Treatment and Prevention
The first step in heart attack prevention is identifying and reducing risk
factors such as smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, and high fat diets.
Talk to your doctor about personal risk factors and how to make lifestyle changes
to reduce the chances of a heart attack, such as:
- Quitting smoking
- Staying physically active and incorporate regular exercise into a daily
routine. Exercising will help with weight reduction and will lower cholesterol.
- Watching your diet. You may ned to consult a nutritionist for advice about
healthy foods that can help to lower cholesterol.
If someone experiences symptoms that might be a heart attack, they should
call an ambulance right away. A variety of effective treatments, including
thrombolytic ("clot-busting") medications, are available to
heart attack victims, but these must be given quickly in order to be effective.
50% of deaths due to heart attack occur within 3 to 4 hours of the beginning
of the symptoms. Depending on the hospital, you may be brought directly to the
cardiac catherization laboratory to do an angioplasty, a procedure
where a tiny balloon will break open the clot directly. The most important
thing you need to do is the reach the hospital as quickly as possible. This
will increase the chance of survival.
The hospital's primary tasks during a heart attack are to stop the damage
to heart cells by restoring blood flow, and to deal with complications like
ventricular fibrillation. The first medication a person will be given upon
entering the hospital is a chewable aspirin* tablet. This
will help inhibit platelets from forming a blood clot, preventing further blockage
of the artery. A range of drugs is usually given to reduce the heart's workload,
to dissolve the clot, and to prevent further clotting. An oxygen mask increases
the level of oxygen in the blood.
A defibrillator is a pair of high-voltage paddles, often seen on TV.
Its purpose is to stop ventricular fibrillation.
After a heart attack, 1 or 2 days of bed rest is usually necessary, but
staying bedridden too long can prevent the heart from regaining strength and
tends to worsen natural feelings of nervousness or depression. Most people
are able to walk a few steps on the third day, but should be careful about straining
and lifting heavy objects for a few months. Medication therapy with aspirin or clopidogrel
is commonly given to prevent the blood from clotting. Other drugs called beta-blockers
or ACE inhibitors may also be prescribed. These medications help
reduce the heart's workload and allow easier blood flow from the heart. Cholesterol
medications are also important even if you have "normal" cholesterol
levels. Your doctor needs to make this decision depending upon your risk of
having another heart attack.
If you smoke, it is very important to stop immediately. Heart attack is a
complication of coronary artery disease, and it's best prevented by avoiding
the risk factors for coronary artery disease, including smoking.
The early treatment of a heart attack aims to restore blood flow and preserve
heart muscle. After a heart attack occurs, you need rehabilitation or post-MI
care for the heart to heal and to prevent future attacks. Cardiac rehabilitation
programs can usually be planned for in hospital and, depending on the severity
of the heart attack, may continue for weeks or months once you return home.
Post-MI management includes medication, lifestyle changes, and psychological
care.
Finally, following a heart attack, some patients may suffer from depression
or experience psychological difficulties related to anxiety or anger. Rehabilitation
programs offer help in these areas, providing support and counseling for those
who may need it. Although having a heart attack can be a frightening experience,
most people can return to their normal activities.
*All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name
is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®).
The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen).
A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article
lists medications by their common names. For more information on brand names,
speak with your doctor or pharmacist.