...A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to a portion of the heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped. This happens when one of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle is blocked by an obstruction. This blockage can be due to a condition called atherosclerosis (a buildup of fatty like substance along the wall of the artery), a blood clot or a coronary vessel spasm along with a total obstruction. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart stops, that area of the heart will no longer receive the oxygen or nutrients needed to carry out its function and will die. If it is a very small part of the heart involved, it will be able to work without it. If a large portion is damaged, irreversible damage will happen which can lead to death. Damage to the heart muscle may be so severe that it may cause abnormal heart rhythm, called arrhythmias. Most people who are of a myocardial infraction or a heart attack do so within a few hours due to a type of arrhythmia. The heart attack victim will complain of pressure, discomfort or a squeezing sensation in the center of the chest. There may be pain radiating to the arms or the neck. There may also be shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and or indigestion. The pain that occurs is the result of heart tissue ischemia (decreased blood supply). The area that is not receiving enough blood is literally crying out for help. When a person complains of any of the symptoms mentioned, they should be transported...
Words: 4341 - Pages: 18
...HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE Let's say it's 6.15pm and you're going home (alone of course), ...after an unusually hard day on the job. You're really tired, upset and frustrated. Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to drag out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles (8kms) from the hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. You have been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself..!! NOW HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE.. Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously.A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a...
Words: 258 - Pages: 2
...Heart Attacks in Youth Jennifer Velasquez HCS/457 January 16, 2012 Michelle Clemons Heart Attacks in Youth Headlines across the country are similar to a headline recently in La Center, Washington: Eighth Grader Collapses During First Day of Basketball Practice. Children collapsing during sporting events are becoming fairly common around the country. According to Caldwell (2011), “Studies show that 175 to 233 deaths occur each year among high school athletes” (para. 3). Most individuals are required by state law to pass a sport physical before him or her can even begin the first day of practice. Many individuals have different opinions as to why children are collapsing with heart issues. Health professionals locally, on state level and nationally are monitoring the findings and are trying to come up with a solution to minimize loss of life. Because so many children participate each year in physical sports, it is important to find out why children are coming up with heart issues and determine how to lower the amount of children from collapsing and prevent premature death. Functions at Various Government Levels Because children collapsing at sporting events has only recently started to become more common, the three levels of government; National, State, and Local levels have not began working to diligently on a solution. At least if they have, they are not disclosing available resources or much information at this current time. Therefore, locating information...
Words: 962 - Pages: 4
...Having a heart attack was a scary wake-up call for me, it made me realize that I wasn’t all that healthy as I once thought. Does anyone understand what happens to the heart when a person is having a heart attack? Do we know the signs and symptoms are we prepared if we should have one? There are certain factors that contribute to a heart attack and also ways to prevent it. It was another day at work. I just had lunch and all of a sudden I began to feel different when all of a sudden I felt my stomach turning and I began to start sweating profusely I had a burning pain in my arm it traveled up and across my chest to the other arm and stopped. I tried to shake it off but it got worse. I was scared! I was thinking heart attack! I thought I was going to die! Ladies and gentlemen I did have a heart attack and I realized that I was not as healthy as I once thought. Today I want to let you know about what happens to the heart when you have a heart attack. Do you know the signs and symptoms and are you prepared if they happen to you? There are certain factors that contribute to a heart attack and also ways to prevent it. The foods we eat, the lack of exercise is only a few factors that contributes to having a heart attack. There are certain changes one can take to prevent it from happening. Living a healthy lifestyle!! Main Point 1 Question: What is a Heart Attack? A heart attack occurs when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or cut off...
Words: 1647 - Pages: 7
...Cardiovascular System - Heart Attack From Case Studies for Understanding the Human Body S. Braude, D. Goran, and S. Maxfield Uncle Jake and Aunt Leah were playing golf last week. On the sixth hole, Jake told Leah that he was having unusual pain in his left arm and chest. All of a sudden he felt weak and complained that his shirt was much too tight. A dentist playing one hole behind them examined Jake and found he was short of breath, pale, and sweating. He called 911 on his cell phone and told Jake to lie down and wait for the ambulance. The paramedics rushed Jake to the hospital where he was evaluated by a cardiologist. The tests showed that he had four clogged arteries. He was scheduled for surgery the next day. 1. Describe how the heart as a muscle performs its job of pumping blood. The heart is constantly relaxing (filling up with blood) and contracting (pushing blood out) to pump blood through the four chambers of the heart and eventually to the rest of the body. First, the blood fills the right atrium from either the superior or inferior vena cava. Then, the blood passes through the tricuspid valve and to the right ventricle. The right ventricle then squeezes the blood into the pulmonary artery which splits into two vessels each going to the lungs. The oxygenated blood returns from the lungs and it goes through the pulmonary vein to the left atrium. From here, the blood passes through the bicuspid valve and into the left ventricle. Finally...
