of death in India, awareness and timely medication aide can save lives.What is a heart attack?
A heart attack occurs when sudden damage and/or death occurs to a portion
of the heart muscle. The damage to the heart muscle usually is caused by a
blocked coronary artery, which then prevents oxygen from getting to the
muscle tissue of the heart.
Heart attack is the most common cause of death in India.
Arrhythmias (an abnormal heartbeat) also can cause a heart attack. Examples
of life-threatening arrhythmias include ventricular fibrillation and sudden
cardiac arrest, in which the person will die within a few minutes.Heart
attacks can result in permanent heart muscle damage. If the extent of the
heart muscle damage is large, the person may die.
What is a stroke?
A stroke occurs when brain tissue becomes deprived of oxygen, leading to
damage or death of the brain tissue in the region affected by the stroke.
The most frequent cause of a stroke is a clot that blocks a blood vessel in
the brain (ischemic stroke).
Hemorrhagic stroke (leakage or rupture of a blood vessel within the brain)
is a less common cause of stroke. Strokes can result in permanent brain
tissue damage and/or death. If the extent of brain tissue damage is large,
the person may die. It is the fifth most common cause of death in the US
and alarming rise of cases in India.
What is a mini-stroke (TIA)?
A transient ischemic attack (TIA, mini-stroke) occurs when there is a
temporary blockage of a blood vessel in the brain, producing symptoms
similar to a stroke. However, during a transient ischemic attack, the
stroke symptoms resolve completely within a short period of time after the
clot blocking the vessel breaks apart, and thus does not produce any
permanent damage or lasting effects. Transient ischemic attacks often are a
warning sign of an imminent full-blown stroke, and thus require immediate
medical treatment.
