In one of my previous article I had talked about cardiac arrest and mentioned that it was different from heart attacks so today I will talk about heart attacks. A heart attack (also known as a myocardial infarction or MI) is the damage and death of heart muscle from the sudden blockage of a coronary artery by a blood clot. Coronary arteries are blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood and oxygen
SYMPTOMS
- Pain, fullness, and/or squeezing sensation of the chest
- Jaw pain, toothache and headache
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea, vomiting and/or general epigastric (upper middle abdomen) discomfort
- Sweating
- Heartburn and/or indigestion
- Arm pain (more commonly the left arm, but may be either arm)
- Upper back pain
- General malaise (vague feeling of illness)
- No symptoms (Approximately one quarter of all heart attacks are silent, without chest pain or new symptoms. Silent heart attacks are especially common among patients with diabetes mellitus.)
One cannot overemphasize the importance of seeking prompt medical attention in the presence of new symptoms that suggest a heart attack. Early diagnosis and treatment save lives, and delays in reaching medical assistance can be fatal.
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