Words: 1165 - Pages: 5
...Heart Attack . Heart Attack Directory More than 1 million Americans have heart attacks every yr. Also known as myocardial infarction, or MI, coronary heart attacks may be lethal if medical care is not received quickly. Besides taking steps to maintain your coronary heart wholesome, along with consume right, exercising, preserve a wholesome weight, hold your blood cholesterol and blood pressure in check, spotting and responding to coronary heart attack symptoms is prime to survival. Follow the hyperlinks beneath to locate WebMD's complete coverage about heart assault, what it seems like, a way to treat it, and much extra. This is top of painful attack for human body. This pain can be cause of death for someone. There is a big reason of heart...
Words: 1927 - Pages: 8
...(Internet) about why is the heart attack significant to Americans. The articles are going to talk about how Americans can get a heart attack and not to risk lives from getting a heart attack. World Health Organization (2005) suggests that we should avoid heart attacks and strokes because everyone can be a victim from it. Others items relate to the important of having a heart attack and strokes. Also, why heart attacks runs in our family. Heart Attack is important to all Americans because each year millions of Americans in United States has heart attacks and almost half of them die. Many people were able to know how they can survive a heart attack. Brought attention...
Words: 1589 - Pages: 7
...Heart Attack Amongst Asian Women David Chambliss HCS/245 April 14, 2014 Professor Leah Miller Heart Attack Amongst Asian Women What is a Heart Attack? A heart attack occurs when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart is reduced or completely cut off by a blood clot. This happens because coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood flow can slowly become narrow from buildup of fat, cholesterol, and other substances that together are called plaque. When plaque in a heart artery breaks, a blood clot forms around the plaque thus blocking the flow of blood to the heart muscle. According to “Women’s Health” (2010), “Asian – American women have much lower rates of heart disease than other women. Yet, heart disease is still the second leading cause of death for this group”. For Asian women heart disease is second only to cancer. Heart disease strikes Asian-Indians and other South Asians especially hard. It tends to affect South Asians at a younger age, plus genetics and lifestyle factors both play a role in heart disease risk. The heart attack rate is four times higher for Asians than whites in the United States. Women of any nationality can lower their heart disease risk by as much as 82% just by leading a healthy lifestyle. Keep a healthy weight, make physical activities a habit, and eat a heart healthy diet. Overweight and obesity are risk factors for heart disease. Asian Americans need to be aware that a small amount of...
Words: 293 - Pages: 2
...research had been conducted regarding heart regeneration but many findings were extremely controversial (Carvalho and de Carvalho 2010). The heart is one of the most important organs as it’s responsible for the body’s oxygen and blood supply. The human heart is divided into four chambers and is enclosed in a fluid filled sac within the chest cavity. One of the least regenerative organs in the human body is the heart but if there is a regenerative response, it is small in comparison to that of other organs such as the liver and skin (Laflamme and Murry 2011). But why can’t the heart regenerate after a heart attack compared to other organs that can is the question and the cells that makes up the tissue can explain this. The incapability of the human heart to regenerate after injury such as a heart attack (Myocardial infarction) poses a major difficulty in the cardiovascular medicine (Laflamme and Murry 2011). Heart attacks are caused by the disturbance of blood supply to parts of the heart, causing heart tissues to die, often due to the blockage of the coronary artery. The heart responds to a heart attack by scarring, which consequences in reduced cardiac function and to compensate for the reduced cardiac function, the heart then develops hypertrophy which in turn leads to heart failure (Lien et al. 2012). Marie et al. (1996) explain hypertrophy as the wall of the heart thickens in response to a heart attack, as the wall thickens the heart contracts less efficiently and pumps...
Words: 1074 - Pages: 5
...The difference between a stroke and a heart attack are striking and they deserve thorough investigation. Stroke and heart attack do have somethings in common. The things a stroke and a heart attack have in common are there risk factors and some of their risk factors are smoking, high blood pressure and cholesterol, it can be passed down from a family member or an abnormal heart rhythm. When a heart attack occurs is when blood tries to flow in the part of the heart that is blocked, usually caused by a blood clot. With no oxygenated blood flowing to the heart, the muscles in the heart starts to die. Heart attacks are the leading killer for both men and women. Some of the symptoms for a heart attack is chest pain or discomfort, upper body discomfort,...
Words: 413 - Pages: 2
...The obvious cardiac risk factors are a family history of a father that died of a heart attack at 46, a mother who died of a stroke at 56, his sedentary lifestyle, and smoking a pack a day for twenty-five years. Elevated vitals are indicators of pain, sharp; burning pain in the epigastric area is worrisome of a possible heart attack. However, negating factors leaning me towards an anxiety attack are that he may be experiencing anxiety due to the fact that his father died at 46 of a heart attack and now he is 46. This may be causing him stress leading to anxiety. His physical indicators of stress are his increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and increased rate of respirations are all signs of stress (D'Amico, & Barbarito, 2012, p. 81). Asking questions such as when did the pain start, what medications is he on, has he had high blood pressure before, has the pain occurred before… Asking questions “the interview” is part of the assessment and will help the nurse have a focus. Once the patient relaxes does the pain subside; with an anxiety attack the pain may lessen, while with a heart attack it will not. Also, withdrawing from nicotine could be a cause of his anxiety. He quit three days ago which is when withdrawal from nicotine peaks (National Library of Medicine, 2012). D'Amico, D., & Barbarito, C. (2012). Health & physical assessment in nursing (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. National Library of Medicine. National Institutes of Health, (2012). Nicotine...
