Heart Attack : Signs and Symptoms, Risk factors

Kavita Bhandari. A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, happens when a part of the heart muscle doesn’t get enough blood.

The more time that passes without treatment to restore blood flow, the greater the damage to the heart muscle.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the main cause of heart attack. A less common cause is a severe spasm, or sudden contraction, of a coronary artery that can stop blood flow to the heart muscle.

Signs and Symptoms

Risk factors

Several health conditions, your lifestyle, and your age and family history can increase your risk for heart disease and a heart attack. These are called risk factors. In addition, about half of all Americans have at least one of these three key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking.

Some risk factors, such as age or family history, cannot be controlled. However, you can take steps to lower your risk by changing the factors you can control.

There are a few basic lifestyle changes that can drastically reduce the likelihood of having a heart attack, and these are:

• Keeping up a regular exercise schedule such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming
• Keeping up to a heart-healthy diet such as green and fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grain cereals, fish, nuts, beans, lentils, and olive oil
• Avoiding red meat, processed food, and drinks with added sugar
• Quitting unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking, and drinking
• Having ample rest particularly sleeping 7-9 hours a day
• Reducing stress levels of any kind
• Taking medications of blood pressure and cholesterol regularly
• Getting regular checkups done for your heart and blood