Heart disease treatments
Submitted by Thiruvelan on Wed, 06/23/2010 - 21:15
Early treatment can prevent or at least limit damage to the heart muscles. Acting fast, at the first symptoms of heart attack, can save your life.
Heart attack treatment
It is always best to reach for treatment within one hour of your first symptom.
Treatment for heart attack can be started once it is suspected and even before it is diagnosis is confirmed.
- Oxygen to nourish affected muscles due to lack of oxygen
- Aspirin is used to prevent further blood clot
- Nitroglycerin, to reduce the workload on the heart and improve blood flow through the coronary arteries
- Treatment for chest pain
Once the diagnosis of heart attack is confirmed or suspected strongly, then the treatments to try to restore blood flow to the heart can be started. Treatments may include medicines and medical procedures.
Medicines for Heart attack treatment
Different kinds of medicines used to treat heart attack are include the following;
Thrombolytic Medicines
Otherwise called by clot busters, are used to dissolve blood clots that are blocking the coronary arteries. These medicines are most effective, when given within 1 hour after the start of heart attack symptoms.
Beta Blockers
Decrease the workload to your heart, beta blockers can also be used to relieve chest pain or discomfort and helps to prevent additional heart attacks. Beta blocker can also correct irregular heartbeats.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors
Lower blood pressure and reduce strain on the heart. It also helps to slow down further weakening of the heart muscle.
Anticoagulants
It makes the blood thinner and prevents clots from forming in your arteries.
Antiplatelet Medicines
Medicines such as aspirin and clopidogrel can helps to stop platelets, a type of blood cell from clumping together and forming unwanted clots.
Medical Procedures for heart attack treatment
If medicines can’t stop a heart attack, medical procedures such as surgical or nonsurgical may be used. These procedures include the following.
Angioplasty
A non-surgical procedure can be used to open coronary arteries that are blocked by a blood clot. In angioplasty, a catheter (a thin, flexible plastic tube) with a balloon on the end is inserted through a blood vessel to the blocked coronary artery. Now, the balloon is inflated so that it pushes the plaque against the wall of the coronary artery. Then leave small stents in the artery to help keep it open the stents are coated with medicines to prevent the arteries be blocked again. After placing the stents in position the balloon is deflated and removed. This widens the arteries and thus restoring blood flow.
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
It is a surgical procedure in which arteries or veins are taken from other areas of the body and put in place to bypass (go around) blocked coronary arteries. This provides a new way for blood flow to the heart muscle.
Cardiac rehabilitation
Once discharged from the hospital after a heart attack treatment, don’t think the treatment is over. At home, your treatment may include daily medicines and cardiac rehabilitation. Cardiac rehabilitation may include lifestyle changes, including
- quitting smoking,
- losing weight,
- changing your diet, and
- increasing your physical activity,
Cardiac rehabilitation is meant to lower your chances of having another heart attack and also fully recovered from your heart attack.
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