When the heart muscle begins to die, the person has a heart attack.
Symptoms may or may not precede aheart attack.
If the heart arteries narrow by more than 70%, some symptoms may occur.
Hispanolistic / Getty Images
Hispanolistic / Getty Images
This article discusses heart attack symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
Heart Attack Symptoms: What Does a Heart Attack Feel Like?
Heart attack symptomsvary from person to person.
Heart attack symptoms can come on suddenly or develop slowly and come and go over many hours.
However, women can also have other symptoms that aren’t seen as oftenin men.
When someone has a heart attack the signs and symptoms can slowly progress as thecoronary arteriesnarrow withatherosclerosis.
This is the buildup of plaque in the artery.
When a coronary artery narrows by 70% or more, cramps and muscle pain may ensue.
As the coronary arteries narrow, the body can compensate by making connections around the narrowed arteries.
These are called collaterals.
This process can happen abruptly or gradually.
When it is gradual, early warning signs may occur.
Aheart attackis a medical emergency.
Do not try and drive yourself or someone else to the hospital.
Take any medication you have been prescribed for chest pain.
If the chest pain does not go away after you take the medicine, call 911.
What Causes a Heart Attack?
Heart attacks most commonly result fromcoronary artery disease (CAD).
This is a condition in which plaque develops along the insides of coronary arteries.
Over time, the plaque narrows the arteries decreasing blood flow through them.
A piece of plaque can break off the sides of the artery.
Other less commoncauses of a heart attackare:
There are several heart attack risk factors.
Some of these are within your control, while others are not.
Heart Attack vs. Cardiac Arrest
The termsheart attack and cardiac arrestare sometimes interchangeable.
However, they are two very different conditions.
Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly stops beating.
A heart attack decreases blood flow, causing the heart to beat less effectively.
A heart attack can cause cardiac arrest.
Treatment should start as soon as possible.
Medications
Severalmedicationscan treat a heart attack.
Nitroglycerin is another medication that makes it easier for your heart to get blood through your body.
Thrombolytics are medications for breaking up blood clots.
The medicine will work throughout the entire body and does not know to focus only on the heart.
It is a cardiac catheterization procedure that guides a tube through an artery into the coronary arteries.
Astentmay be placed during the procedure to help keep the artery open.
Cardiac rehabilitationis a program healthcare providers and medical staff organize to help patients recover and prevent another heart attack.
The program provides education, exercise information, and lifestyle training.
Hospitals and outpatient facilities offer it, and insurance often covers it.
How to Prevent a Heart Attack
Heart attacks are not always preventable.
But it’s possible for you to make lifestyle changes toreduce your risk.
These changes include regular exercise, quitting smoking, a healthy diet, and stress reduction.
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