Extensive heart attack: consequences, chances of survival, rehabilitation in men and women

Diseases of the cardiovascular system are in the first place among the causes of mortality. Among them, one of the most serious pathologies is myocardial infarction, which often leads to premature death. It is very important to provide first aid, it often depends on it if there is an extensive heart attack, consequences, chances to survive, rehabilitation.

What is myocardial infarction

With this condition, there is a violation of the blood supply to the heart muscle, which leads to the development of irreversible consequences. Acute oxygen starvation can not pass without significant changes in the structure and work of the body.

During a hemorrhage, necrotic areas appear in the heart, which later can not perform their functions fully. Has a fairly serious extensive heart attack consequences, the chances of survival depend entirely on the timely provided first aid to the victim. After a heart attack in the heart muscle, the affected cells are replaced with a connective tissue, which severely limits the ability of the heart to contract.

If you believe the statistics, our country is the second most common heart disease. You can also take into account the following facts:

• Almost 40% of premature deaths are caused by myocardial infarction.
• If the heart attack is extensive, only 17% of patients survive.
• In 11% of patients, there are recurrences of pathology.

It should also be noted that men aged 45 to 50 years are much more likely to suffer from this pathology. At this age in the female body, estrogen acts as an advocate, but by the age of 70, its production has completely ceased and the risk of developing a heart attack in the female half of mankind also increases.

No cardiological center can increase the chances of surviving if the diagnosis of an "extensive heart attack" is made, if in the first couple of hours the qualified help is not rendered to the victim.

Causes of myocardial infarction

The main reason for the development of a heart attack is damage to the walls of arteries by atherosclerotic plaques that disrupt blood circulation. This can happen with the following pathologies:

1. Atherosclerosis of the coronary vessels. If the plaque reaches a large size, then it can completely cover the lumen of the vessel.
2. Increased blood pressure, which leads to an increase in the tone of the vessels and the thickening of their walls. And if you still assume the presence of plaques in the vessels, then another jump in pressure can trigger a massive heart attack. The consequences, the chances of survival, rehabilitation will depend on the speed of care.
3. Fat embolism can also trigger vascular thrombosis.
4. Surgical obturation of vessels if angioplasty was performed.

Risk factors

Not only the listed diseases and conditions can cause the development of a heart attack, but there are several unfavorable factors that increase this risk several times:

• Diabetes mellitus can become an indirect culprit of a heart attack. With an elevated glucose content in the blood, metabolic processes are disrupted, which can lead to the appearance of sclerotic plaques in the vessels.
• At a young age, a heart attack can develop because of a hereditary predisposition.
• Kidney disease.
• Disturbances in the diet.
• Excess body weight.
• Low physical activity.
• Smoking, not only active, but also passive. During smoking, there is a spasm of blood vessels, which leads to the deposition of platelets on the plaques, in time this can lead to a complete overlap of the lumen of the vessel.
• Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages leads to toxic damage to the heart muscle and blood vessels, increasing blood pressure, which means that it is already within reach of infarction.
• Frequent stress and chronic fatigue.
• Excessive physical exertion can not pass without a trace to the heart.
• Rheumatism, which captures the walls of the heart.
• Infectious diseases, especially those that are provoked by staphylococci and streptococci.
• Increased cholesterol.
• High concentration of triglycerides in the blood.
• Sexual affiliation: it is established that in men the infarction develops much more often.
• Poor environmental conditions.

If to consider, that more often it is possible to observe a combination of several risk factors, then it is not surprising that such a large number of citizens develop an extensive heart attack. The consequences, the chances of survival, rehabilitation will be considered a little later.

Periods of infarction

Symptoms of this pathology will depend on the stage of development, but they are distinguished by several:

• Pre-infarction.
• The sharpest period.
• Acute.
• Subacute.
• Postinfarction.

It is very important to distinguish between these periods, in order to provide the necessary assistance in a timely manner to a person.

Signs of pre-infarction

Extensive myocardial consequences may not be so terrible if you recognize its approach at the pre-infarction stage. This period is characterized by the following symptoms:

• There are pains behind the breastbone, which can have different intensity and are stopped by the intake of "Nitroglycerin".
• Dyspnea.
• Increased sweating.
• Violation of the heart rate.
• Nausea.
• With any physical exertion, the pain only intensifies.
• If during this period to make an electrocardiogram, then it will show violations in the blood supply of the heart muscle.

If you pay attention to such symptoms in time, you can prevent an extensive heart attack (consequences). The chances of survival (rehabilitation will not be long) will be high.

Symptoms of the most acute period

If the pre-infarction can last for a long time, sometimes up to a month, then the acute period develops quickly enough. It is characterized by the manifestation of the following symptoms:

• Burning pain in the chest, giving to the left half of the body.
• Reduced blood pressure.
• Arrhythmia.
• Breathing becomes intermittent.
• Skin pale, cold sweat appears.
• A person can lose consciousness.
• If the back of the heart is affected, then one can feel nausea, pain in the stomach.
• There is a fear of death.

The most acute stage can be manifested by atypical symptoms:

• Attacks of suffocation.
• There is a cough.
• Edema syndrome.
• There are signs of cerebral ischemia.

In some cases, the symptoms can be severely erased. This condition can last up to two hours. If this stage was not avoided, then a rather serious extensive infarction would result. The chances of survival (rehabilitation will be required by all such patients) will completely depend on qualified medical care.

Acute period of pathology

For several days after the attack, there is an acute period. After an extensive heart attack, the following symptoms occur:

• The pain gradually decreases its intensity.
• A necrosis site forms in the heart.
• Increases blood pressure and body temperature.
• The heart rhythm is lost.
• Appears shortness of breath.

