What is a Heart Attack?

A heart attack or Myocardial Infarction (MI) refers to permanent damage to the heart muscle. Surrounding the heart, there is a group of blood vessels known as coronary arteries that supply the heart with blood. This blood is rich in oxygen and nutrients. Its supply to the heart is essential for the proper functioning of the body and the cardiovascular system. Without this continuous supply, the heart muscle cannot function. A heart attack refers to when one of these vessels gets blocked suddenly and thus the flow of the nutrient and oxygen rich blood to the heart is obstructed. This causes damage to the heart muscle.

Risk Factors for Heart Attack

There are several factors that might make someone more at risk for a heart attack or a myocardial infarction. Some of the common risk factors are as follows:

• Age: Men over the age of 45 as well as women over the age of 55 have an increased likelihood to have a heart attack than younger individuals.
• Smoking: First-hand smoking, as well as long term exposure to secondhand smoke, will increase the likelihood of heart attack.
• High Blood Pressure: High blood pressure damages the coronary arteries which lead to the heart muscle. This increases the likelihood of heart attacks. Other conditions such as obesity, high cholesterol, or diabetes, which may occur alongside high blood pressure, will increase the risk even more.
• High cholesterol: High cholesterol leads to narrow arteries and can lead to a heightened risk of a heart attack or myocardial infarction.
• Metabolic syndrome: This increases the likelihood of getting a heart attack by two times. This syndrome occurs alongside the presence of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, as well as obesity.
• Family history: if immediate family such as siblings, grandparents, or parents have had heart attacks by the age of 55 for males and 65 for females, then your risk of having a heart attack is increased.
• Physical inactivity: Being physically inactive increases the risk of a heart attack. This is because physical inactivity contributes to high blood cholesterol levels. It also leads to obesity.
• Stress: Stress can also lead to a heart attack.
  

Symptoms of a Heart Attack

The most common symptoms of a heart attack are as follows:

• Angina, which is described as chest pain or a tightness or heaviness in the chest
• Pain or discomfort in the upper areas of the body including shoulders, jaw, back, stomach
• Shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sweating
• Rapid or irregular heartbeats
• Lightheadedness
• Dizziness
• Weakness

Symptoms in women may be different, and are as follows:

• Pain that spreads to the arm
• Jaw pain or pain spreading to the jaw
• Pressure or pain in the center of the chest
• Unusual fatigue for several days

Treatment of Heart Attacks

The treatment of heart attacks is of various kinds:

• Medication: This can include aspirin, thrombolytics, antiplatelet agents, pain relievers, statins, blood thinning agents, nitroglycerin, ACE inhibitors, or beta blockers.
• Surgical procedures: These may include coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) or coronary angioplasty and stenting.
• Cardiac rehabilitation: This can last for several months following initial treatment and focuses on medication and lifestyle changes with a gradual return to normal activities.

Health Insurance Policy for Heart Attacks

There are many health insurance policies in India which cover the critical care required in case of a heart attack. For example, HDFC Life Cardiac Care, and Apollo Munich Health Insurance include cover for surgeries involved in the treatment of heart attacks.

Why Choose InsuranceDekho for an Insurance Plan for Heart Attack?

When it comes to heart attacks or cardiac disease, you will find a wide range of policies with varied coverage at InsuranceDekho. It is extremely easy to buy health insurance that covers critical illnesses like heart attacks. The Process is paperless and quick, saving you valuable time and effort. Other benefits of buying health insurance at InsuranceDekho include:

• Post policy purchase assistance
• Expert help at the time of purchasing a policy
• Online premium calculator available to get an estimate of health insurance premium
• Assistance during filing a claim settlement