He forced his father to go on an evening walk and started hogging the packet of chips watching a movie on a laptop. But he never knew that a heart attack could control his life. He was just 25 when his parents saw him on a deathbed. By the way how old are you? Are you healthy? Why I am asking these questions is for a few years, the cases of heart attack among the young generation is increasing drastically. A sudden heart attackin a healthy person at a very young age has become a factor of stress today. Ohh! Did you know stress is one of the key reasons for heart attacks? 

What is a Heart Attack?

Our heart is a complex as well as the most organized organ of our body. The continuous flow of blood which is pumped from the heart is the source of our life. For an instance imagine this stops for a while. Hard to imagine right? This is what we call Heart Attack in a broader sense. This occurs due to the blockage of coronary arteries by the building up of fat, cholesterol, or other substances. Myocardial infarction (Heart Attack) happens when the blood flow is restricted or stooped. Now you must be thinking Heart Attack is not for youth. If yes you are wrong. 

The most common risk factors for heart attacks at any age. 

Unhealthy practices and unhealthy life routine chances of heart attack in 20s has become one of the commons now a days. If you notice the following in your life, my dear there is a red flag waiting for your attention. 

• Social alcohol drinking is no more limited. 
• Smoking kills for sure. 
• Blood pressure is higher then you life expectations.
• Cholesterol level is out of control.  
• Laziness wins against physical activity. 
• Diabetes is the bitter truth.
• Poor diet for poor heart health. 

If you start listing the causes of heart attack at young age the list becomes longer than our life. 

Symptoms of a cardiac arrest in young adults. 

The symptoms won’t be similar for everyone. It usually differs for various reasons. The following are some of the frequently observed signs and symptoms of a heart attack that everyone should be aware of… 

• Chest pain. 
• The feeling of pressure and tightness..
• Shoulder pain. 
• Discomfort in arm, back, jaw, belly etc. 
• Fatigue.
• Cold sweat.
• Nausea.
• Lightheadedness or dizziness. 
• Heartburn or indigestion.
• Shortness of breath.

Many of us ignore these symptoms saying “I am too young to have a heart attack.” But in reality Age is just a number if its Heart Attack. According to cardiologists 35% to 40% of the total heart attack cases are below the age of 30 years. On a serious note its the factor for thoughts… How and Why? 

Why are heart attacks at young age rising these days?

In the recent past, the number of heart diseases in young adults are notably increasing. The reason for this lies in the day today activities.Our stressful worklife runs parallel with the traffic in polluted environment. Quick food habits left the nutrition behind. In the name of social culture intoxicants are ruling our body. Overweight, hypertension, diabeties and what not? We are more close to all the unhealthy practices that are existing on the planet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics says 

“one person dies every 34 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease.” About 20.1 million adults age 20 and older have Coronary Artery Disease according to a report from The American Heart Association. This is just the aftermath of our habits and practices.

How to prevent heart attack at young age? 

The bitter truth we all know is heart diseses kills. However this inevitability is irrespective of age, sex, race and region. Here the quote “prevention is better than cure” become the primary solution. To prevent the risk of getting a heart attack the following precausions are your life saving potions. 

• Stress is your biggest enemy. Learn and implement stress management techniques. 
• Get good sleep. Your body needs rest. 
• Maintain healthy weight. Remember obesity attracts health issues. 
• Healthy and balanced diet itself is the medicine to avoid many health problems.  
• Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption. Remember fun at the cost of health is not worthy. 
• Regularly monitor the levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, as well as cholesterol. Numbers says a lot about your health. 
• Regular excersise, yoga, walking, jogging, gymming, physical sports choose the best to sweat out the fat and intoxicants from body. 
• Healthy routine is the ticket to your healthy life.

Sudden heart attack in a healthy person, is no more a hyphothetical theory. The researches in the field of cardiology are warning us to adopt healthy ways to maintain our heart health. Instead of regreting in the future, mould the present on a healthy sceleton. In case of the symptoms, don’t consider your age rather visit a cardiologist. For more information consult one of the best cardiologists in bangalore at Vydehi Superspecialty Hospital (VSH) at Vittal Mallya Road. Always remember minutes matter.