Heart attacks are a leading killer of both men and women . The good news is that excellent treatments are available for heart attacks. These treatments can save lives and prevent disabilities.
Heart attack treatment works best when it's given right after symptoms occur.
A heart attack occurs when blood
flow to a part of the heart is blocked for a long enough time that part of the
heart muscle is damaged or dies. The medical term for this is myocardial
infarction.
Most heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. If the blood flow is blocked, the heart is starved of oxygen and heart muscle dies.
Many risk factors may lead to a heart attack.
Most heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. If the blood flow is blocked, the heart is starved of oxygen and heart muscle dies.
Many risk factors may lead to a heart attack.
WHAT
ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A HEART ATTACK?A heart attack is a medical emergency.
Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack. You may feel the pain in only one part of your body, or it may move from your chest to your arms, shoulder, neck, teeth, jaw, belly area, or back.
The pain can be severe or mild.
It can feel like:
* A tight band around the chest
* Bad indigestion
* Something heavy sitting on your chest
* Squeezing or heavy pressure
* A tight band around the chest
* Bad indigestion
* Something heavy sitting on your chest
* Squeezing or heavy pressure
The pain usually lasts longer than
a few minutes. Symptoms may also go away and come back.
Other symptoms of a heart attack can include:
* Anxiety
* Cough
* Fainting
* Light-headedness, dizziness
* Nausea or vomiting
* Palpitations (feeling like your heart is beating too fast or irregularly)
* Shortness of breath
* Sweating, which may be very heavy
Some people (the elderly, people
with diabetes, and women) may have little or no chest pain. Or, they may have
unusual symptoms (shortness of breath, fatigue, and weakness). A "silent
heart attack" is a heart attack with no symptoms.
Not everyone having a heart attack has typical symptoms. If you've already had a heart attack, your symptoms may not be the same for another one.
Symptoms may include:
* Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
* Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
* Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
* Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
* As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
Not everyone having a heart attack has typical symptoms. If you've already had a heart attack, your symptoms may not be the same for another one.
Symptoms may include:
* Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
* Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
* Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
* Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
* As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
CAN
I HAVE EARLY SYMPTOMS BEFORE A HEART ATTACK?
While a heart attack may seem like a sudden event, many patients experience early symptoms days or even weeks before the actual heart attack.
Early symptoms are often similar to symptoms of a heart attack-chest pain, shortness of breath, unusual fatigue or an irregular heart beat-but come and go and may worsen or happen more easily with each episode.
While a heart attack may seem like a sudden event, many patients experience early symptoms days or even weeks before the actual heart attack.
Early symptoms are often similar to symptoms of a heart attack-chest pain, shortness of breath, unusual fatigue or an irregular heart beat-but come and go and may worsen or happen more easily with each episode.
It is important to recognize early symptoms of an impending heart attack and to act quickly. Waiting is a mistake. Coronary artery disease that leads to a heart attack is often treatable. Interventions during these beginnings of a heart attack can help prevent significant damage to the heart muscle or even death.
Be aware of the following signs and symptoms:
* Shortness of breath without exertion, difficulty breathing when doing normal activities
* Heartburn can be an early sign of a heart attack, especially if the condition becomes chronic
* Discomfort or pain, everywhere from crushing to squeezing to pressure occurring in the chest and even other areas of the body; the shoulders, neck, and jaw are areas reportedly affected prior to a heart attack
* A feeling of impending doom, anxiety and fear, especially when combined with any of the other symptoms listed above
COMMON
TESTS FOR HEART FAILURE
If you
suspect you have symptoms of heart failure you should talk to your doctor
(normally your primary care physician / GP).
Your
doctor will likely perform a thorough examination of your body and will ask you
about your symptoms, your medical history and your lifestyle. It is important
that you answer any questions as honestly and accurately as possible so that
your doctor can make an accurate diagnosis and can work with you to find the
best treatment.
If
your doctor suspects you have heart failure he or she will probably suggest you
have certain tests. These tests will help to show whether your heart is working
properly and, if not, where the problem lies.
This
section explains the tests your doctor may want you to have and what the test
can show. Click on any of the tests to learn more.
·
Medical history and physical examination
·
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
·
Blood tests
·
Chest x-ray
·
Echocardiogram
Additional
tests may be able to find out more about your heart failure or identify the
cause. These include:
·
Lung function tests
·
Exercise testing
·
Cardiac catheterisation and angiography
·
Nuclear medicines techniques
·
Multi-slice Computer Tomography (MSCT)
As the
symptoms presented to the doctor may vary widely between patients you may only
receive a few of these tests, and it is very unlikely you will receive all of
them. If you have any concerns regarding your tests, you should discuss them
with your doctor.
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