Heart Attacks Treatment and Prevention

A heart attack happens when an artery which is going to the heart is blocked by a large amount of plaque buildup and causes a clot in the heart muscle. If no blood can get through to the heart, this scenario will cause a heart attack. Several means are used by physicians to treat heart attacks. The most common means of treatment is known as clot busting, and includes the use of certain types of medicines that dissolve blood clots. These are usually taken orally, within hours of the initial attack.

A second type of treatment is called PCI. This treatment consists of sending a tiny balloon into the blocked artery where the clot exists. Once there, the balloon is inflated and serves to compress the obstruction, allowing blood flow to resume. The surgeon may also insert a small mesh tube called a stent, into the artery, to keep it open.

Many different drugs such as blood thinners and BETA blockers are used to dissolve clots. However, if all else fails, coronary artery bypass surgery is generally the next option. In this procedure, a healthy artery is grafted and connected to the blocked artery, allowing an alternate blood flow to the heart. This is commonly known as open heart surgery and is usually very successful.

After the surgery and a recuperation period of a few days, the patient is sent home with a full set of instructions on how to live with his or her condition. Physicians will typically prescribe a number of medications and cardiac rehabilitation. The physician may also suggest that the patient change his or her diet to prevent another heart attack in the future. The patient may be advised to start an exercise routine, lose weight and quit smoking, to lessen the change of a second incident.

Many people struggle with the options of trying oral medication verses open heart surgery. If a heart attack occurs and the person lives through it, the wisest thing to do would be to pursue oral treatments. Any reputable doctor would advise you to try the "lesser of two evils" first, if the condition did not seem that severe. If the medication does not dissolve the clot, then at least you'll know that you've tried everything else, before making the decision to have open heart surgery. If the medicines work, then you should probably put yourself on a sound diet, begin to exercise and basically change your present habits into healthier ones.