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Heart problems are some of the biggest concerns for people when it comes to disease. This is because it is a vital organ, extremely important and that can have fatal consequences when a problem arises. One of the most feared is the famous acute myocardial infarction . But what exactly is it and what are its consequences? This is the theme that we are going to deal with in today’s text. But first, do you know how a heart works?
How does the Heart work and what is the Myocardium?
Our heart literally works like a bomb. Its main function is to pump blood through the veins so that all the other parts of our body work with all the necessary nutrients and oxygen. The heart is a muscle and, like everyone else, can suffer problems. The big difference is that when problems occur here, the rest of your body is also affected. Some of the main parts that make up a human heart are the coronary arteries, the vena cava, the aortic artery, the ventricles, the semilunar valves and, of course, the myocardium.
The myocardium is the muscle that exactly allows the heart to pump blood so that veins carry blood to the rest of our organs. It is one of the most important parts of the heart and, precisely for this reason, acute myocardial infarction can be a serious problem.
What is Acute Myocardial Infarction?
As you can already see, the myocardium is one of the most important components of our heart. Acute myocardial infarction, also called AMI, is a pathophysiology that occurs when the coronary artery is obstructed for some reason, usually due to excess fat in conjunction with the formation of a clot. The myocardium runs out of oxygen and therefore ends up becoming dead tissue. The result of this is what is popularly called a heart attack, an acute myocardial infarction.
What are the Causes of Acute Myocardial Infarction?
Like many other types of cardiovascular disease , acute myocardial infarction can have a large number of causes. Some of the main ones are:
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- High pressure
- Use of Drugs and Alcohol
Smoking
Tobacco use leads to inflammation of blood vessels . As we have already seen, the heart is a muscle and, with the paths intercepted in a certain way, it needs to work harder. This increases not only the risk of acute myocardial infarction, but also of stroke, the famous stroke.
Diabetes
Usually unhealthy lifestyle habits are associated with diabetes, which increases a person’s risk of having not only acute myocardial infarction, but also other types such as silent infarction and other cardiovascular diseases.
High pressure
Having high blood pressure means that the heart needs to work harder, which increases the chances of a person having an acute myocardial infarction. In addition, this problem, also called high blood pressure , is often related to other factors here on the list.
Use of Drugs and Alcohol
The use of certain drugs and alcohol in excess can make the blood pressure rise and demand a lot from the heart and cause an acute myocardial infarction to occur.
Risk factors
The main risk factors for acute myocardial infarction are directly related to the causes we have just listed. In other words, it is important to have healthy lifestyle habits to avoid being in the risk group, since we are talking about a problem that kills so many people every year in Brazil and worldwide.
It is also worth mentioning that the older a person is, the greater the chances of having an acute myocardial infarction , since the heart is weaker, in theory. This is also why taking all the precautions we have indicated here is so important.
Main Symptoms of Acute Myocardial Infarction
Contrary to what many people imagine, the myocardium does not always appear overnight. In fact, it is often possible to notice some signs of a heart attack. The main symptoms are:
- Lack of air
- Dizziness
- Pain in the thoracic region
- Weakness
- Cold sweat
- Swelling in the feet
- Abdominal pain
If you notice any of these signs, seek a hospital as soon as possible, especially if you are part of the risk groups. The sooner an action is taken, the greater the chances of survival.
How is the treatment done?
The treatment of an acute myocardial infarction is not always done in the same way, as it depends on a number of factors, such as the severity of the injury and its causes. It is common for the patient to receive oxygen in the blood so that the heart does not overwork . It is also common for doctors to prescribe medications that aim to reduce the patient’s pain, in addition to being monitored for a few days.
Depending on the severity of the infarction, the patient may also undergo angioplasty, a surgery that aims to restore the flow of the heart. Often medicines are also prescribed to control the heart and prevent a new heart attack. In such cases, the use of these drugs must be done in a very responsible manner .
Consequences of Acute Myocardial Infarction
It is possible that a heart attack does not cause any consequences, when this problem affects only a small part of the heart. However, in the vast majority of cases, the patient suffers some consequences, such as cardiac arrhythmia and alteration of the cardiac muscle , which can forever change the way the person should be treated. In addition to these problems, we can also mention heart failure and systolic dysfunction as other major consequences of infarction.
Acute myocardial infarction is a disease that we have to deal with, either in the treatment or prevention of this type of problem. Prevention, incidentally, is the most powerful weapon we have to avoid the drastic consequences that acute myocardial infarction can bring. Especially people who are in the risk group need to take care of themselves and understand what the symptoms and causes of the disease are, but not just them. It is important that everyone is aware that this is a serious problem and that it can affect even those who are not at risk. Taking care of health is always important and becomes even more so when we need to prevent problems like this.
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
