Patient Education Caring For Your Heart Booklet | Page 8

Heart Attack
(Myocardial Infarction)
Heart Attack Symptoms
A heart attack can occur at any time —
during times of physical or emotional
stress, after eating, or during sleep. Pain
usually occurs with a heart attack, but it
is not always severe. It may come and
go. Do not ignore the pain because you
think it should be more severe.
A heart attack occurs when blood fl ow to
the heart slows down or stops for 15 to
30 minutes or more. The loss of oxygen
carried by the blood causes damage to
the heart muscle. The attack may be
caused by:
 A buildup of fatty plaque that causes
blockage.
 A blood clot that stops blood fl ow.
This blood clot can be caused by
a fatty plaque in the artery that has
broken open.
 A spasm that narrows an artery
carrying blood and oxygen to the
heart.
The result of each of these is the same —
not enough blood and oxygen reach the
heart muscle. Without enough blood and
oxygen, the heart muscle begins to die.
Blood has trouble getting through
arteries that are clogged by layers of fat
or spasm. Blood cells can stick to the
fatty deposits on the artery walls. When
this happens, a clot forms. If the clot
is large enough to close off the artery,
blood fl ow through that artery stops,
and a heart attack occurs. The medical
term for a heart attack caused by a clot is
coronary thrombosis.
When a spasm occurs in a coronary
artery, angina or a heart attack can occur.
The cause of a spasm in the artery is not
always certain, but may include cocaine,
other drugs, nicotine, and fatty plaque.
Women and people with diabetes also
often report less pain or no pain with
a heart attack. They may have vague
symptoms such as fatigue or have no
symptoms at all.
Even if you have already had one or
more heart attacks, do not expect the
symptoms to be exactly the same.
Call 911 if you have any of these
symptoms:
 Pressure, tightness, heaviness,
squeezing, burning, pain, numbness,
or tingling in the center of your chest,
upper part of your stomach, arms,
throat, neck, jaw, the middle of your
back, or between your shoulder
blades
 Sweating
 Nausea
 Shortness of breath or choking
 Feeling weak, faint, or tired
 Feeling of your heart beating very
hard or very fast
Do not wait more than 5 minutes to
call 911 or your emergency response
number.
Do not drive yourself or have
someone drive you to the hospital.
Minutes count. Emergency medical
services (EMS) staff can begin treatment
when they arrive — up to an hour
sooner than if someone gets to the
hospital by car. EMS staff members are
also trained to revive someone whose
heart has stopped.
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