Есть что улучшить? Предложите правку.
A heart attack, or myocardial infarction, is a type of heart disease. It happens when blood flow to the heart is suddenly blocked, cutting off its oxygen. Without quick treatment the heart muscle starts to die; with it, damage may be prevented or limited. That is why it matters to know the symptoms and to call 911 if you or someone else has them — even if you are not sure it is a heart attack. Emergency crews can start treatment as soon as they arrive, and calling 911 gets you care faster.
Heart attack or cardiac arrest?
They are different. In a heart attack the heart usually does not suddenly stop. In sudden cardiac arrest the heart stops beating and the person passes out. A heart attack can trigger cardiac arrest, and both are medical emergencies.
Symptoms
Symptoms range from mild to severe and differ from person to person. The most common are:
- Chest discomfort, often in the center or left side, lasting more than a few minutes or going away and coming back. It can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain, or like heartburn or indigestion.
- Shortness of breath, sometimes the only symptom, before or during chest discomfort, at rest or with a little activity.
- Upper-body discomfort in one or both arms, the back, shoulders, neck, jaw or upper stomach.
Other possible symptoms include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, palpitations (a racing or pounding heart), lightheadedness and a cold sweat. Women sometimes have different symptoms from men — for example, they are more likely to feel unexplained tiredness.
Causes
The most common cause is coronary artery disease (CAD), in which cholesterol and other material, called plaque, builds up on the inner walls of the arteries over years — atherosclerosis. A patch of plaque can eventually rupture, and a blood clot forming around it can block the artery. Less often, a severe spasm (tightening) of a coronary artery cuts off blood flow.
Risk factors
| You can change | You can't change |
|---|---|
| Smoking — quit, or never start | Age |
| High cholesterol and high blood pressure — manage with diet, exercise and medicine | Sex |
| Diabetes — manage your blood glucose (blood sugar) | Family history |
| Inactivity and obesity — stay active and keep a healthy weight | Race or ethnicity |
| Stress — learn healthy ways to cope |
Diagnosis and treatment
At the hospital, providers diagnose a heart attack from your symptoms, blood tests and heart imaging tests. Treatment may include medicines such as blood thinners to break up and prevent clots, oxygen therapy, and procedures such as coronary artery bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty, also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
Afterward, cardiac rehabilitation and lifestyle changes help recovery. Having had one heart attack raises the risk of another, so talk with your provider about lowering it, through medicines and heart-healthy changes.
Sources
Based on "Heart Attack", MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Лицензия: CC0 1.0 (общественное достояние) · По материалам medlineplus.gov
1
0
0
0
Комментарии