HEART ATTACKS-PHYSICAL HEALTH QUESTION by Sonia Carrola

HEART ATTACKS IN WOMEN

8768 — 2014-05-02 18:14:50 UTC

Not all women experience chest pressure during a heart attack. Many women mistake a heart attack and heart disease as the flu.

Heart attack symptoms of women, according to Heart.org by the American Heart Association.

"Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain."

RISK FACTORS

8768 — 2014-05-02 18:14:59 UTC

Heart attacks can happen to anyone. However, some people are more at risk than others. Risk factors, according to "Warning Signs of a Heart Attack", an article posted by the American Heart Association, include:

"A previous heart attack or procedure to open up the coronary arteries
Family history of early heart disease:
–Father or brother diagnosed before age 55
–Mother or sister diagnosed before age 65
Diabetes mellitus
High blood cholesterol
High blood pressure
Cigarette smoking
Overweight
Physical inactivity"

HEART ATTACK PREVENTION

8768 — 2014-05-02 18:15:05 UTC

Keeping your heart healthy is the best way to prevent a heart attack. To do so, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, by the National Institute of Health, recommends the following actions. In order to have a heart healthy lifestyle, you should follow a healthy diet. This includes being physically active. If you are a smoker, you should quit, and try to avoid secondhand smoke.

Treating conditions that often lead to heart attacks, like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes also can help prevent a heart attack. Finally, have a plan in store in case you or a family member does have a heart attack.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A HEART ATTACK

8768 — 2014-05-02 18:34:48 UTC

Heart attacks occur when arteries are blocked by blood clots, causing blood flow (and from this, oxygen flow) to the heart to stop. This leads to death of heart muscle cells, causing permanent damage. Therefore, plaque buildup in the arteries is the main cause of heart attacks.

this super sick background graphic was made by me on paint

8768 — 2014-05-16 18:14:58 UTC

BIBLIOGRAPHY

8768 — 2014-05-27 21:55:15 UTC

"Heart Attack: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and More." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 01 June 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/heart-disease-heart-

"Heart Attack Symptoms in Women." Heart Attack Symptoms in Women. American Heart Association, 17 Apr. 2014. Web. 03 June 2014. <http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/WarningSignsofaHeartAttack/Heart-Attack-Symptoms-in-Women_UCM_436448_Article.

"How Can a Heart Attack Be Prevented?" NHLBI, NIH. US Department of Health and Human Services- National Institue of Health, 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 03 June 2014. <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/heartattack/

Ornato, Joseph P., MD, and Mary M. Hand, MSPH,RN. "Warning Signs of a Heart Attack." Circulation. American Heart Association, n.d. Web. 03 June 2014. <http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/104/11/1212.full>.