A
heart attack is injury or death of part of the
heart muscle. It is also called a ‘myocardial
infarction’. There are 3 major ways in
which a heart attack can occur:
Blockages
get worse. As the blockages get larger
there is less blood flow to the heart muscle.
At one point the heart muscle no longer can get
the blood and oxygen it needs. When the blood
supply is cut off for more than about 30 minutes,
the heart muscle cells begin to die, and a heart
attack occurs.
The atherosclerotic
plaque cracks. Most heart attacks are
caused as a result of ‘cracking’ or
‘rupture’ of the plaque (blockage).
The plaque becomes unstable and cracks, forming
a blood clot which travels and completely blocks
the flow of blood through the artery, and causes
a heart attack.
Coronary spasm.
The wall of the artery can suddenly go into a
spasm which blocks the blood supply to the heart.
This spasm is like a ‘cramp’ in the
wall of the artery. It usually occurs at the sites
where plaque is present, and if it lasts for more
than 30 minutes, it leads to a heart attack.
What is angina?
Angina is a pain or
discomfort that is usually felt in the chest,
and spreading to other parts of the body, such
as the neck, jaw, shoulders or arms. In some people
discomfort is only felt in these areas and not
in the chest at all.
Recognize
the symptoms of a heart attack
The typical presentation
of an heart attack is an unpleasant squeezing
pain which typically occurs in the middle of the
chest or back.
It often radiates
to both arms or the throat and jaw, and is accompanied
by sweating and or nausea.
This typical presentation
does not always occur. Some may just experience
heart burn, or ‘stomach upset’ not
relieved by antacids, breathlessness at rest,
accompanied by a ‘run down’ feeling
Some may only experience
chest ‘pressure’ and not ‘pain’,
or pain only in the jaw, teeth or arms.
