How to recognize and handle a heart attack

A part of your heart muscle can die if it doesn’t get enough blood, often because of a clogged artery nearby. This can cause chest pain that might spread to other areas. It’s a very serious problem, so call for help right away and get to the hospital.

A heart attack can cause chest pain, along with nausea, sweating, and trouble breathing. These are just some of the symptoms, and some people may experience them differently. If you think you or someone you know might be having a heart attack, call for help right away.

Your heart might stop completely (cardiac arrest) if you don’t get help during a heart attack. But these are two different problems. A heart attack cuts off blood flow to your heart, while cardiac arrest is an electrical issue that stops your heart from beating.

Heart attack symptoms

Heart attacks can be deadly, so it’s super important to recognize the warning signs early and call for help right away.

Among the symptoms are:

• A squeezing, hurting, tightening, or pressing sensation in the chest.
• Pain that travels to your back, neck, jaw, or arm.
• A feeling of tightness or pressure in your chest.
• A discomfort in your chest that feels like heartburn or indigestion.
• Feeling nauseous (like you might throw up) and sometimes actually vomiting.
• Sweating and feeling clammy.
• breathing difficulties.
• Feeling faint or woozy.
• For some people, there might be a feeling of intense worry or anxiety, like during a panic attack.
• You might cough or wheeze if fluid builds up in your lungs, making it harder to breathe.

Heart attack symptoms can come on differently for everyone. They might start slowly and get worse over time, or they might come and go in waves for a few hours.

Additionally, the following could happen:

• Hypoxia: Not enough oxygen is getting to your heart.
• Edema pulmonary: There’s too much fluid in your lungs and the area nearby.
• Cardiogenic shock: Your blood pressure drops quickly because your heart isn’t strong enough to pump blood throughout your body properly.

Sometimes heart attacks are experienced differently by men and women.

Reasons

A heart attack most often happens when a blockage forms in one of the arteries near your heart, either completely blocking it or narrowing it a lot.

This blockage can be caused by coronary heart disease. That’s when fatty stuff, like cholesterol, builds up inside the arteries near your heart, making them narrower. Over time, this narrowness can completely block blood flow and cause a heart attack.

Less frequent reasons consist of:

• Spasms in coronary arteries.
• Clots of blood.
• Spontaneous dissection of the coronary arteries.
• The abuse of substances like cocaine, which narrows the blood arteries in the Trusted Source.

Handling

Having a heart attack is very serious and needs immediate medical attention. The sooner you get help, the better your chances of survival.

A person should dial 911 right away if they think they may be having a heart attack, or someone else should.

• Prepare an explanation of the symptoms and the location of the person.
• It’s important to stay calm. Listen carefully and follow all the instructions given by the emergency team.

If you call 911 for someone else, you can stay with them and let them know help is already coming.

Medical treatment

The ambulance crew will take care of the person as soon as they arrive. If you know anything about the person’s health history or what happened before the heart attack, tell the crew all you can.

When diagnosing the patient and developing a plan of care, they will consider the following:

• Age.
• Medical background.
• Overall health.
• Family background.

The medical team will give the patient oxygen to help them feel better.

Within the hospital, a medical staff will conduct examinations and might provide the following choices for treatment:

• Medicines, like ones that break up blood clots.
• A procedure to open up blocked arteries in the heart using a thin tube and tiny balloon.
• A heart bypass, also called coronary artery bypass surgery, is a procedure that creates a detour for your blood to flow around clogged parts of your heart arteries. This helps more blood reach your heart muscle.

The doctors and nurses will work with you to create a plan to help prevent future problems.

Difficulties

Unfortunately, some people have problems after a heart attack. How serious these problems are depends on how bad the attack was. Some possible issues include:

• Depression: It’s common to feel down after a heart attack. Talking to friends, family, or joining a support group can really help you feel better.
• Arrhythmia: Instead of beating regularly, the heart beats at an uneven pace. This can be either too fast or too slow.
• Edema: Fluid can build up in your ankles and legs, causing them to puff up.
• Aneurysm: Over time, the damaged area of your heart wall can heal with scar tissue. This scar tissue can make the heart muscle thin and weak, sometimes even forming a pouch. This weakness can also increase the risk of blood clots.
• Angina: Your heart isn’t getting enough oxygen, which can cause chest pain.
• Heart failure: When your heart can’t pump blood as well as it should, you might feel tired, short of breath, and swollen (especially in your ankles and legs).
• Myocardial rupture: A heart attack can sometimes damage your heart muscle so badly that it tears.

By following your doctor’s advice and getting regular checkups, you can lower your chances of having these problems.

Recovery

The time it takes to recover from a heart attack can vary depending on how bad it was and other things like what caused it and how old you are. For some people, it may take several months.

It can take different amounts of time for people to get back to their normal routines in areas like:

• Exercise.
• Going back to work.
• Driving.
• Engaging in sexual activities.

Your doctor will talk to you about how long it will take to get back to your normal activities, like work or exercise. They’ll also create a plan to help you recover and lower your risk of having another heart attack.

How to stop a heart attack

The good news is, even after a heart attack, there are steps you can take to lower your chances of having another one. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends making your heart health a top priority.

Several methods for doing this include Reliable Source:

• Keep away from or stop smoking.
• Consume a healthy lunch and a well-balanced diet.
• Engage in regular exercise.
• Manage diseases such diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
• Reduce your alcohol consumption.
• Preserve or gain a mild frame weight.
• Reduce stress, which include with:
  • Breathing exercises.
  • Yoga.
  • Mindfulness.

If you know the warning signs of a heart attack and call for help right away, you have a much better chance of making a full recovery.

Risk factors

The chance of having a heart attack can be raised by the following factors:

• Older age.
• Being a man.
• High cholesterol levels.
• High blood pressure.
• Additional medical issues, such obesity or diabetes.
• Low levels of activity.
• Family history and genetic variables.
• Smoking.
• An excessive alcohol consumption.
• High levels of stress.

There’s no single reason why someone has a heart attack. It’s usually a combination of different things.

The American Heart Association (AHA) says some racial and ethnic groups in the US have a higher chance of having high blood pressure and dying from heart disease. This includes Black Americans, Latinx Americans, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and some Asian Americans, compared to white people.

If you have high blood pressure, a past heart attack, or any kind of heart disease, you’re more likely to have a heart attack in the future.

(FAQs) Frequently asked questions

Here are some frequently asked questions concerning heart attacks.

What are the warning signs of a minor heart attack?

A heart attack can happen when an artery is partially blocked. This is sometimes called a “mini heart attack,” but the symptoms can still be serious, including chest pain.

What do doctors do to help someone who’s had a mini heart attack?

To diagnose a heart attack, doctors might use a heart test called an EKG. They can also help prevent future problems with medications like aspirin, blood thinners, or beta-blockers.

Can people recover from a very bad heart attack?

Getting help right away can greatly improve your chances of surviving a heart attack. No matter how bad you think your symptoms are, call emergency services immediately.

If you think you might be having a heart attack, what should you do?

Quickly dial 911 if you believe you are having a heart attack. Getting help quickly can greatly improve your chances of survival.

Summary

If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 (or your local emergency number) right away. It’s a serious emergency and getting help quickly is critical.

The main warning signs are chest pain or tightness, like someone is squeezing your chest. You might also have pain in your arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach. Feeling short of breath is another big sign.

If you or someone you know experiences any warning signs of a heart attack, call 911 immediately. Getting help quickly can make a big difference and increase the chances of a full recovery.