Checking Symptoms of Acute Heart Attack: Causes and Risk Groups

Acute heart attack is a sudden onset condition that can be severe enough to cause death. It can occur in people of all ages and genders, especially the elderly. Often a silent threat, it accumulates due to lifestyle behaviors and underlying diseases but is preventable.

Causes of acute heart attack

An acute heart attack occurs due to sudden blockage of the coronary arteries, leading to a lack of blood and oxygen to the heart muscle. The main cause is the buildup of fat deposits on artery walls that rupture, forming clots that block blood flow to the heart. This leads to dangerous symptoms that may be severe enough to cause death.

Recognizing symptoms of acute heart attack

These symptoms indicate a severe acute heart attack or may signal other life-threatening conditions. Such symptoms include:

• Chest pain
• Fainting, loss of consciousness, or extreme fatigue
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Along with shortness of breath, chest pain, or loss of consciousness
• Sudden or severe difficulty breathing
• Coughing
• Coughing up pink frothy sputum

If any of these symptoms occur, the patient should be taken to the hospital promptly for examination and treatment by specialists.

Risk groups for acute heart attack

Acute heart attack can affect all ages and genders, but the highest risk is in the elderly and those with pre-existing heart abnormalities such as ischemic heart disease. It can also occur in people without prior heart disease but who have chronic conditions affecting the heart, such as:

• End-stage kidney disease
• Chronic alcoholism
• Pulmonary embolism
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Obesity
• Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
• Sleep apnea
• Stroke
• Viral infections affecting the heart

Can acute heart attack be prevented?

Risk factors for acute heart attack include unavoidable and avoidable causes. Unavoidable factors include aging. Other risks often stem from chronic diseases largely influenced by lifestyle behaviors that can be changed and controlled to prevent an acute heart attack, such as:

• Maintaining a normal weight, since obesity increases heart attack risk
• Exercising regularly
• Eating a balanced diet low in red meat and sugar
• Quitting smoking
• Finding ways to manage stress
• Getting adequate sleep
• Limiting alcohol consumption

Additionally, regular annual health check-ups are advised. If any abnormal symptoms appear, informing a doctor promptly is important because early diagnosis and treatment improve quality of life.

Source: Samitivej Hospital, BNH Hospital