Words: 271 - Pages: 2
...Case 1: Heart Attack Managing People and Ethics 3/25/2011 Management 301- Business Organization and Management Eboni Thrower, Jennifer Jackson, Gerald Grant III, Taneisha Pryor Dr. Makamson 1.___________________________ 2.___________________________ 3.____________________________ 4.____________________________ I. Problem Statement Was Mr. Hamid wrong for firing Shauna? Mr. Hamid placed an ad for a part-time bookkeeper at a local college and Shauna came across it. The work Mr. Hamid needed finished for his company would only require the bookkeeper to stay in work with him for about two months. She applied for the job and received the job the same day. During the interview Mr. Hamid stated that he would pay her $150 per week. Realizing that if she accepted $150 per week she would not be making as much money as she would if she worked on an hourly rate; she had to come up with a plan. Shauna negotiated with Mr. Hamid and agreed to work Monday, Wednesday and Friday for seven hours a day for 21 hours a week at $10 per hour. In this agreement Shauna would be put on a three month probationary period, which consisted of no time off, vacation, sick days or holidays off. Shauna was a hard worker and an excellent bookkeeper for Mr. Hamid. She always completed every project and obligation that was ever asked of her beforehand. Shauna constantly asked Mr. Hamid for extra work to do in the office to keep her busy. She never took any time off from work, nor did she ever...
Words: 1939 - Pages: 8
...A Divine Heart Attack -Zaynab Hararah As a native San Franciscan, my mission growing up was to find the perfect burger. After sixteen years and three months, mission accomplished. I call it; well actually the founder and owner named it -- Burger Meister. Burger Meister serves as my occasional comfort food. Burger Meister is featured at the newly remodeled Westlake Shopping Center in Daly City, which is about five minutes from San Francisco State University. After this location opened, I realized that three Burger Meister restaurants lie in the Sunset District of San Francisco, five minutes away from my house. Open since 1999, Burger Meister is a local San Francisco Bay Area burger joint with five locations: three in San Francisco, one in Alameda, and one in my favorite spot, Daly City. Paul Mogannam and his family at Burger Meister are proud to serve beef that is not tainted by chemicals and filler. This family owned business uses only the finest quality all natural beef in the Bay area provided by the famous Niman Ranch located in Marin County of Northern California. Just like anything you would find at Trader Joes, the Niman Ranch meat at Burger Meister is purely organic and you can taste it for yourself. As a disclaimer, take note that Westlake is a shopping center; therefore, do not be distracted by all the other restaurants. If you must, check out the sale at DSW Shoes, and then make your way to Burger Meister. Burger Meister is located right in...
Words: 1366 - Pages: 6
...After reading these two articles, I realize that I need to learn more about warning signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke as a woman and a public health student. Knowing the risk factors of this heart attack and stroke would help us to be more cautious and avoid all the risk factors as possible to prevent ourselves from getting the diseases. Obviously, it is surprising to see that heart disease is the number 1 killer among women, according to the American Heart Association article. Both women survivors of the articles called “Symptoms of a heart attack and a stroke” were considered themselves as a healthy person and did not realize that they would suffer from heart attack or stroke. I think that is how we feel about our health. To be...
Words: 406 - Pages: 2
...10 Ways to Avoid a Heart Attack A heart attack is known as a myocardial infarction. This occurs when the heart muscle is damaged or does not receive enough oxygen. Many cardiac related problems occur due to blockages in arteries that carry purified blood away from the heart to different parts of the body. Another cause is the formation of blood clots. Very often, it is quite difficult to differentiate between a heart attack and heartburn. The common signs of a heart attack are a tightness, pain, or discomfort in the chest. Sweating, nausea, and vomiting that are accompanied by intense pressure in the chest. A radiating and intense pain in the chest that extends from the chest to the left arm. A shortness of breath for more than a few minutes. If you have any of the above you must consult the doctor or go to the emergency rooms. If you even think you are having a heart attack you must call for a cardiac care ambulance, and put under your tongue a sorbitrate or chew an aspirin. If you are allergic to aspirin don't take one. At the hospital care will include rapid thrombolysis, cardiac catheterization, and angioplasty. They will also administer intravenously clot busting medications. The risk factors for a heart attack include: smoking, diabetes, high levels of cholesterol, hypertension, family history of heart diseases, atherosclerosis, lack of exercise, obesity, and fast foods. Reduce the risks of a heart attack by: 1. Quitting smoking. 2. Eating healthy. Avoid fatty foods...
Words: 404 - Pages: 2
