Heart Attack is the most common cause of death all over the world. Heart attack at an advanced age is a common thing, but the worrying trend in recent times is death due to heart attack at a young age. Heart attack is also the biggest cause in cases of sudden death.
Human heart has 3 major arteries which supply blood to the heart. These arteries get clogged over a period of time due to deposition of fat in them. This deposited fat which is also termed as plaque is caused by poor eating habits and lack of exercise. Heart disease is strongly genetic in nature. If your parents had heart disease then your chances to get heart attack are higher. Obesity, smoking and alcohol also contribute in cases of heart attack.
Common symptoms of heart attack are chest pain, jaw pain, pain in the arm, breathlessness, excessive sweating, dizziness, rapid pulse etc. It is important to differentiate between a heart attack and a brain stroke. Once it has been established that it is a heart attack then Sorbitrate or Aspirin are the emergency medicines which can help the patient till you reach the hospital.
One must always have the number of a cardiologist in such cases who would assist you in correct diagnosis of a heart attack and would help you in saving life till you reach the hospital.
Heart attack is an emergency and needs immediate attention. Most of the cases that end up in emergency waste the golden hour. The most common cause is that many a time heart attack is taken as gastric pain. It is very important to understand that it is better to be safe than sorry. If you feel pain in the chest then it is best to go to a heart specialist and atleast get an ECG test done. ECG test is the basic test that will rule out heart attack or confirm heart attack.
If you think that a person is suffering from a heart attack then rush the patient immediately to a clinic or hospital which is equipped with atleast an MBBS doctor and ECG machine. If you can contact a doctor on the phone then do it while you are moving the patient to the hospital. The doctor can guide you in doing CPR or administering any emergency medicines to the patient till you reach the hospital.
If you are going to a hospital then reach the Emergency department. The team of doctors and nurses in the emergency will immediately examine the patient and perform the basic tests like ECG and blood tests like Troponin T to establish whether it is a heart attack. The patient is immediately put on a monitor to see the pulse, blood pressure and other vitals of the patient.
At Indus Hospital Dera Bassi in Chandigarh, Punjab, our cardiologist Dr Sandeep Parekh is immediately called to take charge of the treatment. The first step in the treatment of a heart attack is to stabalize the patient by administering medicines which relieve the pressure on the heart. More advanced tests like Coronary Angiography are then carried out to find the exact cause of the heart attack.
Coronary Angiography - This is a procedure which is done using a Cath Lab. This is a machine like a CT Scan and is available only at bigger hospitals which have a cardiac department. In this procedure the patient lies on a table and the cardiologist inserts a thin wire in the artery of hand or leg. This wire is then pushed till the arteries of the heart. The machine produces live images of the inside of the arteries on the TV screen. The cardiologist is able to see how much blockage is there in each of the 3 major arteris which supply blood to the heart. If the arteries have more than 60-70 % blockage then the cardiologist might advise you to undergo Angioplasty.
If you bring a patient suffering from heart attack to Dr Sandeep's Arogya Heart Centre in Sunny Enclave, Kharar in Mohali, then the first step is to do an ECG test. The cost of ECG test is Rs. 500. Some blood tests are immediately done to ascertain whether the symptoms are due to a heart attack. These test would cost Rs. 1500 - 2500.
Once the diagnosis is made, patient is immediately transferred to Indus Hospital, Dera Bassi, Chandigarh, Punjab in a Cardiac ambulance. At the hospital the patient is admitted and further tests like Coronary Angiography are done. The cost of Coronary Angiography would be in the range of Rs. 15000 - 20000.
If coronary angiography reveals blockages in the arteries then a procedure called stenting is done. The cost of stenting in each artery is in the range of Rs. 1 - 1.25 lacs. If there are multiple blockages in one artery then this cost can go up.
If your doctor decides to treat the patient with medicines after doing coronary angiography then the cost of treatment would be much lower. However you would have to make significant lifestyle changes to improve the health of your heart. You would also need to get a regular checkup of your heart with Dr Sandeep Parekh at Arogya Heart Centre, Sunny Enclave, Kharar in Mohali. Tests like TMT and Echocardiography are very good in evaluating the health of your heart in addition to some blood tests.
You can book appointment with Dr. Sandeep Parekh at Arogya Heart Centre in Kharar or Indus Hospital Dera Bassi in Chandigarh, Punjab by calling on the number +91-8800188335.or by filling this form.
Heart Attack can strike anybody anytime. During such an emergency it is extremely important for the family members to be in touch with a heart specialist, who can guide you properly and ensure that the patient reaches a heart hospital in time. The team at the hospital should be fully ready to save the life of the patient.
Dr. Sandeep Parekh
MBBS, MD, DrNB (Cardiology)
MNAMS, FESC, FSCAI, FAPSIC
Senior Cardiologist
Indus Hospital, Dera Bassi, Chandigarh
This patient retired from Indian Railway. The patient presented with blockage in arteries and underwent Stenting to LAD and LCx At Indus International Hospital. The Angioplasty was done by Dr Sandeep Parekh, Interventional Cardiologist. Watch the patient testimonial.
This patient retired from Indian Railway. The patient presented with blockage in arteries and underwent Stenting to LAD and LCx At Indus International Hospital. The Angioplasty was done by Dr Sandeep Parekh, Interventional Cardiologist. Watch the patient testimonial.