A heart attack (myocardial infarction or MI) is a serious medical emergency in which the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot. A heart attack is a medical emergency. Call 999 and ask for an ambulance if you suspect a heart attack. A lack of blood to the heart may seriously damage the heart
muscle and can be life threatening. Symptoms of a heart attack can include: The chest pain is often severe, but some people may only experience minor
pain, similar to indigestion. While the most common symptom in both men and women is chest pain, women are more likely to have other symptoms such as shortness of breath, feeling or being sick and back or jaw pain. Call 999 immediately if you think someone might be having a heart attack. The faster you act, the better their chances. Treating heart attacksWhile waiting for an ambulance, it may help to chew and then swallow a tablet of aspirin (ideally 300mg), as long as the person having a heart attack is not allergic to aspirin. Aspirin helps to thin the blood and improves blood flow to the heart. In hospital, treatment for a heart attack depends on how serious it is. The 2 main treatments are:
Causes of a heart attackCoronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of heart attacks. CHD is a condition in which the major blood vessels that supply the heart get clogged with deposits of cholesterol, known as plaques. Before a heart attack, 1 of the plaques bursts (ruptures), causing a blood clot to develop at the site of the rupture. The clot may block the supply of blood to the heart, triggering a heart attack. Recovering from a heart attackThe time it takes to recover from a heart attack will depend on the amount of damage to your heart muscle. Most people can return to work after having a heart attack. Some people are well enough to return to work after 2 weeks. Other people may take several months to recover. How quickly you can go back to work depends on your health, the state of your heart and the type of work you do. The recovery process aims to:
Find out more about recovering from a heart attack Complications of a heart attackComplications of a heart attack can be serious and possibly life threatening. These include:
These complications can happen quickly after a heart attack and are a leading cause of death. Many people die suddenly from a complication of a heart attack before reaching hospital or within the 1st month after a heart attack. The outlook often depends on:
Find out more about complications of a heart attack Preventing a heart attackThere are 5 main steps you can take to reduce your risk of having a heart attack (or having another heart attack):
Video: heart attackThis video explores the symptoms, surgical treatments and importance of reducing risk factors for a heart attack. Media last reviewed: 16 April 2021 Page last reviewed: 28 November 2019 Is heart attack and myocardial infarction the same thing?When damage or death of part of the heart muscle occurs as a result of ischemia, it's called a heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI).
Is myocardial infarction always a heart attack?A lack of blood flow can damage or destroy part of the heart muscle. A heart attack is also called a myocardial infarction. Prompt treatment is needed for a heart attack to prevent death. Call 911 or emergency medical help if you think you might be having a heart attack.
Can you survive a myocardial infarction?Chances of survival depend on the severity of the myocardial infarction. According to recent studies, massive heart attack survival rates are low, but the survival rate after heart attacks in hospital care is between 90% to 97%².
What is the main cause of a myocardial infarction?A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, happens when a part of the heart muscle doesn't get enough blood. The more time that passes without treatment to restore blood flow, the greater the damage to the heart muscle. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the main cause of heart attack.
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