Practical Practitioner
By: Pamela Egan, FNP-C CDE
Heart Attacks: know the signs and act quickly
What is a Heart Attack?
A heart attack is an injury to the heart muscle that results from a loss of blood supply. When the coronary arteries that supply the heart with oxygen thicken, harden and narrow, the heart is deprived of needed oxygen. This deprivation of oxygen often results in chest pain, called angina pectoris. The interruption of blood flow to the heart can damage and/or destroy the heart muscle, which can be fatal.
Each year 1.5 million Americans experience a heart attack. Traditionally, heart attacks have often resulted in fatalities. Today, thanks to better technology, improved treatments, and better overall awareness of symptoms, the vast majority of people who have heart attacks survive.
Common signs of an impending heart attack are chest pain that may extend to the left arm, the neck or jaw, or the area between the shoulder blades; heavy, substernal pressure that feels as if the chest is being squeezed, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea and vomiting.
Ideally, one should be screened for risk factors that can lead to a heart attack during regular physical exams. Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is often the first test done to diagnose a heart attack. This test records the electrical activity of your heart through electrodes attached to your skin. Blood tests for the presence of certain cardiac enzymes will show if your heart has been damaged by a heart attack. A chest X-Ray will check the size and shape of your heart and it’s blood vessels. Other tests that may be ordered by a specialist include nuclear scan, echocardiogram, and coronary catheterization (angiogram). In the weeks following a heart attack, one may also undergo a stress test. Stress tests measure how your heart and blood vessels respond to exertion.
Prompt treatment greatly increases the chances of surviving a heart attack. If you think you’re having a heart attack call for emergency medical assistance and immediately chew one aspirin. Aspirin, a blood thinner may help restore blood flow through clogged arteries, significantly improving your odds of surviving.
Initial treatment of a heart attack may involve medications such as: blood-thinning medications, pain relievers, nitroglycerine, beta-blockers. In addition to medications, you may undergo a procedure called angioplasty or bypass surgery. Bypass surgery involves sewing veins or arteries in place at a site beyond a blocked or narrowed coronary artery. Emergency treatment of a heart attack is designed to restore blood flow and save heart tissue. Subsequent treatment is intended to promote healing of your heart and prevent another heart attack.
This article was originally published July 30, 2001 in The St. Tammany News.
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