Content

• Steps
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Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death. Coronary artery disease is usually caused by fatty plaques that build up in the coronary arteries, blocking blood circulation and leading to a heart attack. Without a supply of blood and oxygen, the heart will quickly stop beating. This information is given to see how important it is to understand and be alert to the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. You need to respond immediately if you suspect that you or someone else is having a heart attack, because the faster the response, the better your chances of saving the patient's life.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Recognize heart attack symptoms

1. 

   Stop what you're doing if you feel chest pain. Watch closely for symptoms. Patients with a heart attack often describe the pain with a feeling of discomfort, chest tightening and squeezing, burning, pressure or pressure on the center of your chest. Such chest pain is called "angina" (angina).
   • Pain may come and go. Usually the pain begins with a mild intensity, gradually increases and peaks after a few minutes.
   • In the case of a heart attack, the pain will not increase with pressure on the chest or with deep breathing.
   • Usually chest pain occurs due to exertion, exercise or intense activity, even from a meal that is too full as blood is transported to the stomach and intestines. If the symptoms do occur at rest, this is called "unstable angina" and there is a high risk of a fatal heart attack. Women and diabetics are more likely to experience through more atypical angina.

2. 

   
   
   Evaluate if your chest pain resembles a heart attack. There are many causes of chest pain. The most common causes are indigestion, panic attacks, muscle tension, and heart attack.
   • If you have just eaten a full stomach meal or did a heavy chest exercise, the symptoms are probably caused by something other than a heart attack.
   • If you can't find another cause, think about your heart attack and get help as soon as possible.

3. 

   
   
   Watch for other symptoms. Most people who have a heart attack have chest pain with at least one other symptom. During a heart attack, you will often be short of breath, dizzy or have a fast heartbeat, sweat or feel upset in the stomach and vomiting.
   • Common symptoms of a heart attack are a feeling of choking or lumping in the throat, heartburn, indigestion, or a feeling of wanting to swallow a lot.
   • People having a heart attack may sweat and feel cold. They may break out in cold sweat.
   • Heart attack victims often have numbness in one arm, hand, or both sides.
   • Some people experience rapid and irregular heartbeats, palpitations or shortness of breath.
   • Watch for atypical symptoms. While uncommon, some patients may experience a throbbing or dull pain in the center of the chest, although this is uncommon.

4. 

   
   
   Note the symptoms of any related illness. Coronary artery disease (CAD), coronary plaques (coronary plaques) and atheromas are conditions that are more complex than CAD but can all lead to blockages in the arteries that reach the heart. Coronary "plaque", for example, is a layer of cholesterol in the inner lining of arteries that causes small tears, and gradually plaque begins to peel off the artery wall. Blood clots form in tiny tears in the lining of arteries, and the body becomes more inflamed as a response to this condition.
   • Plaque formation is usually gradual, so many patients may experience chest pain or discomfort but go unnoticed. Or they only experience this when they are in a state of exertion.
   • Therefore, the patient may not seek treatment until the plaque is already too large and significantly inhibits blood circulation even at rest, when the heart needs are not high.
   • Or worse, the plaque flakes off and stops blood circulation, causing a heart attack. This can happen at any time, and for many it is the first sign of a heart attack.

5. 

   Consider your risk factors. When assessing symptoms, the most important factor is chest pain, and the second, or equally important, "risk factor" is. There is a wealth of CAD-related facts and evidence to suggest that heart attacks are more common in certain people. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVRF) include: men, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity (BMI over 30), being over 55 years of age, and a family history of cardiovascular disease. .
   • The more risk factors you have, the more likely that your symptoms are due to underlying coronary artery disease. Information about these risk factors will help your doctor evaluate your symptoms, based on how high or low the likelihood that the coronary arteries are causing these symptoms.
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Method 2 of 4: Coping with a heart attack

1. 

   Get ready for first aid before a real heart attack occurs. Identify the hospital closest to your home or work. You should also write emergency numbers and information and post them in the most visible place in the middle of the house so that anyone who comes to your home can see them in case of an emergency.

2. 

   Rapid response. Taking action in a timely manner can prevent serious damage to your heart, possibly even saving your life. The faster you respond to heart attack symptoms, the more likely you are to survive.

3. 

   Call emergency services or get someone to take you to hospital. Do not drive yourself. Seek specialist help as soon as possible. In general, patients should not be left alone, unless for an emergency call.
   • Getting emergency help during the first hour of a heart attack will significantly increase your chances of recovery.
   • Describe the symptoms for the emergency operator. Speak clearly and concisely.

4. 

   Perform a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) procedure after calling an ambulance if needed. When you see someone having a heart attack, you may need a cardiopulmonary procedure. You only need to perform CPR when the victim is unconscious and has no pulse, or the ambulance operator guides you. Continue CPR until an ambulance or ambulance arrives.
   • The operator on the emergency operator can give you detailed instructions on how to do CPR if you don't know it.

5. 

   Help the victim stay awake comfortably. Have casualty sit or lie down, raise head. Loosen clothing so victim can move or breathe more easily. Do not let people with chest pain or heart attacks walk.

6. 

   Take nitroglycerin pills as directed by your doctor. If you have a history of heart attack and have been prescribed nitroglycerin by your doctor, take one pill when heart attack symptoms appear. Your doctor will advise when you should take the medicine.

7. 

