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What is a Heart Attack?
Heart Attack - Damage to the heart caused by a blockage in one of the arteries that supplies the heart muscle. Blockage of one of these arteries "coronary arteries" reduces the blood flow to the heart muscle and can cause chest pain or "angina". When a blood clot forms at the site of a blockage it can completey block the flow of blood to the portion of the heart muscle it supplies and this is what causes an actual heart attack or "myocardial infarction". If blood flow i s not restored there is irreversible damage to the heart mucle. Therefore it is imperative that a heart attack is treated as quickly as possible. Fortunately, there is excellent medical and catheter based therapies to treat heart attacks. Therefore, it is critical to call 911 at the earliest sign of a heart attack.
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What are symptoms of a heart attack?
- Uncomfortable pressure, heaviness, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest lasting more than a few minutes.
- Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms. The pain may be mild to intense. It may feel like pressure, tightness, burning, or heavy weight. It may be located in the chest, upper abdomen, neck, jaw, or inside arms or shoulders.
- Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath.
- Anxiety, nervousness and/or cold, sweaty skin.
- Paleness or Pallor.
- Increased or irregular heart rate.
- Feeling of impending doom.
**Not all of these symptoms occur in every heart attack. Sometimes they go away and return. IF SOME OCCUR GET HELP FAST!
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| Can I have a heart attack without knowing it?
Yes, the Nation's longest-running heart study suggests that about one heart attack in four produces no symptoms, or at least none that the victim associates with a heart problem. These so called "silent heart attacks" however are only the most extreme cases of a still more prevalent condition called "silent ischemea", a chronic shortage of oxygen and nutrient bearing blood to a portion of the heart.
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| What causes a heart attack?
The cause of a heart attack, silent or otherwise is almost always atherosclerosis, which is the progressive narrowing of the heart's arteries from accumulations of cholesterol plaque. This plaque ruptures and a clot or thrombus forms at the site of injury. This plaque and clot completely obstruct the flow of blood to the heart muscle the coronary artery supplies.
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| Does the absence of pain during a heart attack indicate less damage to the heart?
No, the absence of pain does not mean the absence of damage. The heart has a built-in reserve capacity, allowing it to suffer a certain amount of scarring and weakening from a heart attack and continue to meet the body's needs. But another heart attack even a mild to moderate one, may prove fatal because the reserve capacity is no longer there.
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| What are the treatments for a heart attack?
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| What are the tests for heart disease?
1. Stress testing which included evaluation during excercise or with medication. At times special scans are taken to assist in the interpretation of the stress test.
2. Echocardiography: Sonogram of the heart to assess the values of the heart as well as the heart muscle.
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| Is there a screening test for heart disease?
Stress Testing
High Speed CT
The most important intervention for heart disease is prevention & modification if CAD is already present Therefore risk factors that need to be addressed are diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking cessation. |
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