It is pretty common knowledge now to know that 1 millions people suffer from heart attacks each year. A heart attack (myocardial Infarction) causes permanent damage to the heart muscle and is often caused by a lack of blood flow to the heart. The heart needs a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood to keep it healthy. That blood is brought into the heart by the arteries. However, if the arteries are clogged with blood clots, the heart will become starved for oxygen, and soon after, heart muscle cells die; thereby causing permanent damage; essentially a heart attack.

Heart attacks can also be caused by a coronary spasm. It is not particularly common but it does happen. This is basically when the coronary arteries restrict or spasm which prevents blood from reaching the heart muscle. This can happen while you sleep and are possible even if you do not have heart disease. The symptoms of a heart attack include; heaviness or pain in the chest, arm and breastbone; shortness of breath, rapid heart beat, sweating, nausea, and vomiting; indigestion, and a choking feeling that may feel like heartburn. During a heart attack these symptoms can last for 30 minutes straight.

If you experienced these symptoms and want to know if you did indeed have a heart attack, there are tests that are usually administered that will let you know. These tests include: ECG, blood tests that measure the level of cardiac enzymes in your blood, echocardiography, and cardiac catheterization. If it is determined that you had a heart attack doctors can check the level of damage to the heart muscle and determine what type of medicines and treatments to put you on. Treatments could include nitroglycerine in pill; liquid or patch forms for more advanced cases or a regular change of diet combined with exercise and stress management for milder cases. Even if you haven’t had a heart attack, you should consider beginning a new health regime that is geared toward cleansing and managing stress levels in the body.