Why do heart attacks occur? What causes heart attacks?

Answer 1

A heart attack is an injury to the heart muscle caused by a loss of blood supply. It usually occurs when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood through a coronary artery — a blood vessel that feeds blood to a part of the heart muscle. Interrupted blood flow to your heart can damage or destroy a part of the heart muscle.
Years ago, a heart attack was often fatal. But today, thanks to better awareness of signs and symptoms and improved treatments, the vast majority of people who have a heart attack survive.
Your overall lifestyle — what you eat, how often you exercise and the way you deal with stress — plays a role in your recovery from a heart attack. In addition, a healthy lifestyle can help you prevent a first or subsequent heart attack by controlling risk factors that contribute to the narrowing of the coronary arteries that supply blood to your heart.
Lifestyle
How you live your life can largely affect the health of your heart. Taking the following steps can help you not only prevent but also recover from a heart attack:

Don't smoke
Check your cholesterol
Get regular medical checkups
Control your blood pressure
Exercise regularly
Maintain a healthy weight
Eat a heart-healthy diet
Manage stress
Consume alcohol in moderation

Answer 2

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Answer 3

The heart is commonly thought of as the organ that pumps blood to the muscles and organs throughout the body. But as a powerful muscle itself, it also needs a lot of blood for oxygen and nutrients. Coronary arteries supply the heart muscle with blood, and when these arteries fail to deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to a part of the heart muscle, a heart attack occurs. This blood supply is usually thwarted if the artery is clogged with fat or spasms. If the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen for too long, it dies, and the effects are irreversible; can only hope the wall doesn't break open, and that the remaining, living parts of the heart can continue to do a good job. If a "massive" heart attack occurs, it may be impossible to save the heart...

Angioplasty is a type of surgery that goes in and unclogs these clogged areteries. Some of the medications doctors prescribe for patients at higher risk is designed to make the blood vessels open up bigger, so blood can still get through partially clogged areas. Others help prevent/reduce spasms. A lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol also helps the blood flow well, and lets your heart do less strenuous work on a daily basis.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Why do heart attacks occur? What causes heart attacks?

Answer 5

Heart attacks happen when the coronary arteries become blocked, therefore not allowing oxygenated blood to feed the cardiac muscle tissue. The lack of oxygen causes the pain and damage to the tissue.

Time is of the essence....get to the nearest ER as quickly as you can if you develop symptoms of a heart attack.....chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, pain in your arm, back, or upper abdominal region. If you're lucky enough to be in a larger city hospital, you'll be taken to the cath lab within 90 mins of arrival. If you're in a small rural facility, you will probably have clot busting drugs administered and be taking a helicopter ride to a hospital with a cardiac cath lab.

Answer 6

The most common symptom of a heart attack, heart attack victims may experience a diversity of symptoms that include:

pain, fullness, and/or squeezing sensation of the chest;
jaw pain, toothache, headache;
shortness of breath;
nausea, vomiting, and/or general epigastric (upper middle abdomen) discomfort;
sweating;
heartburn and/or indigestion;
arm pain (more commonly the left arm, but may be either arm);
upper back pain;
general malaise (vague feeling of illness); and
no symptoms (approximately one quarter of all heart attacks are silent, without chest pain or new symptoms and silent heart attacks are especially common among patients with diabetes mellitus).

Answer 7

it could be because of high blood pressure, blood clot, worry,shock/nervous system, obesity. They r the most common causes but many people have heart attacks for unknown reasons who r fit and healthy

Answer 8

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Answer 9

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Answer 10

I'm almost certain to get one.
Every man on my dad's side of the family hasn't lived past 60 because of heart problems :) o well