Heart Attack |
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A heart attack — or "myocardial infarction"
as it's called by doctors — is one of the most feared and common medical
problems. Each year, 900,000 people in the United States have a heart
attack. Of these, roughly 225,000 die, including 125,000 who die before
ever getting any medical attention. But advances in treatment have meant
that even more victims can survive and go on to live normal, healthy
lives. Paramount to your chances of surviving a heart attack is knowing
the early warning signs and getting immediate medical attention. Therapies
for heart attacks, such as clot-busting drugs, balloon angioplasty and
coronary stenting are most effective when begun within 6 hours of heart
attack symptoms. The sooner blood flow is restored , the greater the
amount of heart muscle that will be saved.
Not all the signs and symptoms listed below are
present in all heart attacks, and some people don't have any symptoms. But
the more symptoms you have, the higher the likelihood that you are having
a heart attack. Get help if you have any combination of these symptoms:
- Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or
pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than 10 minutes, or
goes away and comes back;
- Intense, prolonged chest pain;
- Pain spreading from the chest to the shoulders,
neck or arms;
- Prolonged pain in the upper abdomen;
- Chest discomfort with lightheadedness;
- Onset of shortness of breath at rest;
- Fainting;
- Nausea, vomiting, intense sweating;
- Frequent angina attacks that are not caused by
exertion.
It also is imperative that you know what to do in
the event of a heart emergency. By preparing an emergency plan of action,
you can reduce the time between the start of your symptoms and getting
medical care, thus increasing the chance you will survive a heart attack.
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