What does a heart attack look like? Understanding a heart attack doesn’t have to be complicated – learn all about it here.
While having a heart attack is a terrible experience, keep in mind that tens of thousands of people survive them. If you want to understand what happens during and after a heart attack, then this article is for you.
What is a heart attack?
A heart attack is the result of reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, cutting off some necessary oxygen. This is a result of atherosclerosis, which happens when the coronary arteries become narrow due to plaque buildup. As a result, the heart muscle doesn’t have the necessary oxygen and nutrients, leading to ischemia and a heart attack.
Unfortunately, there are no warning signs telling you that you have atherosclerosis because other blood vessels compensate (until they can’t). This network of blood vessels (collateral circulation) helps protect against heart attacks by delivering blood to the heart.
The amount of damage the heart suffers depends on the size of the area supplied by the blocked artery. It also depends on the time between injury and treatment. Moreover, the amount of time it takes to heal depends on the extent of the injury and your healing rate.
Fortunately, the heart is a tough organ that can function even when part of it has been severely injured. However, due to the damage, it may be weaker and not be able to pump as much blood as usual.
It usually takes about eight weeks for the heart muscle to heal, with scar tissue forming around the damaged area. Furthermore, if you survive a heart attack, you may have some degree of coronary artery disease (CAD). As a result, you will have to make changes to your lifestyle and possibly take medication to prevent future attacks.
Understanding a heart attack
While chest pain (angina) is a common symptom of a heart attack, not all chest pains mean you’re having one. One type of angina, stable angina, happens during emotional stress or exercise when your heart rate and blood pressure rise. Another type, unstable angina, happens while resting and may lead to a heart attack, so treat it as an emergency.
In addition to blockage, you may have a severe spasm in your coronary arteries and experience a heart attack. However, this is rare, and most heart attacks are a result of reduced blood flow and oxygen to the heart.
The Outlook
Even though heart attacks can damage your heart, they may not necessarily result in death. Still, you want to decrease your chances of having one as much as possible – especially if you’ve already had one.
For this purpose, you should be exercising regularly, eating healthily, and taking heart supplements like L-arginine Plus. Its ingredients promote better circulation, blood pressure, cholesterol, energy levels, and more.
Give your heart the support it needs now and take L-arginine Plus along with a healthy diet and exercise routine.