   Chew on a regular aspirin while you wait for emergency care. Aspirin will help make platelets less sticky, reduce the ability to form blood clots and help the blood in the arteries to circulate better. Do not give any other medication to the patient if aspirin is not available. There are no over-the-counter pain relievers that have the same effect.
   • Chew will help it absorb into the blood faster than swallowing. Speed ​​is essential in managing a heart attack.
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Method 3 of 4: Specialized treatment

1. 

   Tell full details about the incident. When you visit a hospital or clinic, the first thing you should do is be thoroughly asked about your symptom history, paying particular attention to the timing, characteristics of the pain, and associated symptoms. You may also need to provide details of your risk factors (CVRF).

2. 

   Get comprehensive treatments. You will have a nurse with a heart monitor to continuously monitor your heart. An electrocardiogram (EKG) will monitor your heart's changes in case you don't get enough blood.
   • You will have tests, including tests for "cardiac enzymes" secreted by the heart when damaged; These enzymes are called Troponin and CPK-MB.
   • You may have a chest x-ray to find if the heart is enlarged or has fluid in the lungs due to heart failure. Cardiac enzymes will be drawn three times, each 8 hours apart for the most accurate results.

3. 

   Get emergency treatment. You will be diagnosed if any of the tests are abnormal. If your electrocardiogram shows any elevation, you will be advised by a cardiologist about an emergent cardiac catheterization procedure called an angioplasty to help with recovery. blood circulation in the heart.
   • With cardiac catheterization, a catheter with a dye pump is inserted through the femoral artery leading to the heart to take pictures of the coronary arteries and look for blockages. Treatment will depend on the number of arteries involved, which ones are affected and the exact locations of the blocked sites.
   • Usually, with lesions over 70%, the congested sites will be balloon dilation and stent placement. Lesions between 50-70% are considered moderate and until recently were not dilated, but only medical therapy.

4. 

   If necessary, surgery. Bridging surgery is often the option of a patient with a left main aortic obstruction or two or more clogged arteries. You will be scheduled for surgery and may lie in wait for surgery in the coronary care unit (CCU).
   • With coronary artery bypass graft bypass surgery (CABG), veins are taken from the leg for transplant by "crossing" the blockage in the heart arteries.
   • During the surgery, you will be put into hypothermia, your heart stops beating and the blood is circulated outside of your body with an artificial heart-lung machine. The heart surgeon can then stitch the grafted tissue into the heart. The heart can't beat in this sophisticated surgery, and tissue grafted from veins or arteries must be sutured into the heart.
   • In addition, the artery grafted tissue is better than vein graft, so your Left Internal mammary artery (left Internal mammary artery) will be cut out of position in the chest wall and carefully stitched into The anterior ventricular branch of the left coronary artery (LAD) is positioned past the blockage. This surgery is your best chance to have a graft that clears for a long time and doesn't get clogged again. LAD is a very important heart artery, supplying blood to most of the left ventricle, which is why this difficult process is done.
   • Other sites of embolism are bridged using a saphenous vein in the leg.
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Method 4 of 4: Control coronary artery disease

1. 

   Focus on medical rehabilitation. If the blockage in coronary artery disease has not reached the point of intervention, you may be instructed to avoid further heart attacks. You may have angioplasty if you have less than 70% of the blockage, or surgery to replace some of the arteries leading to your heart. In both cases, you need to follow your doctor's instructions during recovery. Make sure to avoid stress and focus on relaxation while you recover from a heart attack.

2. 

   Lower cholesterol levels. Many studies show that the risk of a heart attack can be reduced by actively controlling cholesterol levels. You can do this with medicine and by making lifestyle changes, such as adopting a healthy diet.

3. 

   Hypotension. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease. A decrease in systolic blood pressure (above figure) of just 10 mm / Hg can also reduce the risk of a heart attack by 50%.
   • Many drugs, from beta blockers (beta blockers) to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ace inhibitors) can help patients lower blood pressure.
   • Contact your doctor for instructions and prescription medications to control your blood pressure.

4. 

   Adjusting your lifestyle. It is especially important to reduce the risk of further heart attacks. While medications can also help, it's also your responsibility to make lifestyle changes to reduce this risk. Some of the important changes you need to make are:
   • Maintain a low-sodium diet. Daily intake of sodium should be less than 2 grams.
   • Focus on stress relief: Some people relax with meditation, by participating in a supervised exercise program and other hobbies like reading or yoga. Music therapy is also a good suggestion.
   • Weight loss: Maintain a body mass index (BMI) below 30 with a healthy, balanced diet. Consult with a registered dietitian or specialist to develop the diet that's right for you. However, anyone with suspicion of coronary artery disease should consult a doctor before starting any exercise regimen, as exercise can lead to a heart attack.
   • Stop smoking. This is the most important thing you can do. Tobacco smoking contributes largely in the formation of coronary artery plaque and atherosclerosis. According to Framingham's study, smoking increases the risk of heart attack by 25% to 45%, corresponding to rates in primary and secondary prevention.
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Advice

• In relation to CAD disease, there are terms primary prevention and secondary prevention. Primary prevention refers to prevention for someone who has never had coronary artery disease, regardless of risk factors such as family history or diabetes - which cannot be changed. Research has shown that you can significantly reduce your risk of a heart failure by improving your risk factors, which is primary prevention. If you have CAD, have had a heart attack and are in the 'secondary prevention' category, you can still improve your quality of life and live longer by improving your risk factors and prevent second heart attack. Research shows a much lower risk of heart attack.