Heart attack

Heart attacks usually cause sudden, stabbing pains in the chest, which extend down the left arm. They can be so severe that they cause intense feelings of anxiety, panic and breathlessness. However, a great number of heart attacks also occur without pain and very few symptoms, appearing as a sudden chest constriction or pressure which leaves the person feeling weak. Outbreaks of perspiration, sudden weakness, nausea and vomiting are sometimes the only signs. Heart attacks tend to occur during periods of physical or emotional stress. They often occur in the middle of the night and cause sudden waking from sleep, especially after a filling meal and celebration.

Recurring angina attacks are precursors to heart attacks, and serve as warnings. An angina attack that lasts longer than a few minutes, or is not influenced by rest or nitroglycerine, should be treated as an emergency. Any chest pain that lasts longer than two minutes should be treated as an emergency. Not every heart attack is preceded by warning signs.

Heart attacks occur when a part of the heart muscle is denied blood and oxygen for a long enough period for cells to die. If the affected area is large, the heart will not be able to function properly and will eventually stop altogether. If the area is smaller, with sufficient care the body recovers and the heart learns to compensate. Heart failure is the result of the heart's inability to compensate fully after one or more attacks. The first hours following a heart attack are critical. The longer the heart attack victim survives this critical period, the better the chances are for a full recovery. Recognizing a heart attack the moment it occurs is important. Heart attacks generally develop as a result of well-establish coronary heart disease due to arteriosclerosis.

Diet provides the most important influence on the heart. Ready-made, processed, packaged, and most restaurant foods are not only hard on the digestive tract, but also on the coronary arteries. Saturated fats from deep-fried foods and most salad and cooking oils are highly detrimental. Other risk factors include excess weight, high blood pressure, cigarettes and too little exercise, combined with the additional pressure of a high-stress lifestyle. Oral contraceptive users and diabetics are also at higher risk, and a certain genetic predisposition often plays a role.

Supplements and herbs

Supplementation should be undertaken with extra care if a heart attack was recent. The advice of a practitioner is highly recommended. Angina and heart attack prevention can be enhanced with supplementation when guidelines concerning diet and lifestyle (both plenty of rest and physical activity) are followed.

The mineral magnesium is often low in those who have suffered heart attacks when spasms of the arteries are at fault. Those experiencing irregular heart rhythms should also be helped by magnesium. Supplements with magnesium combined with the heart herb hawthorn are available. The green food supplements rich in chlorophyll, such as barley grass or wheatgrass, also contain magnesium in a natural and highly assimilable form.

Coenzyme Q10 increases oxygen supply to the heart and has been implemented against coronary heart problems. Vitamin E is also recommended for its role in improving oxygen supply and circulation. This vitamin has many helpful actions. It helps reduce cholesterol and saturated fat that clog arteries. It can further help to minimize scarring after a heart attack.

Vitamin C is another excellent vitamin in fighting arteriosclerosis , as it protects the artery walls and hinders clotting.

To help prevent heart attacks, and to heal after an attack, herbal remedies provide effective complementary treatment.

• Hawthorn berries regulate, heal, repair and soothe the heart. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tsp. of hawthorn blossoms, steep for five to ten minutes, strain and take 2-3 cups daily for a month, then rest for two weeks, or take 10 drops extract in liquid twice daily, or take 1 tsp. of tincture three times daily.
• Ginkgo biloba increases the blood supply to the brain, prevents accumulation of blood platelets and controls angina. Take 20 drops of tincture three times daily. Take two 40 mg capsules of 24% standardized extract.
• Ginger has a tonic effect on the heart, lowers cholesterol and inhibits blood platelet collection. Make a fresh ginger infusion using 2 slices of fresh root per cup of water. Take 2 cups daily.
• Mistletoe strengthens capillary walls, encourages repair and slows heart rate. Soak 1/2 tsp. of herb in 1 cup of water for twelve hours. Strain and drink three cups daily.
• Combine as a tea and drink 3 cups daily valerian, nettle, daisy, hops, lavender, dandelion, lemon balm and yarrow.

What else you can do

• Work the reflexes of the heart and lung area, diaphragm, the adrenal glands and sigmoid colon to stimulate circulation.
• Diet and lifestyle- changes alone can reverse hardening of the arteries and its complications.

How much to take

• Magnesium, 250 mg three times daily
• Coenzyme Q10, 50 mg three times daily
• Vitamin E, with mixed tocopherols, 400 IU
• Vitamin C, with bioflavonoids, 1,000 mg three times daily

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