A heart attack occurs when there is a blockage in the
coronary arteries, the vessels that feed the heart, and this blockage leads to
infarction and death in the area of the heart muscle that it feeds. In other
words, in order for a heart attack to occur, there must be a stenosis in the
vessels supplying the heart beforehand and this stenosis must progress and
block the vessel wall to the extent that almost no blood can pass through. The
coronary arteries, which are the vessels that feed the heart, are blocked by
arteriosclerosis (atherosclerosis).
Atherosclerosis is a disease that occurs when certain risk
factors come together. These risk factors are: Smoking, high blood fats (high
cholesterol), high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, family history,
type A personality, obesity, male gender, menopause, age (over 40), stress.
Therefore, for a heart attack to occur, a narrowed heart vessel is required
first. This develops over the years. Even a slight contraction of an already
narrowed artery due to thirst, heat, mild stress or a heavy meal can lead to
death in the area of the heart muscle supplied by that artery. This is called a
heart attack.
In conclusion, heat alone or stress alone is not a factor that can cause a
heart attack in a healthy person. Intervention in heart attack does not show
seasonal changes and should be applied quickly and correctly regardless of
summer or winter. The standard practice in developed countries is to quickly
call the resuscitation teams in charge of this work and only these teams
perform the resuscitation process. In this way, the mistakes of random medical
practitioners can be avoided. In our country, 112 in big cities is an effective
and successful example of this, but one that needs to be developed and
supported.
Although summer heat is not a factor on its own, it can be considered as a
severe stress factor that can lead to complete narrowing in a patient with
coronary artery disease, i.e. a patient who has developed some degree of
occlusive arteriosclerosis in the coronary arteries. Therefore, contact with
the heat in the summer months may accelerate the attack in these heart
patients. The first sign of an attack is severe chest pain. When chest pain
occurs, it may be advisable to rest and lie down immediately. (In our example,
it is possible to continue walking after chest pain.) Regardless of the cause
of this pain, medical official help should be called (not the nearest doctor in
the vicinity).
As can be understood from all the above information, diagnosis, treatment and
precautions should be applied before the crisis, during the disease and in case
of increased risk factors rather than during the crisis. Because the mortality
rate during myocardial infarction = heart attack is 20-30% until reaching the
hospital and 10-20% after reaching the hospital. Taken as a total, the
mortality rate in the first 24 hours as a result of the crisis is between 30%
and 50%. The first figures here are new and the second figures are old
statistics. Therefore, the important thing is to prevent or prevent the crisis.
This is possible only if patients with high risk factors for atherosclerosis
come for cardiac examinations, do not avoid them and do not neglect them. And
in such screenings, not only plain resting ECG but also effort ECG (treadmill
test) should be performed. Athletes should also be examined in real terms, not
on paper, when their licenses are signed by a doctor as healthy, and especially
undergo a stress test. Heavy training in healthy people does not cause a heart
attack. An attack can only occur if there is pre-existing disease.
Having a defibilator in big hotels, airports, train stations, airplanes is an
important treatment tool that will speed up the process of resuscitating a
patient whose heart has stopped. The first is without moving at all (stand
style), and the second is fibrillated, that is, fluttering. When it is found to
be fibrillating or when it is fibriated as a result of a strategy of
resuscitation, an electric shock is given to the heart with a defibilator.
Thus, it can be restored to a normal rhythm.