Heart attack, or myocardial infarction, occurs when the
interior passage of a coronary artery, usually already
narrowed by atherosclerosis,
becomes completely blocked due to a blood clot or arterial
plaque. Part of the heart muscle dies in the process due
to oxygen deprivation, giving rise to the crushing chest
pain characteristic of a heart attack.
While chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart
attack, this life-threatening event may present itself
in diverse ways among different patients. For instance,
in diabetic patients, heart attacks are generally silent
without any accompanying chest pain. Some of the other
physical symptoms which a heart attack victim may complain
of are:
A choking sensation;
Heart burn/indigestion;
Nausea;
Shortness of breath;
Sweating;
Palpitations;
Giddiness.
Care-givers and family members of cardiac patients should
also be alert to a sudden and complete loss of responsiveness
on the patient’s part as well as a cessation of
signs of circulation, as these may likewise be warning
signs of a heart attack.
The timing of treatment is critical for heart attack victims
because their chances of survival decrease rapidly with
every passing minute. When the heart stops beating, brain
damage sets in after 3 minutes, and death is virtually
certain if no resuscitation is given to the victim within
the first 10 minutes. In this respect, knowledge of cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) is a valuable asset, especially
where care-givers and family members of patients at high
risk of having a heart attack are concerned.
A choking sensation;