Hypoxia and Medicine

What is myocardial ischemia ???

My grandma was diagnosed with this. What is it? (Try and keep it simple) -Thanks!!

Public Comments

1. Myocardial ischemia is a condition in which oxygen deprivation to the heart muscle is accompanied by inadequate removal of metabolites because of reduced blood flow or perfusion. In contrast, mere oxygen deprivation (hypoxia or anoxia) without reduction in the clearance of metabolites occurs in cyanotic congenital heart disease, cor pulmonale, severe anemia, asphyxiation, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Patients with these problems do not exhibit ischemic symptoms
2. It just means his heart is not getting enough blood flow, and therefore oxygen. That's the simple version. His doctor will probably prescribe medications that will help.
3. Ischemia refers to lack of flow of oxygen. You have received a very good answer already so I will not elaborate. Do a search on line using these two words and you will get a very accurate description of what this means.
4. Myo refers to muscle, cardial to heart and ischemia to decreased oxyzen situation. Put it all together --- there is decreased oxyzen supply to muscles of heart . Now we need out heart to keep pumping blood at all times. Severity of the problem depends upon extent and duration of oxygen deprivation. Her doctor can give you details specific to grandma's heart. Hope it helps. Take care of your grandma.
5. Limitation of blood flow to the heart causes ischemia (cell starvation secondary to a lack of oxygen) of the myocardial cells. When myocardial cells die from lack of oxygen, this is called a myocardial infarction (commonly called a heart attack). It leads to heart muscle damage, heart muscle death and later scarring without heart muscle regrowth. Myocardial infarction is also caused, far less commonly, by spasm of the artery wall occluding the lumen, a condition also associated with atheromatous plaque and Coronary Heart Disease / coronary artery disease. Coronary Heart Disease is associated with smoking, obesity and hypertension. A family history of Coronary Heart Disease is one of the strongest predictors of Coronary Heart Disease.
6. Myo is the heart muscle, cardial is the heart and ischemia to decreased oxygen. Your body has arteries that provide oxygen to the blood. Your heart has its own arteries that supply oxygen to itself to keep it alive. In simple terms your grandfathers heart is not getting enough oxygen to it. This is a common problem. What will happen is your grandfather will be prescribe a drug that will make the arteries bigger and allow more blood flow, therefore allowing more oxygen.