1. Chest pressure
Generally, patients describe the infarction as a pressure, similar to that of a rock pressing against their chest. This pressure only increases the feeling of shortness of breath and worsens the person’s nervous breakdown.
2. Oppressive pain
Heart attack pain isone of the characteristic symptoms, since it is an attack of variable intensity, greater than 20 to 30 minutes and progressive. This does not decrease or increase when taking or expelling the air, nor with the physical position of the patient.
Note: Not every patient has chest pain. In a study published in the journalJAMAin 2000, of 434,877 thousand patients, 33% (142,445 thousand) did not present chest pain.
3. Trouble breathing
Generally, the heart attack is due to an increased demand for oxygen and nutrientsthat the body cannot supply; this increases the heart rate to compensate, and in turn the number of breaths per minute, becoming short and shallow.
Note: Pain when taking a breath, known as pleuritic pain (named for irritation of the pleura) , may also occur .
4. Excessive sweating
Patients with a heart attack tend to sweat profuselytag. In fact, sweating has a certain diagnostic value when the patient arrives at the emergency room.
In patients with Ischemic Heart Disease , with ST-segment elevation (a group of serious myocardial diseases such as heart attack), sweating and sudden chest pain are main signs.
5. Fatigue
The patient presents continuous weakness throughout the attack , coupled with sweating, increased metabolism and a feeling of anxiety, worsening his emotional condition.
6. Nausea and vomiting
In patients with this myocardial disease, symptoms such as nausea and vomiting are relatively frequenttag. Specifically, in 22% and 20% of patients, respectively.
7. Dizziness and confusion
When the attack occurs, the body initially responds by constricting the arteries, to push blood back to the heart and supply the body with oxygen. The arteries then dilate, causing blood pressure to drop.
Note: This hypotension favors sweating, in addition to neurological symptoms such as dizziness and confusion. Lack of oxygen is a serious risk to the brain.
What to do if you have symptoms of a heart attack?
If you, or anyone close to you, experiences heart attack-like symptoms, we recommend acting quickly,as it reduces risk and increases the person’s survival. Next, we will explain two key recommendations:
1. Go to the doctor quickly
Doctors deal with this disease in their day to day. If you perceive one or more of the symptoms already described, we recommend that you go to a hospital as a matter of urgency. Medications (such as nitroglycerin ) and other necessary treatments will be given to stabilize heart function.
Important: If not treated, the heart attack brings serious , immediate consequences such as the risk of heart failure, formation of a small clot in the walls of the heart that can detach and cause an embolism, among others.
2. Consume the drugs that have been prescribed by the specialist
After an episode of heart attack, the patient becomes a risk group for future attacks or even worse conditions. Therefore, specialists recommend lifelong treatments.
To highlight: Studies show that adherence to medications such as aspirin, beta blockers and hypolipoprotein-lowering drugs increase the person’s chances of survival.
Hypolipoproteinemic agents are used to reduce the number of lipids in the blood , since the main cause of this ischemic heart disease is coronary atherosclerosis, a blockage of the coronary arteries by fatty plaques.
Key Conclusions
- Myocardial infarction is a serious heart disease, usually due to obstruction of the coronary arteries.
- Its main symptoms are Oppressive Chest Pain , profuse sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness, vomiting, and fatigue.
- It is imperative that a person See a doctor quickly if they have a symptom such as chest pain.
- The Sooner treatment is started , the better the prognosis.
