There are many things that we do without realizing that any of them can lead to or trigger a sudden heart attack. Here are a few of the triggers that are to be watched for.

Lack of sleep

Lack of sleep will make you grumpy and tired on a regular basis but it can also raise the risk of a heart attack. In a study researchers found that people who usually slept fewer than 6 hours a night were twice as likely to get a heart attack as those who slept 6 to 8 hours. The reason is not clear but losing sleep can raise the blood pressure and lead to inflammation, neither of which is good for the heart.

Migraine headaches

People who have migraine headaches are observed to have a heart attack later in their life than those who have no headaches. Headaches that include auras, strange sights, sounds or feelings before the actual pain starts seem to be at more risk.

Cold weather

Severe chillness can shock the system. When you step out in cold winter months it can cause the arteries to narrow, making it harder for blood to reach the heart. Above this the heart has to work harder to keep the body warm. All these together along with any hard work you do could exert more strain on the heart and trigger a heart attack.

Air pollution

Heart attack is seen to occur when air pollution levels are well above normal. When breathe polluted air on a regular basis the arteries get clogged and this will lead to disruption of blood supply to the heart. Sitting in traffic is dangerous, since it not only subjects you to breathing in vehicle exhaust fumes but creates stress, both of which are harmful to the heart.

A heavy meal

It is better to think twice before a second or third helping, it can hurt more than a broader waistline.  When you consume large amounts of food in one sitting, it leads to higher levels of stress hormones norepinephrine in the body. This raises the blood pressure and heart rate and ofcourse trigger heart attacks. Very fatty meals can cause a jump in fats in the blood and lead to damage of blood vessels which is also dangerous to the heart.

Very strong emotions

Strong emotions are a human nature but when they get out of bounds they can be harmful. Anger, grief and stress are known triggers of heart problems but even too much of joyfulness and sudden spurts of happiness can lead to a heart attack as well.

A surprise birthday party, a lottery, a birth of a grandchild are some occasions that can lead to excess of joy and trigger heart attack.

Vigorous exercise

The efforts you take to get into shape is supposed to protect your heart in the long run. Sometimes doing too much of exercise could be also be dangerous to health. About 6% of heart attacks are triggered by extreme physical exertion. So exercise should be in moderation and not done when you are stressed or angry.

Apart from these asthma, flu, natural disasters, sex, sports, alcohol and coffee drinking in excess can trigger heart attack.

Heart disease is the most common health challenge for both men and women. Even then it does not affect them the same way. Some heart conditions are seen to occur more in men than women and if it is the same problem then the symptoms may be different. For women, it is always important to know what to watch for and how to protect yourself as you get old.

Warning Signs

We all know that whenever someone has chest pain then we presume it to be a heart attack. In real life, women may have less obvious symptoms are are as likely to get shortness of breath instead of marked chest pain. You may also feel pain in the jaws, back and upper belly. Women will usually feel nauseous, lightheaded and dizzy.

What’s SCAD?

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) is when the heart’s blood vessel gets a tear. This can slow the blood flow or block it. Ultimately leading to severe chest pain and other symptoms that feel like heart attack. This is a serious condition that requires immediately medical care. Women are more prone to get SCAD, especially when they have recently given birth to a child.

Broken Heart

A broken heart syndrome is medically known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy, it can happen more to women than men. It is caused by a sudden release of stress hormones and occurs after a very emotional event like divorce or death in a family. The thing that happens is that a part of the heat gets bigger and stops pumping efficiently, this cause intense chest pain and immediately medical help is required.

Menopause

In menopause women experience multiple changes to their bodies, while it does not cause heart disease, the many changes can lead to one. The levels of estrogen go down rapidly and arteries can get stiffer. Whereas the blood pressure, belly fat and LDL rises. Being active is one way of countering the effects of menopause.

Inflammation

If a woman is suffering from problems like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus etc. they have a chance of getting heart disease. Even if you are young, don’t smoke, and exercise regularly you can get affected. Inflammation can be kept in check with medications.

Diabetes

Diabetes can double a woman’s probability of getting heart disease. High blood sugar slowly slows down the flow of oxygen in your blood and lead to plaque build-up in the arteries. Women with diabetes also tend to be overweight or obese which can aggravate the BP and cholesterol problem. With proper diet and exercise the problem can be managed.

Hypertension or high blood pressure happens when the blood travels through blood vessels with more force than is considered healthy. When blood pressure is high, it can damage artery and blood vessels leading to dangerous complications and even death, if left untreated.

Artery Damage

The arteries are supposed to be sturdy, springy and smooth to enable the movement of blood from lungs and heart. It is in this movement that it helps collect oxygen and supply it to other organs or tissues. High blood pressure of HBP pushes too hard on your artery walls. This damages the inside and causes fat, or plaque to deposit. The plaque narrows the arteries, so they can’t do their job well.

Aneurysm

It is condition where the pressure pushes out a section of the artery wall and weakens it. If it breaks, it can bleed into your body. This is a very serious condition. It is likely to happen in any artery but particularly in the aorta. If the artery is damaged artery, you could get an aneurysm, even without blood pressure.

Coronary Artery Disease

CAD happens when plaque builds up in arteries closer to the heart. This slows down the blood flow, which can bring chest pain or a strange heart rhythm. The total blockage can cause heart attacks.

Heart Attack

When plaque builds up in the blood vessels, a clump of it breaks loose, to completely block an artery to the heart, this causes heart attack. The blockage can starve the heart  muscle of oxygen and nutrients. This hurts of destroys the heart. Usually a sort of pressure or pain is felt in the chest region, but sometimes it can be along the arm or jaw too. There can be difficult to breathe accompanied by nausea and dizziness.

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)

High blood pressure can affect blood vessels that are farther from the heart like the arms, legs, head or stomach. Usually you will feel pain or cramps in the legs, often when you walk or climb stairs. The pain goes away once you rest or come back. Left untreated, PAD can bring about stroke, ulcers, and loss of circulation to the legs and lead to even amputation.

Heart Failure

High blood pressure can cause arteries to narrow and overtime they can make the heart work harder. This continuous condition makes the heart weaker. Eventually, it gets so weak that it can’t supply enough blood to the rest of the body. This is known as heart failure.

Enlarged Heart

When the heart works harder to move the blood around, the muscle of the heart thickens. This results in the whole heart getting enlarged. The bigger it gets, the less able it will be to do its job. The heart tissues also receive very less oxygen and nutrients they need. This condition can get serious and life threatening if continued.

Stroke

High blood pressure is the world’s top cause for stroke. There are two types of stroke, mainly the hemorrhagic one where the weakened artery bursts in the brain and the Ischemic one where the clump or clot in the artery, comes loose and lodges itself in the blood vessel blocking the blood flow to the brain. One part of the brain starts to die when it doesn’t get enough blood. This can hurt your ability to think, move, speak and see.

Dementia, kidney failure, eye problem, sexual dysfunction, bone loss and sleep apnea are other health problems caused by high blood pressure.