CHEST PAIN

What is a Heart Attack?

The heart muscle requires oxygen to function properly, a heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction occurs when the blood supply that nourishes the heart with oxygen is suddenly cut off.
When the heart is deprived of oxygen its tissue begins to die, therefore a heart attack is a very serious medical emergency, one that requires immediate attention from trained professionals familiar with chest pain emergency medicine.

Can Heart Attacks Be Prevented?

Science has not been able to prevent 100% of heart attack incidents, however, there are some proven ways for significantly reducing the likelihood of experiencing a heart attack, these include:

• Don’t Smoke: Smoking is one of the leading causes of heart disease if you are a smoker talk to your doctor about beginning a smoking cessation program as soon as possible to reduce your risk of a heart attack.
• Maintain a Healthy Diet: A healthy heart diet requires regularly eating, fruits and vegetables, a variety of healthy proteins such as lean meat and poultry, fish, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
• Exercise: It doesn’t take much, just 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise 5 times a week is enough to reduce your risk of suffering a heart attack.
• Limit your Alcohol Intake: Male adults should limit their daily alcohol intake to two drinks, while females should not ingest more than 1 drink in a 24 hours period.
• Work Closely with Your Doctor: Patients with diabetes or those who already have a form of heart disease must work closely with their doctors and take their medications as indicated to reduce their risk.