A heart attack is the death of a segment of heart muscle caused by a loss of blood supply. The blood is usually cut off when an artery supplying the heart muscle is blocked by a blood clot.

If some of the heart muscle dies, a person experiences chest pain and electrical instability of the heart muscle tissue.

There are clear symptoms of a heart attack that require immediate medical attention.

A feeling of pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing, or aching in the chest or arms that spreads to the neck, jaw, or back can be a sign that a person is having a heart attack.

The following are other possible signs and symptoms of a heart attack occurring:

coughing nausea vomiting crushing chest pain dizziness shortness of breath called dyspnea face seeming gray in color a feeling of terror that life is ending feeling awful, generally restlessness feeling clammy and sweaty shortness of breath

Changing position does not alleviate the pain of a heart attack. The pain a person feels is normally constant, although it may sometimes come and go 

As heart attacks can be fatal, it is vital to recognize the warning signs that an attack is occurring.

While the symptoms listed above are all linked to heart attacks, there are four warning signs listed by the American Heart Association (AHA) as being crucial signs of an attack. These include:

discomfort, pressure, squeezing, or fullness in the chest that lasts several minutes or resolves then returns pain or discomfort in the arms, neck, back, stomach, or jaw sudden shortness of breath

Other signs can include a cold sweat, a sick or nauseous feeling, or being lightheaded.

here are two types of complications that can happen following heart attack. The first occurs pretty much straightaway and the second happens later on.

Immediate complications Arrhythmias: the heart beats irregularly, either too fast or too slowly. Cardiogenic shock: a person’s blood pressure rops suddenly and the heart cannot supply enough blood for the body to work adequately. Hypoxemia: levels of oxygen in the blood become too low. Pulmonary edema: fluid accumulates in and around the lungs. DVT or deep vein thrombosis: the deep veins of the legs and pelvis develop blood clots that either block or interrupt the flow of blood in the vein. Myocardial rupture: the heart attack damages the wall of the heart, meaning an increased risk of a heart wall rupture. Ventricular aneurysm: a heart chamber, known as a ventricle, forms a bulge

Last Updated on: Jul 05, 2024