I understand hypertension can cause a heart attack...but have never heard the term 'hypertensive heart attack'....very interested. Thank you
215103
There are two diagnosis here.  Hypertension and heart attack.  Hypertension increases the workload of the heart.  So when the heart is over worked it can become stressed and this could possibly cause a heart attack.  There is a term hypertensive heart disease you can look this up by typing this into your Explorer bar.
209185
These are all good recommendations. I do recommend consulting a physician to determine 1. if you do have high blood pressure, 2. what is the cause, 3. what are your treatment options, and 4. do you need to be screened for heart disease and high cholesterol. Sometimes high blood pressure can simply be treated with what is called lifestyle modifications: exercise, low fat diet, reduce salt intake, etc. However, sometimes a medication or two need to be added to bring the blood pressure down. Hypertension can be sign of other things: heart diseae, sleep apnea, kidney disease, etc, and therefore further evaluation may be necessary.
352733
The heart IS a muscle, but a heart attack isn't a cramp like you would get in say a leg muscle. \n A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, refers to the death of a certain segment of the heart muscle (myocardium).  It's usually the result of a complete blockage in one of the main coronary arteries or a branch which supplies oxygentated blood to the heart muscle.  The main cause of myocardial infarction is atherosclerosis (the build up of plaque on the inside of the blood vessels due to fat substances, cholesterol, calcium and other substances)  in the coronary arteries which results in impaired contractility of the heart muscle within seconds, and is initially restricted to the affected segment.\n\nThe myocardial ischemia or infarction begins in the endocardium (the inner lining of the heart) and spreads to the epicardium (the outer lining of the heart). Irreversible heart damage will occur if the blockage is complete for at least 15-20 minutes. Irreversible damage occurs maximally in the area at risk, and when the occlusion is maintained for 4-6 hours. Most of the damage occurs in the first 2-3 hours.  Restoration of flow within the first 4-5 hours is associated with salvage of the heart muscle, but the salvage is greater if flow is restored in the first 1-2 hours.\n\nA major determinant of death and illness is the size of the infarct. Increasing the oxygen supply to the involved site of blockage by coronary reperfusion can be done through use of certain medications and angioplasty, stents or artherectomy.\n\nAddendum: \n(Impaired contractility means a muscle is unable to contract the way it should or can't contract at all.)\n\nCramps:\nA muscle cramp is an involuntary, painful CONTRACTION of the muscles which produce a hard, bulging muscle. Muscle twitching, also called fasciculation is the result of spontaneous local muscle contractions that are involuntary. The muscle cramp usually only affects the individual muscle groups connected to a particular motor neuron.  Some common causes of cramps are:\n\nMuscle fatigue\nHeavy exercise \nDehydration \nPregnancy \nHeat Cramps\n\nThere may be some temporary loss of circulation to the muscle group that is cramped because of muscle contraction, but there is NO death of tissue due to a clot or embolus.  There are no clots or emboli involved in a cramp therefore they aren't the same as an infarction (as explained in the answer below).     :-)
101388
Hey...if you are talking to a stroke group, addressing salt "toxicity" is not really what you want.  Salt toxicity occurs in people with renal problems or others with very high exposure to salt (usually intravenous).  Another word for such toxicity is called hypernatremia and has nothing to do with stroke.\n\nI believe what you are after is to convince these people about salt's negative impact on their stroke risk.  That's admirable and you should do it by linking salt intake to high blood pressure, which then increases the risk of stroke, rather than toxicity.  I like your idea of visually representing the salt intake and I'd do it this way.  A common recommendation for salt intake in people with high cardiovascular risk factors (like stroke victims) is to consume no more than 2 grams of salt a day.  The less the better really, so just show them, say, what one gram of salt looks like.  We know that an average American consumes about 4-5 grams of salt every day.  So you make a 5 gram pile of salt next to that.  That educates them how much they are overeating, rather than tells what would kill them like you wanted to show with the toxic dose (more practical that way, I think).  Then you can suggest the changes, namely to never use a salt shaker (there is more than enough salt in food already), avoid processed foods, avoid canned foods (including veggies...use frozen instead), avoid junk food etc.  Good take away message for everyone would be...look at the label...if it contains more than 250 mg of sodium / serving -- forget it.  Hope that helps!
632748
Playing russian roulette.  Yes it can be quite dangerous.  Wishing it to go away is silly because without knowing what is going on and fixing the problem even exercise my be problematic.\n\nIf this true happened, call 911.\n\nPain has nothing to do with how mild a heart attack is.  How do you figure out the severity of a heart attack?\n\nPeople get heart attacks because the pipe/pipes (coronary arteries) that supply blood  to you heart muscle is clogged up. When the heart muscle cannot get enough blood (oxygen and nutrients), that muscle dies off.  Without knowing where the blockage is occurring and how much of a blockage, you cannot really assess the potential damage.  It is quite possible to have one mild heart attack and then another.  The key is time.  The faster you can open up your arteries the less amount of heart muscle damage.  \n\nIn addition, damages heart muscles are arrythmogenic.  It is not uncommon for patients with heart attacks to also damage the electrical system in there heart.  They can develope fatal arrythmias.\n\nNext, heart problems can occur on a spectrum.  Patients can have stable angina unstable angina and heart attack.  How can we be sure that your chest pain is not unstable angina?  The chest pain can be a warning sign for a major heart attack.\n\nLastly, without proper medicines after you heart attack, the dead area in your heart undergoes changes ie remodeling.  This remodeling is the normal healing process but it changes the mechanics of your heart.  It can worsen the functioning of your heart.
