By Abdullahi Jamaa
Many times you have heard of people collapsing as a result of a fatal heart attack, a silent killer that most often occurs when the blood circulation within the cardiovascular system of your body is blocked.
Cardiovascular diseases are killing more and more people around the world, striking rich and poor alike. Every year, more than 17 million people throughout the world die of a heart attack or a stroke, a number that is expected to grow to more than 23.6 million by 2030.
According to a 2018 research by Kenya National Guidelines for Cardiovascular Diseases Management, it is estimated that 25% of hospital admissions in Kenya are due to cardiovascular diseases, representing the second highest cause of death after infectious, maternal and perinatal causes.
Signs and symptoms
According to Kenya Association of Muslim Medical Professionals ( KAMMP) cases of heart attacks are sharply rising in Mombasa due to a number of reasons including dietary imbalances and lack of adequate information regarding the disease.
This week KAMMP conducted heart attack awareness session in Nyali’s Omar Farouq Masjid to sensitize the local community on the dangers and prevention of heart attack.
“There is a rising prevalence of heart attack in Mombasa,’’ said Mr. Abdinasir a representative of KAMMP. “That is why we came to this mosque to raise awareness and give out information about the disease”
Heart attack is a life-threatening emergency that requires quick action but the overwhelming majority of people don’t know the symptoms of an impending attack, or how best to deal with it when it strikes a person.
Spotting signs of the deadly condition early enough can make all the difference. The classic symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain, difficulty in breathing and perspiration and sometimes stomach ache.
However, with a silent heart attack the symptoms are not always the same. Other possible symptoms may include fatigue, uneasiness and sluggishness.
Major causes
Heart attacks and strokes are mainly caused by a blockage that prevents blood from flowing to the heart or the brain. The most common reason for this is a build-up of fatty deposits on the inner walls of the blood vessels that supply the heart or the brain.
There are three main reasons for fatty build-up, and you can control them all: smoking and other tobacco use, unhealthy diet and lack of physical body activity.
“People who smoke, people with high blood pressure (hypertension), high blood sugar (diabetes) and with little physical activity are at higher risk. These are the most important risk factors for heart attack” Abdinasir said
Tobacco smoke is full of substances that damage your lungs, blood vessels and heart. They take the place of the oxygen in the blood that your heart and brain need to work properly. Tobacco use greatly increases your chance of having a heart attack or stroke.
People who usually eat large chunks of food and who are not active enough to burn it off are also at great heath danger of acquiring lifestyle diseases. An unhealthy diet is one with too much food, too much fat, sugar or salt and without enough fruit and vegetables.
If you eat a lot of food and you are not active enough, you will put on weight. You could slowly become overweight or even obese. Being overweight can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, and high blood fat levels. All of these physical problems increase the risk of heart attacks.
“You know very well what kind of food we eat in Mombasa. The street foods, the deep fried potatoes. This kind of food will increase the risk”
In this generation many people do not stay active, their risk of heart attack and stroke increases greatly. Physical activity lowers your risk of heart attacks and strokes by helping your body burn sugars and fats and assisting in keeping a good weight, lowering your blood pressure, increasing oxygen levels in your body, reducing stress, strengthening your heart muscle and bones and improving blood circulation and muscle tone.
First Aid
Lots of people make a full recovery from a heart attack, but there’s a serious risk that the heart might stop beating – called a cardiac arrest. It’s vital that you treat someone having a heart attack straight away.
Watch this video from St John Ambulance.
