Heart attack and stroke are life-and-death emergencies — every second counts. Today heart attack and stroke victims can benefit from new medications and treatments unavailable to patients in years past. A heart attack results when blood flow is completely blocked, usually by a blood clot forming over a plaque that has busted and opened (ruptured).
Heart attack (myocardial infection) causes complete death of the heart muscle cells.It has been observed that people suffering from diabetes tend to have 50% increased heart risks like getting heart diseases or strokes. If you are a diabetic - middle aged person, you may have heart attack earlier than those who are heart patients, more aged than you.

MAJOR SYMPTOMS OF HEART ATTACK

The following symptoms suggest a heart attack:
• Chest pain or pressure (heaviness)
• Jaw pain, or extension of pain into the arms or shoulder
• Unexplained shortness of breath
• Unexplained sweating
• Heartburn or feeling of indigestion
• Nausea or vomiting
• Back pain or upper abdominal pain
• General lethargy or listlessness

Interesting facts
• About one fourth of people having a heart attack have no pain that is “silent” heart attack.
• Silent heart attacks are more frequent in people with diabetes

Precaution is better than cure
1) Keep blood cholesterol levels in check.
2) Eat a well-balanced diet.
3) Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all –Larger amounts can increase blood pressure, cause heart rhythm disturbances, and damage the heart muscle or liver.
4) Stop smoking
5) Increase your physical activity
6) Lose extra weight–Being overweight puts extra strain on the heart and blood vessels
7) Avoid junk food

To avoid such strokes or attacks people should follow a proper health regime, go in for regular health check -ups, avoid high intake of fiber in food and eat a balanced diet. Also decrease or avoid the intake of liquor.

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Garlic is more than just an ingredient in your food. There are a lot of health benefits to relate to garlic which many of you may not be aware of. Here is a list of the optimum health benefits provided by including garlic every single day.

Garlic contains natural chemicals that can help protect you from a variety of infections, diseases and illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory concerns, diabetes, and a variety of cancers. Garlic fights bacteria and viruses and therefore helps prevent infections. The natural killers present in garlic can help fight off deadly tumors as well.

Various studies have proved that a diet rich in garlic helps to lower the total cholesterol rate of an individual, including the bad cholesterol or LDL while at the same time it raises the good HDL cholesterol in the bloodstream. Garlic reduces high blood pressure as well. This is why many people suffering from high blood pressure levels take two-three cloves of garlic before the morning walk. Garlic is also credited with reducing the risk of blood clots which are mainly responsible for most of the heart attacks and strokes.

You will get the maximum benefits by eating raw garlic. This is because cooking may destroy some of the allicin compound which is responsible for the powerful healing effects of garlic.

Garlic can also treat ailments such as common cold. Studies have shown that garlic extracts improves immune function and it boosts up the natural defense system. Garlic helps in conserving our body’s antioxidant levels.

Many of you may not prefer the garlic breath. But, after reading the benefits of garlic, I am sure you will insist to add some garlic in your dinner!

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Heart attacks- you probably don’t want to think about it. But, if you learn the signs of a heart attack and what steps to take, you can save your life. Here are the common symptoms of a heart attack.

Many people think a heart attack is sudden and intense, like a “movie” heart attack, where a person clutches his or her chest and falls over. But this is not true.You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. You may have an intense pain in the jaw line, which is one of the common symptoms of heart attack.

Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. The truth is that many heart attacks start slowly, as a mild pain or discomfort. If you feel such a symptom, you may not be sure what’s wrong. Your symptoms may even come and go. Even those who have had a heart attack may not recognize their symptoms, because the next attack can have entirely different ones.

Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.

Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach is also the symptoms of heart attack.

Shortness of breath often comes along with chest discomfort. But it also can occur before chest discomfort.

Other symptoms may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.

Let’s be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive.

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Having a healthy heart simply means longer life. In the world, most prevalent ailment is of the heart. If that doesn’t alarm you, you aren’t brave, you’re foolish! Given below are 5 important key factors that you can control:

Kick the Ciggie Butt

Thank you for no smoking! It’s your lungs that you are screwing and smokers are at high risk of suffering from heart attacks. If you decide to quit smoking then your risk of heart diseases drops significantly within just one year.

Get Active
 
Move you lazy bum and your couch potato tummy. Don you running shoes and off you go!

Eat Healthy
Eating a balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products can assist you in protecting your heart

Watch Your Weight

Putting on weight means you are gaining mostly fatty tissue. The excess fat in your body can lead to conditions that increase your chances of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
 
Befriend the Doc

Get your regular health check-ups in place. Keep a track of your blood pressure and cholesterol levels 
 
Our lifestyle has become such that tends to make us lazier and leaves us with very little or no physical activity. So next time when you can, shun the elevator, take the stairs!

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