How can one know that he/she is going to have a heart attack? This is one question to which this article provides an answer.

Before a heart attack, most of the people experience symptoms that can be easily used to predict a heart attack. The most common symptom is tightness behind the breastbone accompanied by an increase in the heart rate. Once the heart rate increases, the coronary arteries fill up with blood in between the beats which causes the heart muscle-myocardium to become irritable and subject to palpitations. If left uncared for, it may even lead to death of the heart muscle.


The heart rate is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. A hormone called Adrenaline or Vasopressin plays an important role on heart rate. Adrenaline acts on the SA node of the heart. The SA node is a patch of highly excitable cells on the right wall of the right atrium of the heart. In fact, it is the starting point on the electrical impulses that cause the heartbeat. Adrenaline also acts on various other body parts and reduces the blood supply to those parts, making the blood available to the muscles. It is also responsible for increasing the blood sugar levels, so that the muscle cells do not get deprived of energy.


Along with increased heart rates, adrenaline may also cause the heart to beat chaotically leading to its failure. It also increases the blood pressure which under extreme conditions may cause bursting of blood vessels and clot formation.


The most common symptom of heart attack is collapsing. The patient just collapses to the ground and loses consciousness. There is no heart beat or pulse. The treatment to this situation involves defibrillation. Nowadays, defibrillators are available at many public places like airports, airplanes, etc. These are user friendly and can be used by the layman. Defibrillation involves the application of electrical shock to the heart muscle. This shock again puts the heart back into action.


The main cause of heart attack is formation of clots in the coronary arteries. There is a lining on the surface of coronary arteries which clots leading to heart attack. This area is termed as “vulnerable plaque”. Earlier cardiologists were of the opinion that clots usually form at the areas of the arteries which have been calcified and thickened as a result of calcification. Nowadays, this notion has undergone a change. Now it is known that clots rarely form in these calcified zones.


Calcification of arteries is the condition in which calcium salts get deposited on the walls of the arteries. A fatty substance called cholesterol also gets deposited on the walls. These deposits cause narrowing of arteries. The lumen gets narrowed and the blood supply gets hampered. When the body is at rest, this blood supply may be sufficient to meet the requirements. This may no longer hold well during exercise or stress. The blood supply cannot meet the requirements of the heart muscle and the heart muscle gets deprived of energy leading to its death.


Angina is the condition in which the patient gets a feeling of tightness in the chest. When the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen, the metabolic reactions produce lactic acid and pyruvic acid. These acids are responsible for the feeling of tightness. Usually the condition is termed angina but if these conditions occur during exercise, the condition is called Angina pectoris.


As the age old saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”, It is much better to prevent heart diseases. Amount of cholesterol and fats in the food should be reduced. Junk foods should be avoided at all costs. Plenty of exercise like walking, jogging or aerobics from a young age would always be helpful in preventing heart disease.