Why can the artery tear suddenly

Coronary arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the heart. Coronary artery damage is generally caused by a buildup of cholesterol in the blood vessels or atherosclerosis. However, there are other causes such as dissection or sudden tearing of the coronary arteries. Although less frequently, there is an increasing number of heart attacks due to coronary artery dissection.

Therefore, it is important for all of us to study this case further. Come on, find out about torn coronary arteries in the following explanation.

Recognizing tearing of a coronary artery

A torn coronary artery is known in the medical realm as spontaneous coronary artery dissection. This condition is defined as a tear in the arterial wall that is not related to trauma or a medical device.

Basically, the artery wall is divided into two, namely the outside and the inside. A sudden tearing of the wall can result in obstruction of the deepest artery tract (lumen). This tear causes blood to fill the lining between the inner and outer arteries, causing a hematoma (blood buildup) which also causes blockage of the artery. The condition of the hematoma causes pressure on the lumen so that it blocks blood flow to the heart.

This causes blood flow to the heart to slow down or stop it completely. As a result, the heart muscle becomes weaker and in the near future can cause heart attacks, arrhythmias, and sudden death.

Unlike the incidence of heart attacks in general, in cases of spontaneous coronary artery dissection, people who experience it do not have a history of atherosclerosis or risk factors such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection occurs in people who are classified as healthy, and is more common in women over the age of 40 years, but in men it can occur in any age group.

Symptoms of coronary artery dissection

The symptoms of a sudden tearing of a coronary artery are the same as a heart attack. However, this can happen to healthy people without risk factors for heart disease. These include:

Chest pain
Pain in the upper arms, shoulders, and jaw
Difficulty breathing
Increased heart rate or a sudden feeling of palpitations
Sweating
Feeling very weak for no reason
Nausea and feeling dizzy

The occurrence of a heart attack is an emergency condition so it requires immediate treatment through access to emergency services or the nearest health service.

Risk factors for a torn artery

It is not known for sure the risk factors most associated with causing spontaneous coronary artery dissection, but experts to date have found several conditions that may be related, including:

Female gender - the incidence of spontaneous coronary artery dissection tends to be higher in women.
Give birth - The incidence of spontaneous coronary artery dissection is mostly found in women who have recently given birth or in a period of up to several weeks thereafter.
Blood vessel disorders - such as abnormal growth of arterial wall cells fibromuscular dysplasia causing artery walls to become more brittle.
Extreme physical activity - Spontaneous coronary artery dissection occurs after a person with high intensity aerobic physical activity.
Emotional stress - sadness due to the death of a loved one or excessive psychological stress can increase the risk of heart disease, one of which is spontaneous coronary artery dissection
Inflammation of blood vessels - Inflammation such as in lupus and polyarthritis of nodes can contribute to blood vessel damage.
Genetic disorders - Some genetic diseases can cause the body to develop fragile connective tissue such as vascular Ehler-Danlos syndrome and Marfan's syndrome.
Extreme high blood pressure - this condition is likely to cause tearing of the blood vessels.
Use of illegal drugs - Cocaine and other illicit drug use has been associated with spontaneous coronary artery dissection.

Diagnosis and treatment

The incidence of spontaneous coronary artery dissection can only be recognized by the method of coronary angiography examination which uses X-rays to check the condition of the deepest artery or lumen. Investigations that tend to be less invasive such as tomography can also be performed, but not all types of coronary artery dissection can be detected. Before the symptoms of a heart attack appear, spontaneous coronary artery dissection is quite difficult to recognize.

Most people who have spontaneous coronary artery dissection with stable or no pain and electrocardiographic changes can be treated with treatment methods that improve blood flow and artery walls. The use of antihypertensive drugs and controlling blood cholesterol can be done. If conditions are unstable, then stenting coronary artery and bypass surgery may need to be performed.