Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of human death worldwide even in this modern age of technology. We can avoid this if we put our mind to it. Especially, in old age.
Every day I see many patients who come to the hospital’s emergency department with heart attacks. There are people who know that they have heart related problems and ignore it or follow a careless lifestyle that they will not get heart disease. Therefore, understanding the heart can keep the door open to many diseases.
As we age, the blood vessels leading to the heart are more likely to become thickened and blocked. Not only that, heart muscle also undergoes various wear and tear. If you understand this, you can know which problems can damage the engine of the heart and how you can keep the heart healthy without repair.
whats going on
Our heart pumps an average of five liters of blood per minute from head to toe. From the fourth month in the mother’s womb, these heart muscles work tirelessly as the sun for as long as there is life, and need blood for fertilization.
The blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscles are called coronary arteries. If these blood vessels are blocked by fat or any other reason, the blockage occurs in which area. Without oxygen and other nutrients reaching the heart muscles in that area, the muscles in the area begin to deteriorate and the heart begins to slow down or stop working. That is why the medical world calls every second of delay in a heart attack a disaster.
People at risk of having a heart attack include:
Above 40 years of age,
People with high cholesterol in the blood
Excessive obesity
If anyone in the family already has heart related diseases
People who consider alcohol and smoke as two eyes
People who know they have diabetes and high blood pressure but fail to control it
Those who find physical exertion and exercise tiring
People who eat without controlling their tongue
Frequent junk food, fast food, bakery food, fried food, high salt intake
People who are always excited and stressed
Direct Symptoms (Classic Chest Pain)
Back of sternum (Retrosternal), pain like squeezing or (a) Tightness in front of chest.
Pain spreads to throat, xiphoid, armpit. This pain may come as if tearing with a knife (a) Unexplained heaviness, pressure, stuffiness in the chest area.
You may sweat profusely and your body may get chills and you may vomit. Such pain can spread to the neck, jaw, shoulder, back and arms. Especially for left hands. These symptoms should not be ignored
Indirect symptoms (Non classic Chest pain):
If the pain in the front of the chest comes and goes for a few seconds or lasts for a few hours
If there is pain in small work or neck movement
Pain during small activities, shortness of breath when walking or shortness of breath when doing no work Nausea, heaviness of head, weakness, confusion, pain in shoulder, arms, jaw area.
If there is pain and sweating in the upper part of the stomach (even if the pain is reduced by taking antacids, people above 50 years of age should get an ECG)
Tests to be done
Blood pressure
ECG (12 Lead EEG)
Lipid profile, diabetes – kidney function
Echo, Treadmill if needed
Special blood tests that measure whether a heart attack has occurred