Causes of Heart Attacks

Heart attacks are caused because of multiple reasons. A heart attack is an abnormal function of the heart muscle. Heart attacks occur when blood cannot reach the heart. Blood circulation to the heart can stop for many reasons. Blood is necessary for the heart because the heart gets the oxygen it needs from the blood. If the heart does not receive the oxygen, the muscle begins to slow down and eventually die. Once the muscle slows down,the blood is completely shut out from the heart and that's when the heart attack occurs possibly leading to death of the person. The main possible causes of a heart attack are coronary artery disease, stress on the heart, and artery spasm. 

Coronary arteries are the major blood vessels that supply blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the heart. Coronary artery disease develops when the coronary arteries become damaged. The arteries can become damaged when plaque builds up in the artery walls. The plaque narrows the coronary arteries which decreases blood flow to the heart. If the plaque ruptures, clots start to form. The symptoms then start to occur. Eventually the decreased blood flow causes chest pain or angina, shortness of breath, or any other symptoms. Complete blockage causes a heart attack. Because coronary artery disease develops over decades, it can often go unnoticed until the person has a heart attack. 

There are many other causes of heart attacks such as stress. Although stress doesn't seem as dangerous as the other issues, stress is one of the most common causes of heart attacks. Because people don't consider stress as deadly, it builds up over time and has a major effect in causing harm to the heart. Stress can be caused by family problems, job issues, or almost anything. Stress is something that should immediately be taken care of. Stress can raise your blood pressure, which causes the heart to work harder to keep your body under control. Stress is recurring, so even if the person gets rid of stress once, that doesn't mean it won't or can't come back. Therefore, stress should be maintained and taken care of consistently. 

Another major cause of heart attacks is artery spasm. Artery spasm is the sudden narrowing of arteries. This is dangerous because this causes the blood going to the heart to slow down and eventually stop flowing to the heart. Artery spasm can be caused by multiple things. Cigarette smoking is the main cause of artery spasm. This also increases the likelihood of blood clotting. Another reason artery spasm can occur is a severe cold. This normally occurs with older people. Artery spasm can also occur from hardcore drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine. These drugs increase the rate of speed the heart is beating at, which can cause the heart to fatigue and cause heart pain which is a symptom of a heart attack. These spasms are sometimes referred to as Prinzmetal's angina or variant angina. Unlike typical angina, which usually occurs with physical activity, coronary artery spasms often occur at rest. The risk of artery spasms can be reduced by quitting smoking and controlling high cholesterol and high blood pressure. 

These are the main causes of heart attacks but there are many more. Heart attacks can be caused by various reasons. A cause that people can't really control is heredity. A family history of heart complications can also cause heart attacks. High blood pressure can also cause heart attacks. High blood pressure causes artery walls to become hard and this causes the heart to overwork. High cholesterol can cause a heart attack by building up plaque which can lead to clots and blockages. Having diabetes can also cause heart attacks. Diabetes affect the heart in many ways. The sugar build up can cause blockage. Most of the major causes are symptoms of the other caused mentioned above. The way a person lives their life and their daily habits and the lifestyle plays a huge role in their health. Lifestyle changes that can help prevent heart attacks include not smoking, controlling high blood pressure or high cholesterol or diabetes, staying physically active, eating healthy foods, maintaining a healthy weight, and reducing or managing stress. 

Sources:

Mayo Clinic

WenMD