Cardiovascular Diseases: Heart Attack, Cardiac Arrest And Stroke

Heart attack, cardiac arrest, cerebrovascular attack, stroke, apoplexy … you have surely heard these words often, but most of you probably do not know the difference between these cardiovascular diseases and do not know their meaning.

In this article we want to explain in detail what these health problems consist of and what are the risk factors common to all  cardiovascular diseases .

Cardiovascular diseases: heart attack

In the case of myocardial infarction, the problem is due to the coronary artery, where a clot forms, almost always due to the release of an atheroma, which blocks the flow of blood and oxygen that should reach the heart.

This block usually causes irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), chest pain that can radiate to the entire left side of the body, breathing difficulties, etc.

This blockage must be treated immediately, as it can cause the affected heart muscle to die within a few hours. People who have a heart attack do not lose consciousness for even a moment and experience acute pain.

Cardiac arrest

In this case, the heart immediately stops beating. People with cardiac arrest immediately lose consciousness, pass out and stop breathing.

For this, the intervention must be immediate, as this problem causes the patient’s death. If caught early, the patient will need immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation until the defibrillator can be used, which sends an electrical pulse to the heart to restore normal heart rhythm.

Those who have already had cardiac arrest can undergo surgery to get a defibrillator implant, which will decrease the risks if they suffer from another cardiac arrest.

Cardiovascular disease: the cerebrovascular accident (or stroke)

Cerebrovascular accident, also known as brain infarction, stroke , or stroke , occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked. If the accident lasts several seconds, the brain no longer receives oxygen and nutrients and this causes the death of several brain cells and, consequently, permanent damage.

There are two types of cardiovascular accident:

• Ischemic: it  is the most frequent, that is, the one that occurs in 85% of cases of cardiovascular accidents and leads to the irreversible situation we mentioned earlier. It is a cerebral infarction caused by a thrombosis that prevents proper blood circulation in the brain.

• Hemorrhagic:  this is the least frequent and, even if the victims of this problem are greater, usually the patients who are saved present less damage than those who have suffered an ischemic cardiovascular accident. It is a hemorrhage caused by the rupture of a blood vessel.

Risk factors

There are risk factors common to all of these coronary problems. You should know them to prevent any type of cardiovascular disease, especially if you suffer from any of these risk factors or if in the case of hereditary problems:

• Arterial hypertension: it is essential to check blood pressure regularly. Your doctor will have to advise you on the most appropriate treatment depending on your blood pressure values.
• Excessive consumption of dangerous fats: fats are essential nutrients for our health, but they must be good. We recommend that you regularly consume good quality plant-based fats, such as olive, linseed, coconut oil, avocado, dried fruit, etc.

• High cholesterol and triglycerides:  You also need to keep your cholesterol and triglyceride levels under control. You can improve them with good nutrition and also by monitoring your emotional health. The excess of these fats that are deposited in the walls of the arteries, forming atheroma, can cause the dispersion of these and the formation of thrombosis.
• Diabetes : 20% of stroke sufferers are diabetic.
• Sedentary lifestyle : We all know that physical activity is essential. You can do some exercises a day, even simple ones, such as going up and down stairs or walking or playing sports 2 or 3 times a week.

Other risk factors:

• Smoking : it is essential to reduce this problem, not only for coronary health, but also to avoid other problems.
• Obesity : being overweight multiplies the risk of suffering from cardiovascular problems and, for this reason, it is very important to learn to deal with this problem. There are several natural tips to help you eat correctly and healthily, to progressively lose weight, without excessive sacrifices or trauma.
• Stress : Stress affects our health and exacerbates the problems we have or are prone to. It is directly related, for example, to cholesterol levels. For this, we recommend that you try to avoid it as much as possible and keep a calm temperament.

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