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A heart attack (myocardial infarction) is a medical emergency where your heart muscle begins to die because it isn’t getting enough blood flow. A blockage in the arteries that supply blood to your heart usually causes this. If a healthcare provider doesn’t restore blood flow quickly, a heart attack can cause permanent heart damage and death.

In this article we will understand about what is heart attack, causes, symptoms, and prevention.

what is heart attack?

A heart attack, medically known as a myocardial infarction, its occurs when blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked for an extend period. This blockage prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart muscle, leading to tissue damage or death. Timely medical intervention is crucial to minimize damage and improve survival rates.

Causes of Heart attacks

Coronary artery disease causes most heart attacks. In coronary artery disease, one or more of the heart (coronary) arteries are blocked. This is usually due to cholesterol-containing deposits called plaques. Plaques can narrow the arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart.

If a plaque breaks open, it can cause a blood clot in the heart.

A heart attack may be caused by a complete or partial blockage of a heart (coronary) artery. One way to classify heart attacks is whether an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) shows some specific changes (ST elevation) that require emergency invasive treatment. Your health care provider may use electrocardiogram (ECG) results to describe these types of heart attacks.

• An acute complete blockage of a medium or large heart artery usually means you’ve had an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
• A partial blockage often means you’ve had a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). However, some people with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) have a total blockage.

Not all heart attacks are caused by blocked arteries. Other causes include:

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). This life-threatening condition is caused by a tear inside a heart artery.

Coronary artery spasm. This is a severe squeezing of a blood vessel that’s not blocked. The artery generally has cholesterol plaques or there is early hardening of the vessel due to smoking or other risk factors. Other names for coronary artery spasms are Prinzmetal’s angina, vasospastic angina or variant angina.

Certain infections. COVID-19 and other viral infections may cause damage to the heart muscle.

Symptoms of a Heart Attack

What does a heart attack feel like?

Many people feel pain in their chest during a heart attack. It can feel like discomfort, squeezing or heaviness, or it can feel like crushing pain. It may start in your chest and spread (or radiate) to other areas like your left arm (or both arms), shoulder, neck, jaw, back or down toward your waist.

People often think they’re having indigestion or heartburn when they’re actually having a heart attack.

Some people only experience shortness of breath, nausea or sweating.

What are the symptoms of a heart attack?

Heart attacks can have many symptoms, some of which are more common than others.

Heart attack symptoms that people describe most often include:

• Chest pain (angina).
• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing.
• Trouble sleeping (insomnia).
• Nausea or stomach discomfort.
• Heart palpitations.
• Anxiety or a feeling of “impending doom.”
• Feeling lightheaded, dizzy or passing out.

People assigned male at birth (AMAB) are likely to have different heart attack symptoms than people assigned female at birth (AFAB). People AFAB are less likely to have chest pain or discomfort that feels like indigestion. They’re more likely to have shortness of breath, fatigue and insomnia that started before the heart attack. They also have nausea and vomiting or pain in the back, shoulders, neck, arms or abdomen.

What to do in case of Heart Attack

If you suspect someone is having a heart attack :

1. Call Emergency services:

Time is critical; immediate medical attention is necessary.

2. Keep the person Calm:

Stress can worsen the situation.

3. Administer Aspirin:

If not allergic, aspirin can help thin the blood (consult emergency services first).

4. Perform CPR if Unresponsive:

If the person is unresponsive and not breading, initiate CPR until help arrives.

prevention strategies

It’s never too late to take steps to prevent a heart attack — even if you’ve already had one. Here are ways to prevent a heart attack.

• Follow a healthy lifestyle. Don’t smoke. Maintain a healthy weight with a heart-healthy diet. Get regular exercise and manage stress.
• Manage other health conditions. Certain conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, can increase the risk of heart attacks. Ask your health care provider how often you need checkups.
• Take medications as directed. Your health care provider may prescribe drugs to protect and improve your heart health.

It’s also a good idea to learn CPR properly so you can help someone who’s having a heart attack. Consider taking an accredited first-aid training course, including CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Conclusion

Heart attack are serious medical emergencies that require immediate attention. Understanding their causes, recognizing symptoms, and adopting preventive measures can significantly reduce the risk. By making informed lifestyle choices and seeking regular medical care, individuals can protect their heart health and enhance their overall well-being.