189447
Please see a doctor.  Yes, it could be something besides cardiac problems - and that is very, very likely.  But in some people, especially females, heart attacks don't follow a "traditional" pattern of clutching your chest and dropping to the floor.  Nobody can make a diagnosis online, not even a doctor.  Odds are, it's nothing to get worked up about - but please see a doctor to be sure.
596913
Talk with your physician please.  And don't rely on one reading to make a diagnosis of hypertension.  You need several readings at various times of the day to make the diagnosis.  But don't ignore this, either.  Recheck it and see your doctor.  He or she will evaluate you for other possible problems.\n\nSystolic and diastolic pressures don't always rise at the same time.  It depends on something called cardiac output.  For example, if you had just exercised or if you have a valve problem such as aortic regurgitation, your diastolic may be relatively low with a higher systolic reading (called a wide pulse pressure).  You really need to make several readings to discern whether a pattern is present and then take them to your doctor for discussion.
453698
Blood pressure - low \n \nDefinition:\n\n \n \n\nLow blood pressure is an abnormal condition in which a person's blood pressure (the pressure of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels during and after each beat of the heart) is much lower than usual. It can cause symptoms such as dizziness or lightheadedness.\n\n\nAlternative Names:\nHypotension; Low blood pressure \nConsiderations:\n\nWhen the blood pressure is too low, there is inadequate blood flow to the heart, brain, and other vital organs.\n\nA blood pressure level that is borderline low for one person may be normal for another. The most important factor is how the blood pressure changes from the normal condition. Most normal blood pressures fall in the range of 90/60 mm Hg to 130/80 mm Hg, but a significant change, even as little as 20 mm Hg, can cause problems for some people.\n\n\nCommon Causes:\n\nLow blood pressure is commonly caused by drugs such as:\n\nMedications used for surgery\nAnti-anxiety agents\nTreatment for high blood pressure or coronary heart disease (CHD)\nDiuretics\nHeart medicines\nSome antidepressants\nNarcotic analgesics\nAlcohol\nOther causes of low blood pressure include:\n\nDehydration\nHeart failure\nHeart attack\nChanges in heart rhythm (arrhythmias)\nFainting\nAnaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic response)\nShock (from severe infection, stroke, anaphylaxis, major trauma, or heart attack)\nAdvanced diabetes\nAnother common type of low blood pressure is orthostatic hypotension, which is brought on by a sudden change in body position, usually when shifting from lying down to standing upright.
338538
Possibly.  And it is something that needs to be checked.  We use the same technique in patients that are experiencing a heart attack.  We call it the brady method.  When someone is having a heart attack, we tell them to cough forcefully or to bear down as if to have a large bowel movement.  This coughing process slows the heart rate, which would explain your sudden dizziness.  As for the headaches and the chest pain, that is quite understandable, since you are exerting high amounts of pressure on those muscles.  When you feel the cough spells coming on, see your doc and ask about a cough syrup such as guaiffennisen because one of these days, your coughing episodes may literally cause you to pass out, and if you are driving at the time, well, I don't need to tell you how dangerous that can be.
164284
If massage helps, the pain could indeed be muscular.  But be aware that hypertension leads to heart disease, and the heart has many ways of warning you.  Usually it is a central chest pain that indicates heart problems, but left sided neck/shoulder pain can also mean heart trouble. I'd have the person be checked out by a doctor to make sure heart is ok.  Good luck!
485748
go to the Dr. it could be a heart attack!
655053
First of all, get to a Dr. asap. Second, cut out the salt and most of the caffeine, and follow the diet the Dr. advises. Get exercise--walking is great. If the doc prescribes meds, TAKE THEM! If you are stressed, try to get some help to deal with it. Hypertension is called "the silent killer" because a person often does not know they are suffering from it. By the time you have a stroke or a heart attack it may be too late. With on going high blood pressure you need to be under a Dr's care. Monitor your blood pressure at home, but always keep in touch with your physician.
149645
this i beleive is due to blood pressure that can come on suddely with physical activity, you really should have your blood pressur checked  because high blood pressur can have a bad toll on your heart
41977
you should definitely not smoke tobacco if you have a risk of heart attack or high blood pressure. marijuana should be safe though. heres why. in tobacco, the main chemical is nicotine, when you take nicotine in any form, it tightens and hardens your arteries, so if theyre alread somewhat clogged, blood flow is slowed down. thats why alot of people get dizzy or sick when they first smoke cigarettes. dont do that if youre at risk for a heart attack.\n\npot on the other hand, actually loosens and expands the arteries and vessels so although im not a doctor and i cant say for sure, logic seems to say it would be reasonably safe to smoke pot if you have high blood pressure...\n\npeace
449554
How old are you? Have you got any chest pain???\nVery similar to the signs just before a heart attack
640186
He was working all day probably had little food and had not slept too great all week. Probably dehydrated and heat stroked as well. His body was saying, "Dumbass" slow down and go to sleep for 16 hours so I can replenish. And yes Alcohol can cause a heart attack. It thins out the blood causing it to flow faster which means the heart doesn't have to pump it as hard which lowers the preasure. It's like taking a paint sprayer and putting water in it it doesn't work right cause it's not used to pumping somthing so thin.
70124
he had a heart attack\n\nThat happened about 4 to 5 months ago.\n\nedit:\nHey It could have been 2 or 3 months - seems longer... but know it was of a heart attack.