Reid Health: Urgent and Effective Heart Attack Care

When a heart attack occurs, seconds can mean the difference between full recovery and long-term complications or even death. Reid Health Heart & Vascular Center has the technology, expertise, and experience to help heart attack patients throughout East Central Indiana and West Central Ohio recover as quickly and fully as possible.

What is a heart attack?

Heart attacks are among the most well-known medical emergencies. They're often shown in television shows and movies for dramatic effect, and almost everyone knows someone who has had one. But not everyone knows exactly what a heart attack is or what the warning signs are.

Heart attacks happen when the heart doesn't get the oxygen it needs to function. Blood flow is typically reduced or cut off because of a buildup of plaque, which consists of fat, cholesterol, and other substances inside the coronary arteries. This is called coronary artery disease. Eventually, the plaque can break free, causing a blood clot to form and blocking blood flow through the artery, which can ultimately lead to a heart attack.

A heart attack is not the same as cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is a condition where a person's heart stops pumping blood through their body. However, a heart attack can sometimes lead to cardiac arrest.

The most common heart attack causes

Heart attacks are often, but not always, caused by lifestyle choices. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 50% of the U.S. population has at least one of the three key heart disease risk factors: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, and smoking.

Heart attack symptoms in women

Heart disease is the leading, and one of the most preventable, causes of death among women. Women can also experience different symptoms than men do, in some cases as much as one month before a heart attack occurs. As a result, many women don't realize they're having a heart attack.

While women can have chest pain just as men do, they can also experience vague symptoms. Before a heart attack, women may have:

• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Indigestion
• Racing heart
• Sleep disturbances
• Shortness of breath
• Weakness/heaviness in arms
• Women's symptoms during heart attacks include:
• Shortness of breath
• Weakness
• Unusual fatigue
• Cold sweat
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Weakness/heaviness in arms

The CDC reports nausea, lightheadedness, and unusual tiredness are key differences in heart attack symptoms between men and women, with women more likely to experience these symptoms just before and during major heart attacks than men.

Heart attack symptoms in men

Men experience similar symptoms as women just before and during heart attacks, including chest pain or discomfort, pain in the upper back or neck, nausea or vomiting, extreme fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath.

However, men are more likely than women to have silent myocardial infarctions (SMIs), also known as a silent heart attack, and have symptoms that are often less severe and obvious than in traditional heart attacks.

Men may experience symptoms such as fatigue or physical discomfort and attribute them to long working hours, lack of sleep, or age-related issues. Symptoms may also be confused with heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion. In some cases, men experiencing SMIs have no symptoms at all.

How to prevent a heart attack

Although heart attacks have a genetic factor, many of them can be prevented through lifestyle choices and modifications. To lower your risk of heart disease:

• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
• Check your blood pressure regularly and talk to your doctor about ways to keep it in a healthy range.
• Eat a healthy diet and limit saturated fats, sodium intake, and added sugars.
• Exercise regularly.
• Get at least seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
• Lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels through lifestyle changes and medication (if needed).
• Monitor stress and take steps to reduce it.
• Reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption and stop smoking.

Early heart attack care

Having a heart attack can be frightening, but there are many treatment options available. Each case is unique, but treatments can include:

• Aspirin and antiplatelet agents to thin the blood and reduce clotting risk
• Beta-blockers to reduce the heart's workload
• Oxygen therapy
• Nitroglycerin to improve blood flow through blocked arteries

Some patients require more intensive treatments during and after heart attacks. They include:

• Coronary angioplasty — This involves inserting a stent inside the blocked artery to restore blood flow. Outcomes are best when performed within two hours of a heart attack.
• Heart bypass surgery — Segments of arteries or veins are placed around the blocked artery to transfer blood away from the blockage.
• Implantable device — A device designed to prevent abnormal heart rhythms is embedded in the chest.

After a heart attack, the heart muscle needs extra care. Learn more about cardiac rehabilitation and how it can help you or a loved one after a heart attack.

Don't delay if you suspect you're having a heart attack.

A heart attack is a medical emergency. Hesitating when you suspect a heart attack can lead to more heart damage. If you have symptoms, call 911 right away.

The heart health team at Reid Health can quickly recognize and treat heart attacks, as well as create a long-term plan to improve your heart function and prevent future heart attacks. Schedule an appointment today to learn your risk factors and to get the expert guidance you need to maintain your heart health.

Take our quiz to learn more about your most important muscle and your risk for heart disease.