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Am I having a heart attack? What are the signs and symptoms? Why does a heart attack happen and what should you do if you think you are having a heart attack?
A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart muscle becomes blocked. If the flow of blood isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die. When a part of the heart dies, it can be traced on an electrocardiogram, which is a tracing of the heart. A heart attack occurs because of a condition called coronary artery disease. This is when plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries which are arteries that supply your heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances found in the blood. When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis. The plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form on the surface of the plaque. The clot can block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the part of the heart muscle fed by the artery. During a heart attack, if the blockage in the coronary artery isn’t treated quickly, the heart muscle will begin to die and get replaced by scar tissue. Problems linked to heart attack can include heart failure condition in which the heart can’t pump blood the way it should and life-threatening arrhythmias. An arrhythmia is a problem with the speed or rhythm of the heartbeat. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood throughout the body. Ventricular fibrillation is a serious arrhythmia that can cause death if not treated quickly. Immediately calling for help can save your life and limit damage to your heart. Treatment is most effective when started within 1 hour of the beginning of symptoms. The most common heart attack signs and symptoms are
Other signs include nausea, which means feeling sick to your stomach, vomiting, light headedness or fainting, or becoming cold, clammy and pale. If you think you or someone you know may be having a heart attack call the emergency services immediately. If your symptoms stop completely in less than 5 minutes, still call your doctor. Only take an ambulance to the hospital. Going in a private car can delay treatment. For anyone with chest pain, testing includes an ECG and chest x-ray. For adults, blood tests for cardiac markers are done. If myocardial ischemia is likely, tests should include serial measurement of cardiac markers and ECGs and possibly stress ECG or a stress imaging test.
The copyright of the article Chest Pain in Heart Disease Diagnosis is owned by Asia Yousaf. Permission to republish Chest Pain in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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