What is a heart attack?
(Najamuddin Ghanghro, Karachi (original from Larkana))
The heart is a muscular organ
that pumps blood to the body at an average of 72 times per minute. The coronary
arteries are responsible for supplying oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle.
A temporary decrease in blood supply can cause the muscle to "starve" for oxygen
and result in chest discomfort or angina. A prolonged total loss of supply can
cause irreversible damage of the heart muscle and produces a heart attack. To
understand this, let us imagine that the heart is represented by a garden kept
lush and green by water sprinkler system. The lawn is divided into three areas,
each receiving water from a separate pipe or coronary artery.
Now imagine that one of these pipes is partially blocked by debris and rust.
During a hot summer season, the rusty pipe is unable to keep up with the water
needs of the garden. The area supplied by the partially blocked pipe begins to
dry and turns brown, but is still alive.. If the garden had symptoms, it would
feel pain as it starves for water and nutrients.
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