A heart
attack is a life-threatening emergency. You are not alone if you have
experienced a heart attack or are close with someone who has. In fact, tens of
thousands of people survive heart attacks and go on to lead productive,
enjoyable lives. There are many questions that people have on their minds regarding
heart attacks and today we are going to answer some of that.
Before
everything else let us throw a bit of light on the life-saving CPR techniques
that comprise chest compressions and rescue breaths. Proper application of the
techniques can revive the life of a victim involved in a cardiac emergency
which can either be a cardiac arrest or heart attack. Everybody should undergo
CPR training and for that people should choose an accredited training center.
For a CPR Overland Park Kansas class, you can sign up for a program at the AHA accredited CPR Kansas City which
consists of some of the most experienced instructors. Both theoretical and
practical training are imparted to the students.
Heart Attack- The heart muscle needs oxygen to
survive and a heart attack occurs when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the
heart muscle is severely reduced or cut off completely. This can be attributed
to the fact that coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood flow
can become narrowed from a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances
that together are called plaque. This slow process is known as atherosclerosis.
When plaque within a heart
artery breaks, a blood clot forms around the plaque. This blood clot can block
the blood flow through the artery to the heart muscle. When the heart muscle is
starved for oxygen and nutrients, the result is ischemia. When damage or death
of part of the heart muscle occurs as a result of ischemia, it’s called a
myocardial infarction or heart attack.
Does the heart get permanently
damaged?
Heart attack
causes the heart muscle that has lost blood supply starts to suffer injury and
the amount of damage to the heart muscle depends on the size of the area
supplied by the blocked artery and the time between injury and treatment. The
heart muscle that is damaged by a heart attack heals by forming a scar tissue
which usually takes several weeks. The time length depends on the extent of the
injury.
Recovery from Heart Attack- Like we have already mentioned that
the heart muscle starts to heal soon after a heart attack and takes about eight
weeks to heal. Scar tissue may form in the damaged area, and that scar tissue
does not contract or pump as well as healthy muscle tissue. The loss of pumping
action depends on the location and size of the scar tissue.
A heart
attack survivor is most likely to have some degree of coronary artery disease
and for that an individual needs to make important lifestyle changes and
possibly take medication to prevent a future heart attack.
Hope, we
have been able to be of help to you.
To join a CPR course at CPR Kansas City, either
register online or call on 913-998-7499.
Comments
Post a Comment