Heart attack and Its Treatments

                          Heart Attack
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense,no one knows what going on.But usually it is slow and mild,it also show some symptoms.The person attacked by this uncontrolable intense attack feel some pains and uncomfortable.
-Here i will discuss the some most commen symptoms observed.
1.Chest discomfort:Most of the heart attack involves discomfort in the center of chest.If some person will feel uncomfortable and squeezin,fullness or pain then this may leads to serious attack or unsequences.
2.Discmfort in the upper areas of the body:Symptoms can include the discmfort in the upper parts like one of the both arms,back,neck and stomach.
3.Shortness of breath with or without chest pain or discomfot.
4.Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

• As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain. Learn about the warning signs of heart attack in women.

How Is a Heart Attack Treated?

Early treatment for a heart attack can prevent or limit damage to the heart muscle. Acting fast, at the first symptoms of a heart attack, can save your life. Medical personnel can begin diagnosis and treatment even before you get to the hospital.
Certain treatments usually are started right away if a heart attack is suspected, even before the diagnosis is confirmed. These include:

• Oxygen therapy
• Aspirin to thin your blood and prevent further blood clotting
• Nitroglycerin to reduce your heart's workload and improve blood flow through the coronary arteries
• Treatment for chest pain

Once the diagnosis of a heart attack is confirmed or strongly suspected, doctors start treatments to try to promptly restore blood flow to the heart. The two main treatments are "clot-busting" medicines and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as coronary angioplasty, a procedure used to open blocked coronary arteries.
Clot-Busting Medicines

Thrombolytic medicines, also called "clot busters," are used to dissolve blood clots that are blocking the coronary arteries. To work best, these medicines must be given within several hours of the start of heart attack symptoms. Ideally, the medicine should be given as soon as possible.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

PCI is a nonsurgical procedure that opens blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. A thin, flexible tube with a balloon or other device on the end is threaded through a blood vessel, usually in the groin (upper thigh), to the narrowed or blocked coronary artery. Once in place, the balloon is inflated to compress the plaque against the wall of the artery. This restores blood flow through the artery.
During the procedure, the doctor may put a small mesh tube called a stent in the artery. The stent helps prevent blockages in the artery in the months or years after the procedure.
For more information, go to the Health Topics PCI article.
Other Treatments for Heart Attack

Medicines

• Beta blockers. Beta blockers decrease your heart's workload. These medicines also are used to relieve chest pain and discomfort and to help prevent repeat heart attacks. Beta blockers also are used to treat arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats).
• ACE inhibitors. ACE inhibitors lower blood pressure and reduce strain on your heart. They also help slow down further weakening of the heart muscle.
• Anticoagulants. Anticoagulants, or "blood thinners," prevent blood clots from forming in your arteries. These medicines also keep exis
• ting clots from getting larger.
• Anticlotting medicines. Anticlotting medicines stop platelets from clumping together and forming unwanted blood clots. Examples of anticlotting medicines include aspirin and clopidogrel.

You also may be given medicines to relieve pain and anxiety, treat arrhythmias (which often occur during a heart attack), or lower your cholesterol (these medicines are called statins).

Medical Procedures
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) also may be used to treat a heart attack. During CABG, a surgeon removes a healthy artery or vein from your body. The artery or vein is then connected, or grafted, to the blocked coronary artery.
The grafted artery or vein bypasses (that is, goes around) the blocked portion of the coronary artery. This provides a new route for blood to flow to the heart muscle.