What are the Effects of a Heart Attack?

The effects of a heart attack can sometimes be both mental and physical, resulting in changes to many different aspects of a person’s life. There is generally a large amount of variation in the extent of these effects depending on the overall severity. Sometimes a heart attack might be so small that the individual doesn’t suffer too many problems afterward, but other people may have to consider the health of their hearts before doing any activities for the rest of their lives. In a purely physical sense, a heart attack leaves permanent heart damage that can make the organ work poorly. Usually, a person will have to take medications for their heart, and most people have to make lifestyle changes.

When a heart attack happens, usually a major blood pathway to the heart is temporarily blocked. During the time that the blood flow is inhibited, the heart tissue suffers damage. The amount of time the blockage stays in place along with the overall severity of the blockage help determine how much permanent damage is done. After the heart attack, part of the heart will usually become scar tissue, and the size of that damaged area will generally determine the extent of the long-term consequences.

One of the most common effects of a heart attack is angina. This is pain in the heart that occurs usually when people are exerting themselves physically. The pain happens because the heart isn’t generally getting enough blood to function efficiently. Many people who suffer heart attacks have to take special medications to avoid angina, and these medicines usually work by widening the arteries so that more blood flow can get to the heart.

The typical person has to take a bunch of different medications in order to deal with the effects of a heart attack. These will often include ace-inhibitors, beta-blockers, and other medicines. One of the most common medications is aspirin, which has proven to be one of the more effective heart attack treatments. Aspirin helps mitigate the effects of an attack by thinning the blood.

Doctors also usually prescribe some lifestyle changes to people after a heart attack. For example, people are often asked to give up habits like smoking and change their diets. Most doctors recommend exercise, although that can vary depending on how severe the heart damage is.

One of the effects of a heart attack is actually mental. After having a heart attack, many people can take a long time to get any confidence in their hearts again, and this can have a huge detrimental effect on an individual’s quality of life. Some people may become extremely depressed because they don't feel like they can trust their bodies anymore. For other people, the effect can be the opposite, and they might become more aggressive about making the most of their lives.