A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is severely reduced or blocked. Like all other tissues in our body, heart muscles also need oxygen-rich blood to function properly. Now the arteries wrapping around the heart are called coronary arteries, which supply the oxygen-rich blood to the heart.
Coronary artery disease is the main cause of heart attack. The blockage of arteries is usually due to the buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances. The fatty cholesterol-containing deposits are called plugs and the process of plug buildup is called atherosclerosis.
Sometimes, a plug can rupture and form a clot that blocks the blood flow. A lack of blood flow, typically caused by blockage of a coronary artery, can damage the heart. When a part of your heart can't pump because of its dying from lack of blood flow, it can disrupt the pumping sequence of your entire heart. That reduces or even stops blood flow to the rest of your body, which can be deadly if not addressed in time.
A heart attack is also called a myocardial infarction. A less common cause is severe spasm or sudden contraction of a coronary artery that can stop blood flow to the heart muscle.
Signs and symptoms of heart attack
Now let's discuss about the signs and symptoms of heart attack.
Chest pain was thought to be a universal symptom of heart attacks for a long time. But in reality, the symptoms vary based on several factors, including gender, age and health profile. Time is very crucial in heart attack.
A lot of heart damage happens in the first two hours following a heart attack. That means the sooner you receive help for a heart attack, the better. According to the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care, early heart attack symptoms may occur only in 50% of all people who have heart attacks.
Most common symptom is mild pain or discomfort in your chest that may come and go, which is also called stuttering chest pain. Sometimes it feels like an elephant is sitting on your chest. You may experience upper body pain or discomfort, including arms, left shoulder, back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Your heart may be faster or irregular. You may have stomach discomfort that feels like indigestion, shortness of breath, which may leave you feeling like you can't get enough air when you are resting. You may also experience unexplained sweating.
Now it is important point to mention that your symptoms may not fit this copybook description. So trust your instinct if you think something is wrong. In recent decades, scientists have realised that heart attack symptoms can be quite different for women than for men.
Pain and squeezing sensation in the chest are still the most common symptoms in women. Other symptoms include unusual fatigue lasting for several days or sudden severe fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, indigestion or gas-like pain, upper back, shoulder or throat pain, jaw pain or pain that spreads up to your jaw.
How to differentiate between chest pain of heart attack and heart burn?
Now one of the most important concern is how to know if it is heartburn or heart attack as both can have similar symptoms.
Well, there are some key differences which will help you to differentiate them. First is location of pain. In heart attack, the pain is usually felt in the centre of the left side of the chest and may spread to the other areas like the arms, jaw, neck, back or stomach. In heartburn, the pain is usually felt in the upper abdomen and may radiate to the chest or throat.
Next is nature of pain. In heart attack, the pain is often described as a tightness, pressure, squeezing or heaviness in the chest and may be accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, vomiting or lightheadedness. In heartburn, the pain is usually a burning or annoying sensation that is worsened by eating, lying down or bending over.
Duration of symptoms also is very important. In heart attack, the pain typically lasts for more than a few minutes and may come and go or persist continuously.
It may not go away with rest or antacid medications. In heartburn, the pain usually lasts for a few minutes to several hours and can be relieved by taking antacids or changing positions.
Although some heart attacks can occur suddenly without any prior warning, many individuals may experience warning signs and symptoms hours, days or even weeks before the actual attack.
One of the most common early warning sign is recurring chest pain or pressure also known as angina which does not disappear with rest. It is important to take any of such symptoms seriously and consult a medical professional as soon as possible because time is very crucial and can potentially save a life.
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