Heart is functioning muscle in a body. It requires supplying blood flow and oxygen to allow it to do work. When there isn’t sufficient blood supply, the muscle starts to suffer, and when there is no oxygen, the muscle starts to die. The heart attack occurs when the blood supply system of the heart is interrupted.

The most classic symptoms of the heart attack include chest pain with shortage of breath, profuse sweating, and nausea. It is not necessary to have these symptoms by all people. The other symptoms can be indigestion, jaw ache, pain only in the shoulder or arm, shortness of breath or vomiting etc. Sometimes symptoms of heart attack are unidentifiable, particularly, in women and elderly people. In some cases, extreme weakness or fatigue may be a complaint by the patient before the heart attack.

The most common cause of heart attack is narrowing of the arteries by cholesterol plaque and their subsequent rupture. In medical terminologies, it is called atherosclerotic heart disease or coronary artery disease. Heart attack is as risky as stoke and may cause life to end if not treated on time. The family history of heart attack plays a major role causing this problem. Furthermore, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes become a reason of blocking blood supply to artery and consequently heart attack strikes. The existing diseases causing heart attack should be control to minimize the risks of heart attack. The heart attack can strike again if extensive care is not taken properly. The third heart attack can be a last stage of life.

The only possible medical treatment is surgery to restore the blood supply to the heart muscle. Sometimes, heart attack is very severing that death is possible on spot. The main thing to remember after heart attack is time factor. The delay in treatment can cause life end.

There are some general suggestions after heart attack strikes. The first step is to call emergency service in the area. The emergency department should be alerted that patient is on the way in order to make the necessary measures ready. Giving aspirin helps to minimize blood clot formation and blockage of the artery is also useful.