1. WHAT IS A HEART ATTACK?
Another name for a heart attack is myocardial infarction. M.I. for short. It occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked (often by a blood clot). This happens because coronary arteries that supply the heart with blood slowly become clogged from a buildup of cells, fat and cholesterol called plaque. Blood that tries to flow through these clogged arteries can form a clot. If this clot cuts off the blood flow completely, the part of the heart muscle supplied by that artery begins to die.
HOW CAN I RECOVER?
Depending on the extent of your heart attack, you may only be in the hospital a few days. But your recovery is just beginning. It's very important to start taking steps now to get your heart in good shape and to avoid another heart attack. Eat a healthful diet, exercise and if you smoke, quit. Talk with your doctor and nurses about how you can live as normal a life as possible. Ask how soon you can go back to work, drive a car, etc. and what to do if you have chest discomfort.
2. WHAT IS AN ARRHYTHMIA?
An arrhythmia (ah-RITH-mee-ah) is an abnormal rhythm of the heart. It may feel like a temporary pause and be so brief that it doesn't change your overall heart rate. Or it can cause the heart rate to be too slow or too fast. There are two basic kinds of arrhythmias. Bradycardia (BRAY-dee-kar-dee-ah) is when the heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute. Tachycardia (TAK-ee-kar-dee-ah) is when the heart rate is more than 100 beats per minute. More than 600,000 people go into the hospital for arrhythmias each year.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF ARRHYTHMIA?
When it's very brief, an arrhythmia can have almost no symptoms. It can feel like a skipped heartbeat that you barely notice. It also may feel like a fluttering in the chest or neck. When arrhythmias last long enough to affect how well the heart works, the heart may not be able to pump enough blood to the body. This can cause you to feel tired or light-headed or may make you pass out. It can also cause death. Tachycardia can reduce the heart's ability to pump, causing shortness of breath, chest pain, lightheadedness or loss of consciousness. If severe, it can also cause heart attack or death.
HOW ARE ARRHYTHMIAS TREATED?
Before treatment, it's important for the doctor to know where an arrhythmia starts in the heart and whether it's abnormal. An electrocardiogram (graphic record of electrical impulses made by the heart) is often used to diagnose arrhythmias. Other ways are treadmill tests and electrophysiologic studies ("mapping" the electrical system of your heart).
Treatment may include:
*Medicine
*Anticoagulants to reduce the risk of blood clots and stroke
*A temporary pacemaker that uses batteries to help your heart beat more regularly
*Cardiac defibrillation (a way of returning an abnormally fast heartbeat to normal with a very brief electric shock)
*Cardiac ablation (inserting a catheter in your vein. The tip of the catheter can be heated and goes to the "short circuit" in the heart muscle to fix it with a tiny burn. You won't feel the burn and it won't hurt your heart.
3. WHAT IS ATRIAL FIBRILLATION?
Normally, your heart contracts and relaxes to a regular beat. Your heart beats because certain cells in your heart make electric signals that cause the heart to contract and pump blood. This electrical signal shows up on an electrocardiogram or ECG machine. Your doctor can use this machine to find out if the electric signals are normal. In atrial fibrillation, part of the heart doesn't beat the way it should. Instead of beating in a regular, normal pattern, part of the heart beats irregularly and too fast. It's important for the heart to pump properly because that's how your body gets the oxygen and food it needs. You can live with atrial fibrillation, but it can cause stroke or more serious heart rhythm disturbances. You will need a doctor to help you control the problem.
HOW DO I KNOW I HAVE ATRIAL FIBRILLATION?
*Irregular heart beat
*Heart palpitations or rapid thumping inside the chest
*Shortness of breath
*Get tired more easily when exercising
WHAT CAN CORRECT THE PROBLEM?
Sometimes atrial fibrillation can be corrected with an electric shock. This shock may change the beat of your heart back to normal. You may take medicine, such as digitalis. It can return your heart rate to a normal rhythm.
4. WHAT IS A CORONARY ANGIOGRAM?
A coronary angiogram is a special x-ray test. It's done to find the spot where a coronary artery is clogged. The arteries of your heart that supply your heart muscle with blood can become clogged from a buildup of cells, fats and cholesterol. This buildup is called plaque. Plaque blocks the flow of blood to your heart and can lead to a heart attack. An angiogram is done to see how clogged the artery is and to see if you need treatment such as angioplasty, coronary artery bypass surgery, or medical therapy. Sometimes treatment isn't necessary and you can get your heart back in shape by lowering your blood pressure, stopping smoking, reducing the cholesterol in you blood and staying physically active.
A. WHAT HAPPENS IN THE TEST?
*You may be given medicine to relax you
*You go to the hospital's heart catheterization laboratory or "cath lab".
*You lie on a hard table near a camera and other equipment.
*Your doctor numbs a spot on your groin or arm and inserts a thin tube, or catheter into an artery and up to the heart.
*Special fluid goes through the catheter so arteries show up well on the x-ray.
*Many x-rays are taken as the fluid goes through the artery.
*You may be asked to hold your breath or cough.
*By studying the x-ray the doctor can see any problems with your coronary arteries.
*If you wish, you can watch the x-ray on the screen.
5. WHAT IS CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY?
The arteries of your heart can become clogged from a buildup of cells, fats and cholesterol called plaque. Plaque blocks the blood flow to your heart and can cause chest pain and lead to a heart attack. Angioplasty opens blocked arteries and allows blood to blow to your heart muscle. Angioplasty is not surgery. It opens a clogged coronary artery by inflating a tiny balloon in it. People who need angioplasty have coronary artery disease. This is caused by atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. In 1993, about 1,800,000 people had this disease and 73,000 went into the hospital because of it. Hundreds of thousands of people have angioplasty procedures.
