Heart attack

Heart attack

Heart attack is the death of a segment of heart muscle caused by the loss of blood supply.

The blood supply is usually lost because a coronary artery, one that supplies blood to the heart muscle, has a blood clot, a blockage .

 If some of the heart muscle dies, the patient experiences chest pain and electrical instability of the heart muscle tissue.

Another name for a heart attack is myocardial infarction, cardiac infarction and coronary thrombosis.

Blood supply to the heart can also be undermined if the artery suddenly narrows, as in a spasm.

·         Plaque build-up, or

·         A coronary artery spasm

It can eventually lead to a heart attack, and a heart attack can occur when blood flow in a coronary artery is blocked.

What are the symptoms of a heart attack?

·         Chest discomfort, mild pain

·         Coughing

·         Nausea

·         Vomiting

·         Crushing chest pain

·         Dizziness

·         Dyspnea

·         Face seems gray

·         A feeling of terror that your life is coming to its end

·         Feeling really awful (general feeling)

·         Restlessness

·         The patient is clammy and sweaty

When somebody has a heart attack, they usually feel pain in their chest first.

The pain then spreads to the neck, jaw, ears, arms, and wrists.

The pain may also make its way into the shoulder blades, the back, and the abdomen. 

Changing position, resting or lying down does not alleviate the pain.

It is typically a constant pain, but it may sometimes come and go. Patients describe the pain as one of pressure, like a clamp squeezing inside your chest.

The pain can last from a few minutes to many hours. 

Silent heart attack - people with diabetes, and/or those over the age of 75 may experience a "silent heart attack", one with no pain at all. Painless heart attacks are more common among women than men.