Reasons for Heart Attack at a Young Age | #Doctalks | Dr. Vijay Shekar, Cardiologist

Heart attack has become a phrase that we often hear in our society. Before two decades, heart attack was a common cause of death among older adults, but it has become more prevalent among the younger generation.

Studies have also shown that about 10% of the people who experience heart attacks are below 40.

Reasons for heart attack at a young age

About 60-70% of the people below the age of 40 who suffer from a heart attack are found to have the habit of smoking. Thus, smoking is considered a major contributor to increasing the risk of heart attacks in a person. Smoking causes the body to accumulate over 100 toxic particles like nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, hydro carbide, and other such elements.

This can cause various problems in the human body like increased blood pressure, shrinkage of blood vessels, and increased blood coagulation. All these reasons, in turn, raise the chances of the person getting a heart attack at a younger age.

Preventive measures

The simple and best way to reduce the risk of heart attack for individuals and society is to quit smoking altogether. Some people believe that limited smoking or using several brands might reduce the risk. But the truth is any form of tobacco, or any amount of tobacco is dangerous.

Also Read: Is it Heartburn or a Heart attack?

Kauvery Hospital

Awareness against smoking is being done for a long time now, but it is in our own hands to stop making it a habit. Heart attack can be fatal, and if you notice any symptoms, it is important to contact the doctor immediately. You can try searching best heart specialist in Chennai on Google, but the results can be vague. Kauvery Hospital offers premium care and treatment for the patients and employs the best in the industry.

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Cancer and Tobacco

Tobacco is one of the most discussed but also an easily ignored topic. Tobacco is the leading cause of cancer and the deaths resulting from it. Estimates show that the deaths due to smoking contribute to 10 million each year worldwide, and we have 120 million smokers in our country.

Tobacco smoke has about 7000 chemicals in it of which 72 are carcinogens with the ability to cause cancer. There are two forms of tobacco.

1.       Smokeless Tobacco

This is the most common and prevalent type, especially in India. Tobacco is chewed with betel nuts, and this is considered to be the major contributing factor of the increased oral cancer in India.

Chewing tobacco with betel nuts and storing it in the mouth can cause infections, leading to oral cancer. Ingestion of this juice is also known to cause food pipe cancer.

Other forms of smokeless tobacco like paan and gutkha are also in increase. These contain chemicals that aid in the induction of OSMF and later oral cancer. Snuff which is inhaled through the nasal cavity can cause nose cancer.

2.      Smoke Tobacco (Cigarettes)

Nicotine is a substance that is present in the tobacco which makes it addictive for the user. With cigarettes the nicotine enters the bloodstream through the lungs and with smokeless tobacco it reaches through gums and digestive system.

Also Read: What you eat can help you fight cancer

Smoking can cause lung cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, and many more cancers. Smoking can also lead to the onset of other problems like heart diseases, sexual-related problems and such.

Passive Smoking: Most of us assume ourselves to be safe given we don’t smoke. But as mentioned before, tobacco smoke contains carcinogens, and regular exposure to the smoke while the other person is smoking can also cause cancer. Thus you must avoid tobacco on the whole and stay away from exposure.

Treatment

Cancer can be treated and even cured if diagnosed in the early stages. Thus if you have smoking problem meet a cancer specialist who can help you with the early diagnosis and oral cancer treatment or any cancer-related problems.

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