More than a million Americans suffer a heart attack every year. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States but great strides have been made in the last decade, both in treating heart attacks and in helping people who have suffered one in resuming a full, active life. The best way to deal with cardiac emergencies (which include cardiac arrests and heart attacks) is by going for an American Heart Association CPR class Nashville. In the classes, students will get to learn about the life-saving resuscitation techniques which comprise of chest compressions and rescue breaths. Properly administering the techniques can revive the life of a cardiac arrest or heart attack victim.
If you are a resident of the Nashville region in Tennessee, enroll for a program at the AHA accredited CPR Nashville where certified instructors conduct the classes in a fun and lively atmosphere.
The most common type of heart attack is caused by a coronary thrombosis, which occurs when a clot (thrombus) blocks one or more of the blood vessels that nourish the heart muscle. Due to lack of blood, part of the muscle may be damaged and its ability to contract may be lost. This, in medical terms, is known as myocardial infarction.
Coronary Artery Disease
· Coronary thrombosis is basically a manifestation of coronary artery disease. Our blood vessels tend to lose their elasticity as we grow old, it is a process known as arteriosclerosis. Atherosclerosis usually does not produce symptoms until there is significant blockage in the blood flow. Sometimes, even the first symptom of a heart disease is heart attack.
· The major risk factors include high levels of cholesterol and other blood fats, high blood pressure (hypertension) and cigarette smoking. Few others include diabetes, obesity, a sedentary life style, aging, being male and heredity.
· Atherosclerosis begins forming as a fatty streak on the inner walls of an artery and hinders the smooth flow of blood. With the buildup of patches of fatty tissue, the inner walls become narrower which inhibits blood flow in a more significant way. As the tissue buildup progresses, an artery continues to narrow and in time, the fatty deposit becomes a hard mass of fatty tissue with a tough outer lining of cells- plaques. With the thickening and spreading of plaques, the wall of the artery start getting eroded which interferes with blood flow and makes it increasingly turbulent.
· Heart attacks sometimes occur in people with little or no coronary artery disease. According to some experts, a spasm or sudden constriction may be the cause of these heart attacks. A spasm may occur in the coronary artery that is totally free of atherosclerosis which explains why many people suffer angina and other cardiac problems without there been any evidence of underlying blockage in the arteries.
Few Symptoms Of Heart Attack
Heart attack may or may not occur without any apparent warning and can also occur in people who have never previously experienced any chest pain. Angina, which is the name given to chest pain that arises when the muscular wall of the heart is temporarily deprived of sufficient oxygen, is the most common symptom. The pain of the heart attack is a sensation of constriction in the central area of the chest which may vary in intensity from a feeling of tightness to one of agonizing crushing or bursting. The pain may be continuous, or it may last a few minutes, fade and then recur. It commonly spreads to the back, jaw and left arm. The pain is mostly accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, dizziness, etc.
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