Wambui Virginia @kuivirgie
Dr Ravi Sharma, a general practitioner in Nairobi ate right, exercised regularly and was a sporty person. Everything in his life felt right, until he had a heart attack. It all started when he started experiencing chest pains, discomfort as well as shortness of breath. He had no idea he was about to have a heart attack.
He was quickly rushed to the Emergency Room where the doctors confirmed that he was smack in the middle of a heart attack. “The doctors used the electrocardiogram ( ECG), a diagnostic tool that is routinely used to assess the electrical and muscular functions of the heart.
The modern technology was effective because in no time the doctors were able to find the blocked artery and unclogged it. This helped restore circulation to the heart and limit heart muscle damage. In two hours I was okay and everything was back to normal,” he says. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa in adults over the age of 30 years.
It is reported that globally, 86 per cent of mortality and morbidity from CVD occurs in developing countries. This situation has been aggravated by the dietary changes and sedentary lifestyles that people have been accustomed to. Globally, low and middle-income countries bear 80 per cent of the world’s burden from cardiovascular disease.
Dr Jeilan Mohamed, Director of Cardiac Services at the Heart and Cancer Centre (HCC), and an Interventional Cardiologist at Aga Khan University Hospital said: “The healthcare burden for heart patients in Africa has become enormous, as the poor continue to suffer more for lack information on the seriousness of the condition, lack of access to medical services and also some financial barriers.”
Ischaemic heart disease (IHD), is the principal component of cardiovascular diseases and the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa. Most Kenyans in their 20s and 30s are developing heart ailments making this situation grave issue.
Those experiencing a heart attack do not realise the symptoms of the condition until it’s too late. When they seek treatment, there are significant delays in getting to hospital. Even if they do get to the hospital, many healthcare providers and their institutions are not equipped to detect, let alone treat the condition.
The latest projections suggest that by 2030 more people in Africa will die from IHD that from any other cause of death. “The disease is affecting young adults, hence there is a growing risk to their future health and well-being.
Considering that at the dawn of independence, some 50 years ago, IHD was considered rare, the rate of progressionof the condition is both remarkable and alarming,” he said. The basic symptoms of a heart attack include a feeling of extreme pressure on the chest, followed by chest pain. It more likely feels like a squeeze, shortness of breathe, light-headedness, dizziness and nausea.
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