A week after the attack begins subacute period, which is characterized by the absence of pain, normalization of heart rate and blood pressure. The site of necrosis on the cardiac muscle is gradually replaced by scar tissue.

When the post-infarction period comes, and it can last up to six months, the heart gradually adapts to the new working conditions, compensatory mechanisms develop. The patient can often experience angina attacks, dyspnea is observed and the heart rhythm is periodically disturbed.

First aid for infarction

Extensive myocardial consequences can have varying degrees of complexity, it all depends on the first aid provided. Regardless of the type of pathology, it is necessary for a victim to provide pre-medical care as soon as possible before the arrival of a team of doctors:

1. The patient must be planted or put and the legs bent at the knees.
2. Ensure the influx of fresh air, for this, unbutton the collar, remove the tie or open the window.
3. Under the tongue give the tablet "Nitroglycerin".
4. In the absence of an allergy to "Aspirin" you can chew the drug in an amount up to 300 mg.
5. If the patient has lost consciousness, then it is necessary to turn him on his side and toss his head back.
6. Urgent massage of the heart, if it stopped.
7. Try to calm the patient, panic in such a situation is not an assistant.

After rendering assistance, it is necessary to take the victim to the hospital or wait for the ambulance to arrive.

Actions of the emergency team

Immediately after arrival, ambulance doctors begin to stop the attack, for this:

• Drugs are used.
• If the patient is breathing, then use an oxygen mask.
• To relieve agitation, the patient is given sedatives.
• To confirm the diagnosis, a cardiogram is made directly in the ambulance .
• The patient is taken to the hospital, depending on his condition, this may be a resuscitation unit or an intensive care unit.

Treatment of extensive heart attack

Infarction therapy should be performed only in the cardiology department. The main task of doctors:

1. Relieve pain.
2. Reduce the area of necrotic lesion.
3. Restore normal blood flow to the heart muscle.
4. Reduce the risk of blood clots.
5. Restore a disturbed heart rhythm.
6. Maintain blood pressure at a normal level.

To implement these tasks, the following drugs are prescribed:

1. Pain in the acute period can be removed with the help of narcotic painkillers, they include Morphine, Promedol. These drugs are administered intravenously for the early relief of pain.
2. To remove nervous excitability, tranquilizers ("Diazepam", "Relanium") are indicated.
3. Thrombolytic therapy is carried out, which means taking Alteplase and Fiboinolysin. These agents dissolve thrombi, the size of myocardial necrosis decreases.
4. Reception of anticoagulants, the main among which is "Aspirin".
5. Assigning ACE inhibitors, which slow heart activity, normalize blood pressure, dilating blood vessels. This group includes "Captopril", "Ranipril".
6. For the treatment of arrhythmia, the use of cardioprotectors (for example, "Atenolol", "Propranolol") is indicated.

If drug treatment does not bring relief to the patient, then you will have to resort to surgery.

Recovery after a heart attack

Many people are interested in the question: how many live after a large heart attack? The answer will depend not only on the treatment performed, but also on proper rehabilitation. In this period after a heart attack, it is very important to recover not only physically, but also mentally. The patient is prescribed exercise therapy, but it is necessary to deal with it, constantly controlling the pulse. Not only special exercises help to restore the cardiovascular system, but positively influence:

• Walking.
• Massage.
• Healing baths.

If an extensive heart attack has been postponed, rehabilitation also implies a revision of the diet. It is necessary to include products that normalize the heart:

• Fresh vegetables and fruits.
• Bread.
• Juices.
• Kashi.

Exclude from the menu products that provoke the formation of sclerotic plaques in the vessels:

• Fatty dishes.
• Smoked meat.
• Sausages.
• Butter and sour cream.
• Fatty cottage cheese.

If the patient underwent an extensive heart attack, how many live after such a pathology, will depend on compliance with all the recommendations of the attending physician. The patient will have to reconsider his way of life:

1. Bad habits, such as smoking and drinking alcohol, should go away.
2. Limit exercise.
3. Avoid stressful situations.
4. To take walks in the fresh air in any weather.
5. Take medication prescribed by your doctor to prevent the formation of plaques in the vessels. Most likely, throughout life it is necessary to use medicines not to provoke a relapse.

Very good, if there is an opportunity to undergo rehabilitation in a specialized sanatorium.

Consequences of a heart attack

If there was a massive heart attack, then, as a rule, the consequences for patients are serious:

• Arrhythmia.
• Formation of thrombi in the cardiovascular system.
• There are abnormalities in the work of many internal organs.
• They refuse limbs.
• You can observe speech disturbance.
• One of the serious consequences is heart aneurysm and thromboembolism.
• Pulmonary edema.
• Heart failure.
• Cardiogenic shock.
• Disturbance of respiratory function.
• Heart failure.

Although somehow prevent the development of serious complications can be compliance with all the recommendations of the doctor, as well as changing their lifestyle and attitude to their health.

Prevention of myocardial infarction

It is possible to prevent the development of a heart attack if you carefully treat your health and prevent the formation of sclerotic plaques in the vessels. For this, the following recommendations should be observed:

• Include in your diet more fresh fruits and vegetables that contain fiber.
• Reduce the consumption of fatty, smoked and fried foods.
• Lead a healthy lifestyle.
• To prevent stress, master the methods of relaxation.
• Control the blood sugar and cholesterol.
• To treat chronic pathologies.
• Seek medical advice if there is an attack of angina pectoris.

Myocardial infarction is a serious cardiac disease that can lead to death, but every patient, with the observance of medical recommendations, can prevent this terrible pathology.