Name: What happens during a heart attack? - Krishna Sudhir
Uploaded: 2017-02-16T03:27:41.000Z
Duration: 4 min 54 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Approximately 7 million people around the  world die from heart attacks every year,

which causes heart attacks and other problems like strokes,

Like all muscles, the heart needs oxygen,

and during a heart attack, it can't get enough.

develop on the walls  of our coronary arteries.

Those are the vessels that supply oxygenated blood to the heart.

Eventually, the plaques can turn into blockages.

If one of the plaques ruptures or cracks,

a blood clot will form around it in minutes,

and a partially closed artery can become completely blocked.

Blood flow is cut off  to the cardiac muscle

and the oxygen-starved cells start to die within several minutes.

Things can rapidly deteriorate in the absence of treatment.

The injured muscle may not be able to pump blood as well,

In the worst case scenario, a heart attack can cause sudden death.

And how do you know that someone is having a heart attack?

caused by the oxygen-deprived  heart muscle.

Patients describe it as crushing or vice-like.

But it's not always as sudden and dramatic as it is in the movies.

Symptoms may be less prominent in women and the elderly.

For them, weakness and tiredness may be the main signal.

especially those with diabetes, which affects the nerves that carry pain,

If you think that someone might be  having a heart attack,

the most important thing  is to respond quickly.

If you have access to emergency medical services, call them.

They're the fastest way  to get to a hospital.

and nitroglycerin,  which opens up the artery,

can help keep the heart attack from getting worse.

In the emergency room,  doctors can diagnose a heart attack.

to measure the heart's  electrical activity

and a blood test to assess  heart muscle damage.

The patient is then taken to a high-tech cardiac suite

where tests are done  to locate the blockages.

Cardiologists can reopen  the blocked artery

by inflating it with a balloon in a procedure called an angioplasty.

Frequently, they also insert a metal or polymer stent

More extensive blockages might require coronary artery bypass surgery.

Using a piece of vein or artery from another part of the body,

heart surgeons can reroute blood flow around the blockage.

These procedures reestablish circulation to the cardiac muscle,

Genetics and lifestyle factors both affect your risk.

And the good news is that you can change your lifestyle.

Exercise, a healthy diet, and weight loss

Doctors recommend exercising a few times a week,

doing both aerobic activity and strength training.

A heart-healthy diet is low in sugar and saturated fats,

whole grains and nuts like walnuts and almonds

A good diet and exercise plan can also keep your weight in a healthy range,

which will lower  your heart attack risk as well.

And of course, medications can also help prevent heart attacks.

Doctors often prescribe low-dose aspirin, for example,

particularly for patients who've already had a heart attack

like high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes,

will make heart attacks less likely, too.

Heart attacks may be common,  but they don't have to be inevitable.

and enjoying plenty of sleep and lots of laughter

all go a long way in making sure your body's most important muscle

Subtitles ListPlay Video

What happens during a heart attack? - Krishna Sudhir

scenario

rhythm

inevitable

diabetes