Are Younger People at Risk of a Heart Attack?
It might seem rather strange but you should believe it, younger people suffer from heart attacks every now and then. Heart attack has been known to affect older people meaning age is a factor, but things have been changing recently. Younger people have been recorded to suffer from a heart attack, with some surviving and some falling victim. Let us look at what heart attack is, the causes, symptoms, and also ways to avoid or treat this heart disease.
What Is a Heart Attack?
Heart attack, which most people know as myocardial infraction, is a condition where the heart experiences isolation. The so-called isolation is when there is an obstruction in the supply of blood going to the heart. This obstruction cuts off the supply of oxygen to the heart as well making your breathing to stop and this can lead to death. On many occasions, the obstruction is caused by the collection of substances like cholesterol, fat, etc.
These substances create a plaque-like form in the coronary arteries (the arteries are responsible for supplying blood to the heart). In some other situations, this obstruction of blood supply is caused by a ruptured plaque. Heart attack can be very deadly because the hindrance to blood supply can cause damages to the heart muscles.
On several occasions, there have been records of complications that come with a heart attack. One of these is heart failure, where the muscles in the heart can’t pump out enough blood. Sometimes it causes temporary damage that you might recover from, and other times, it damages the heart permanently. Another complication is experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest which occurs due to a disturbance of the heart. This disturbance makes an abnormal heart rhythm to occur, causing the heart to suddenly stop. Cardiac arrest has been termed fatal because it can lead to death immediately without any chance for treatment.
Causes of Heart Attack
Stress
There are some responses to stress that you might exhibit, which increases the possibility of you suffering a heart attack.
Inadequate Physical Activities
Little or no physical activities or exercise can result in you having a heart attack. This is because being inactive increases the cholesterol in your blood and makes you obese.
Age
Men over age 45 and women over age 55 are prone to having a heart attack compared to people younger than them. The risk increases with age, so the older you get, the higher the risk.
High Blood Pressure
Mostly occurring with other conditions, high blood pressure is one that can cause serious damages to the arteries that supply the heart. It is one of the conditions that increase your chances of suffering from a heart attack.
Drug Abuse
Wrong use of some particular drugs, especially stimulants, can also contribute to increasing your risk of suffering a heart attack. Stimulants are able to trigger a spasm of the arteries supplying blood to your heart which can cause a heart attack.
Heredity
If any member of your family has experienced a heart attack or it has been recorded in your family history, chances are you might experience it. Heredity can’t be changed easily, but you might or might not suffer a heart attack depending on other factors.
Diabetes
Diabetes which is an increase in the sugar level in your blood, can also make you run the risk of having a heart attack. The condition called diabetes occurs when your body does not respond to insulin properly or does not produce enough.
Obesity
Obesity can also make you run the risk of suffering a heart attack. It is one that links to many other conditions like high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high triglyceride level. People who are obese tend to suffer heart attacks compared to people who have lesser weight.
Smoking
Smoking and extensive exposure to smoke can make you prone to having a heart attack. Here are some other Bad effects of smoking you might want to check out.
Symptoms of a Heart Attack
Heart attack is very deadly heart disease and requires you to treat it immediately to avoid serious conditions or fatalities. In order to discover early if you have or might have a heart attack, you need to know the symptoms. Here are some of the symptoms you will likely experience:
- You will experience frequent loss of breath at irregular intervals.
- Sometimes, you will feel dizzy or light-headed all of a sudden
- Your sweat will also get cold
- Fatigue will also tend to set in due to loss of breath
- You might experience a nauseous feeling and sometimes, indigestion, heartburn and pains in your abdominal area.
Are Younger People at Risk of a Heart Attack
The answer is yes, younger people can also suffer a heart attack but not all. In the past, heart attack victims were recorded to be mainly adults, but recently, younger people have been falling victim. Unlike adults who fall victim to heart attack due to age, younger people fall victim due to poor lifestyle. One of the factors that make younger people run the risk of is the incident of type 2 diabetes. This type of diabetes occurs when with the following contributors:
- Consumption of Diets That Have Been Ultra-Processed
- Gaining Too Much Weight and Becoming Obese
- Doing Little or No Physical Activities
- Eating at Late Times Also Affects Your Chances of Having A Heart Disease
These contributors are the reason younger people have recently been falling victim to heart attacks in modern times.
How to Prevent Heart Attack
As weird as it seems, there are ways to prevent heart attacks. Though it might seem strange, you can do this even if you have had one previously. Take a look at some of the methods you can use to prevent heart attacks
Healthy Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is not only good for preventing heart attack but also for any health issue you might have. Be sure to eat healthy meals, do exercises more often and quit smoking. You also need to manage stress very well because it will all be meaningless If stress keeps diminishing your health. Try as much as possible to keep track of any condition or symptoms you might have been experiencing.
Take Medications
There are varieties of medications that can help you to combat heart attacks and help the functionality of your damaged heart. Be sure to get a prescription from your doctor since some of the medications might also be directed at healing some conditions linked to heart attack. Also confirm how long you will need to be monitored so you can recover properly.
Conclusion
Heart attacks can be very fatal and it’s not only restricted to older people alone. Younger people can also suffer from it as much as older people do. To manage and recover from heart attacks, your lifestyle is crucial, so be sure to take note of the important things. Things like getting proper exercises, eating healthy meals and eating on time. Also, be sure to take your medication correctly. If you happen to have issues even after doing these preventive measures, be sure to contact your cardiologist as soon as possible
