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Pain in a heart attack is its characteristic symptom in the middle of the chest. A heart attack is the death of part of the heart muscle following ischemia, usually due to acute obstruction of the coronary artery. The severity of disease symptoms and the extent of myocardial infarction vary and depend on the size of the “clogged” vessel.
Definition of a heart attack
A heart attack is a condition characterized by the death of part of the heart muscle due to ischemia. Symptoms may vary, usually involving the left ventricle. Myocardial infarction usually occurs in people aged 45+ (especially in men) and is one of the most common causes of premature death (40-50% of all cases). Moreover, myocardial infarction may impair the patient’s efficiency and limit his current activity. This can be prevented – by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and recognizing a heart attack early.
Factors that increase your risk of heart attack and pain:
- age – men over 45 and women over 55 are more likely to suffer from a heart attack,
- lifestyle,
- hereditary burdens (previous heart attacks in parents),
- diabetes,
- smoking,
- hypertension,
- stress,
- high cholesterol
- obesity,
- physical inactivity.
Symptoms of heart attack
In the course of a heart attack, it occurs severe intensification of pain and long-term angina crushing pains behind the sternum, often radiating to the lower jaw and left shoulder. Patients describe the pain of a heart attack as burning, crushing or pressing. The presence of pain for a short time may indicate angina pain, while its persistence for more than half an hour – usually indicates a heart attack (but this is not always the case). It is often accompanied by symptoms such as:
- paleness,
- dripping sweat
- pressure back pain (between the shoulder blades),
- significant weakness,
- sometimes shortness of breath (without additional physical exertion),
- wheezing breath
- general anxiety
- pain in the shoulder joints,
- pain in the jaw,
- nausea,
- weakness,
- heart arrhythmia,
- vomiting.
The listed symptoms suggest the need for very quick medical attention. Practically, if there is no immediate effect after the administration of nitroglycerin, an ambulance should be called.
Diagnosis of a heart attack
The biggest challenge is to diagnose a heart attack without the accompanying chest pain. It happens that in some patients it only occurs pain localized in the upper abdomen or left shoulder.
About 20 percent. myocardial infarction proceeds without any pain, then we are talking about mute heart attacks. They usually occur in women or in patients with diabetes as it damages the nerves that carry pain.
After reaching the hospital, the patient undergoes a medical interview and tests. Based on the information obtained about the symptoms, it can be concluded whether this is a heart attack. However, tests aimed at excluding or confirming myocardial infarction include:
- ECG (the picture of the examination during a heart attack is abnormal),
- a study of the concentration of troponin, a protein secreted by ischemic cardiomyocytes (its concentration is increased in patients with a heart attack).
Check your heart rate at home for 7 or 14 days by doing a remote EKG test. For this purpose, use the haloDoctor service and order a home EKG holter.
Treatment for a heart attack
Pharmacological agents used for myocardial infarction are the following preparations:
- cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins
- anticoagulants in the form of heparin or antiplatelet agents in the form of aspirin and clopidogrel,
- in the form of beta-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors.
In addition to administering pharmacological agents, a patient with a heart attack should undergo angioplasty of the coronary arteries as soon as possible or, in justified cases, aorto-coronary bypass surgery.
Baypasses are made in people who have no effects of transdermal methods.
Angioplasty is based on the insertion of a balloon catheter in place of the narrowing of the coronary artery, and then its expansion – this causes the vessel lumen to widen. To reduce the risk of restenosis, a special drug-coated or, less frequently, a metal stent is implanted in the widened area to support the vessel walls. On the other hand, bypassing is an operation of bypassing. During the procedure, the aorta is connected to the coronary artery behind the place of obstruction or narrowing of the vessel.
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