Heart Disease
Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack
| Catalog #: | HA-35 |
|---|---|
| Duration: | 8 minutes |
| Format(s): |   |
| Language(s): | English or Spanish |
Summary
Identifies signs of a heart attack to help patients and families know when to seek emergency care. Differentiates symptoms of angina from a possible infarction and provides a description of nitroglycerin protocol. Stresses getting to the hospital quickly where thrombolitic drugs can reduce the damage of a heart attack.
Details
If we suffer a heart attack, the heart can be damaged and even stop functioning.
The heart is a muscle. Like all other muscles, the heart needs its own blood supply rich with oxygen. This blood is provided by arteries called coronary arteries.
Fatty deposits build up on the artery walls, reducing the flow of blood to part of the heart.
Reduced blood flow can cause chest pain or discomfort called angina pectoris.
If a blood clot forms in a narrowed artery, blood flow to part of the heart is completely cut off. Without oxygen-rich blood, part of the heart muscle is permanently damaged. This is a heart attack.
Signs of a heart attack:
- pain, pressure, tightness, squeezing or burning
- may be in the chest, upper abdomen, shoulder, arm, neck, jaw, or upper back
- not always severe
- may feel like muscle aches, or indigestion
- sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea
Angina triggers:
- physical exertion
- a heavy meal
- emotional upset
- extreme hot or cold temperatures
Angina is more likely to occur at these times, while a heart attack could occur at any time.
Notify your doctor if you have angina at a new time, or if your angina episodes become more frequent or severe.
Angina treatment:
- sit or lie down and place a nitroglycerin tablet under your tongue
- after 3 to 5 minutes, if the pain continues take a second pill
- after another 3 to 5 minutes, if the pain still continues, take a third pill
- if the symptoms don't go away 3 to 5 minutes after taking the third pill, get help immediately
The damage of a heart attack can be minimized with drugs (thrombolytic drugs) that dissolve blood clots blocking the coronary arteries.
To limit damage these drugs must be given soon after the start of a heart attack so getting to the hospital quickly can mean the difference between major and minor heart damage--or even life and death.