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Heart Attack

A heart attack occurs when part of the heart muscle does not receive enough blood flow, and the damage increases over time without treatment. The main cause is coronary artery disease, where the arteries become narrowed. Symptoms include chest pain or discomfort, as well as pain in other areas of the upper body, shortness of breath, fatigue, and nausea. It is important to call 911 immediately if symptoms occur in order to receive rapid treatment and reduce damage.

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85 views2 pages

Heart Attack

A heart attack occurs when part of the heart muscle does not receive enough blood flow, and the damage increases over time without treatment. The main cause is coronary artery disease, where the arteries become narrowed. Symptoms include chest pain or discomfort, as well as pain in other areas of the upper body, shortness of breath, fatigue, and nausea. It is important to call 911 immediately if symptoms occur in order to receive rapid treatment and reduce damage.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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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. A less
common cause is a severe spasm, or sudden contraction, of a coronary
artery that can stop blood flow to the heart muscle.

What are the symptoms of heart attack?


The major symptoms of a heart attack are

• Chest pain or discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the


center or left side of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or
that goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like
uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
• Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint. You may also break out into a cold
sweat.
• Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back.
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms or shoulders.
• Shortness of breath. This often comes along with chest discomfort, but
shortness of breath also can happen before chest discomfort.
Other symptoms of a heart attack could include unusual or unexplained
tiredness and nausea or vomiting. Women are more likely to have these
other symptoms. Learn more about women and heart disease.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a heart attack. 1 Learn
more facts about heart attack and heart disease.

Call 9-1-1 if you notice symptoms of a heart attack.


If you notice the symptoms of a heart attack in yourself or someone else, call
9-1-1 immediately. The sooner you get to an emergency room, the sooner
you can get treatment to reduce the amount of damage to the heart muscle.
At the hospital, health care professionals can run tests to find out if a heart
attack is happening and decide the best treatment.

In some cases, a heart attack requires cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)


or an electrical shock (defibrillation) to the heart to get the heart pumping
again. Bystanders trained to use CPR or a defibrillator may be able to help
until emergency medical personnel arrive.

Remember, the chances of surviving a heart attack are better the sooner
emergency treatment begins.

What are the risk factors for heart attack?


Several health conditions, your lifestyle, and your age and family history can
increase your risk for heart disease and heart attack. These are called risk
factors. About half of all Americans have at least one of the three key risk
factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and
smoking.2

Some risk factors cannot be controlled, such as your age or family history.
But you can take steps to lower your risk by changing the factors
you can control.

Learn more about risk factors for heart disease and heart attack.

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