One of the most frequent reasons for calling an ambulance team is a heart attack or acute myocardial infarction - a clinical condition that requires urgent care.
Attack of an infarct
Myocardium is the heart muscle, creating rhythmic contractions, alternating with relaxations. With myocardial infarction, the blood supply of a part of the heart muscle suddenly stops due to the complete blockage of the coronary artery delivering oxygen-saturated blood. Most often this leads to the formation of a thrombus on an atherosclerotic plaque, less often - blockage of the lumen of the coronary artery. In this case, the site of the myocardium is deprived of nutrition and dies, and the deceased muscle is gradually replaced by a scar tissue.
Attack of a heart attack is accompanied by such basic symptoms:
- intense chest pain extending to the neck, arm, back, jaw;
- pallor of the skin, cold sweat;
- fainting condition.
However, there are also atypical manifestations of myocardial infarction, because of what it can be ignored. For example, sometimes it feels like it can resemble heartburn or is accompanied only by difficulty breathing and irregular heartbeats.
It is important to remember that the faster the open coronary artery is opened, the less the heart will be damaged, therefore, if a heart attack is suspected, an ambulance should be called immediately.
Forms of myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction is classified as follows:
By stages of development:
- acute, or phase of damage (from 2 to 24 hours) - formation of necrosis of the site of the heart muscle;
- acute phase - inflammation of the dead part of the myocardium, accompanied by swelling in this area and an increase in body temperature;
- subacute phase - the process of scar formation;
- chronic phase - scar stage.
By the volume (size) of the lesion:
- large-heart attack (extensive);
- small-focal infarction (often atypical).
By localization:
- left ventricular infarction (anterior, lateral, inferior, posterior);
- isolated heart attack;
- infarction of the interventricular septum, etc.
Treatment of acute myocardial infarction
Patients are hospitalized and for the first few days are under continuous monitoring in the intensive care unit.
Treatment of a heart attack includes the following medications:
- painkillers;
- drugs that promote thrombus dissolution;
- drugs that reduce blood pressure;
- medicines that reduce the volume of circulating blood;
- drugs that reduce the heart rate.
At the same time, strict strict bed rest is required, as well as proper care for the patient in order to avoid bedsores and other complications.
Recovery after myocardial infarction
After the transfer of a heart attack for about six months, it is necessary to observe a sparing regimen. In the future, work that involves heavy physical or emotional stress is prohibited.
Rehabilitation of the patient begins in the hospital with the restoration of lost basic skills (self-movement, hygiene procedures), and then continues in the conditions of a rehabilitation center, a sanatorium or a polyclinic.
Based on the age, weight of the patient, the severity of damage to the heart muscle and associated diseases, a complex of exercise therapy is developed for infarction. Physical exercises are based on aerobic loads (causing oxygenation of the blood), designed to increase physical and cardiac endurance. Also, a massage is prescribed to improve coronary circulation, accelerate muscle blood flow, relieve physical and emotional stress.
Recommended walks, light physical work (in the garden, household), rich in vitamins nutrition with restriction of animal fats,
Prevention of myocardial infarction
For the prevention of disease it is recommended:
- normal physical activity;
- control of body weight;
- rejection of bad habits;
- normalization of blood pressure;
- normalization of cholesterol level in the blood ;
- reception of acetylsalicylic acid.