment and proper lifestyle changes, the heart will heal in about eight weeks.

With February being America’s heart month, I challenge you to take a peek in your fridge and attempt to cut back on processed foods that are high in salt, red meats, alcohol and junk foods like cookies or ice cream. At dinner, make sure you are tasting your food before adding that sprinkle of salt, because after three meals those “sprinkles of salt” add up to more than your recommended daily amount. As for exercise, make simple changes, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or just adding in 30 minutes of exercise each day. Any of these changes are a step in the right direction and will better the health of your heart, therefore decreasing the risk of heart attack.

Mackenzie Sanders is an East Carolina University student nurse with Community Health Improvement, Vidant Beaufort Hospital. She can be reached at 252-975-8850.