HOW IS IT DONE?
First, a doctor numbs a spot on your groin or arm and inserts a small tube into an artery. This thin plastic tube or catheter is threaded through the arterial system until it gets into the coronary artery that feeds your heart. By watching on a special x-ray screen, the doctor can move the catheter into the clogged spot. Next, a smaller catheter with a small balloon on its tip goes through the first catheter. When the balloon tipped catheter reaches the clogged artery, it is inflated. The inflated balloon pushes plaque to the side, opening the artery so blood can flow more easily. This may be done more than once. After that, the balloon and catheters are taken out. Now the clogged artery has been opened by the angioplasty and your heart will get the blood it needs.
6. WHAT IS CORONARY BYPASS SURGERY?
Coronary artery bypass surgery is a heart operation. It uses blood vessels to go around or "bypass" clogged coronary arteries. How blood can flow through the new arteries to the heart the way it should. Now do the arteries of your heart become clogged? Over time, cells, fats and cholesterol called plaque can build up the walls of your arteries. Plaque blocks the blood flow to your heart and can lead to chest discomfort called angina or to a heart attack. Almost half a million coronary bypass operations are performed each year.
HOW IS IT DONE?
*Your doctor will take a blood vessel from your chest or from your leg
*One end is attached to your aorta (the large artery that comes out of the heart), and the other end is attached to the coronary artery below the point where it's clogged.
*Blood can now flow through the new channel to the heart.
7. HOW CAN I LOWER HIGH CHOLESTEROL?
Too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to heart disease - America's number one killer. Even though there's much you can do to lower your cholesterol levels and protect yourself, half of all Americans still have levels that are too high (over 200 mg/dl). You can reduce cholesterol in your blood by eating healthful foods, losing weight if you need to and exercising. Some people also need to take medicine because changing their diet isn't enough. Your doctor and nurses will help you set up a plan for reducing your cholesterol - and keeping your heart healthy.
WHAT SHOULD I EAT?
Low-fat, low-cholesterol foods include:
*Fruits and vegetables
*Whole grains, like cereal, rice and pasta
*Lean red meats and poultry without skin (choose up to 6 total ounces per day)
*Low-fat or skim milk dairy products
*Lean fish and shellfish
*Beans and peas
*Nuts and seeds in limited amounts
*Unsaturated vegetable oils like canola, olive, safflower and sunflower oils in limited amounts
WHAT SHOULD I LIMIT?
*Whole milk, cream and ice-cream
*Butter, egg yolks and cheese - and foods made with them
*Organ meats like liver, sweetbreads, kidney and brain
*High-fat processed meats like sausage, bologna, salami and hot dogs
*Fatty red meats that aren't trimmed
*Duck and goose meat
*Bakery goods made with egg yolks and saturated fats
*Saturated oils like coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil
*Solid fats like shortening, soft margarine and lard
*Fried foods
8. WHAT IS ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY?
Echocardiography, also called an echo test, is a test that takes "moving pictures" of the heart with sound waves. You don't have to stay in the hospital; it's not surgery and doesn't hurt. This test is done to help your doctor find out if you have problems with your heart or how it is functioning.
This test may be needed if:
*You have a heart murmur
*You've had a heart attack
*You have unexplained chest pains
*You've had rheumatic fever
*You have a congenital heart defect
HOW IS IT DONE?
*You'll lie on a bed on your side or back
*A technician will put special jelly on a probe and move it over your chest area
*Ultra-high-frequency sound waves will pick up images of your heart and valves
*Your heart's movements can be seen on a video screen.
*A videotape or a photograph can be made of the pictures.
*The test takes 45 minutes to one hour to perform.
*It's painless and has no side effects.
9. WHAT IS A PACEMAKER?
A pacemaker is a small unit that uses batteries to help your heart beat more regularly. It does this with a small electric shock that helps control your heartbeat. Your doctor puts the pacemaker under the skin on your chest, just under your collarbone. It's hooked up to your heart with tiny wires. You may need a pacemaker to keep your heart contracting and pumping blood. This way your body gets the blood, oxygen and food that it needs. Some people just need a pacemaker for a short time (like after a heart attack) and may use a kind that's outside the skin. the battery unit for this type can be worn on a belt.
HOW DOES A PACEMAKER WORK?
A pacemaker uses batteries to send electric signals to your heart to help it pump the right way. An electrode is put next to your heart. Tiny electric charges that you can't feel move through the wire to your heart. Many modern pacemakers work only when needed. They're called "demand" pacemakers. They shut off if your heartbeat is above a certain rate. They go on when your heartbeat is too slow.
10. WHAT IS A STRESS TEST?
A stress test, sometimes called a treadmill test or exercise test, helps your doctor find out how well your heart handles work. As your body works harder during the test, it requires more fuel and your heart has to pump more blood. The test can show if there's a lack of blood supply through the arteries that go to the heart. Taking a stress test also helps your doctor know the kind and level of exercise that's right for you.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE STRESS TEST?
*You're hooked up to equipment to monitor your heart.
*You walk slowly in place on the treadmill.
*It tilts so you feel like you're going up a small hill.
*It changes speeds to make you walk faster.
*You may be asked to breathe into a tube for a couple of minutes.
*You can stop the test at any time if you need to.
*After slowing down for a few minutes, you'll sit or lie down and your heart and blood pressure will be checked.
WHAT IS MONITORED DURING THE STRESS TEST?
*Your heart rate
*Your breathing
*Your blood pressure
*Your electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
*How tired you feel