Heart attacks happen if flow of oxygen-rich blood to a section of heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked, and the heart cannot get oxygen to that section. If blood flow is not restored quickly, that section of heart muscle begins to die.
Heart attacks come in all sizes, from minor to major, and the symptoms of a pending heart attack can be deceiving in many cases. Some symptoms of a pending heart attack may have been showing up for quite a while and were ignored as something else.
Heart attacks usually occur as a result of coronary heart disease (CHD), also known as coronary artery disease (CAD). This is a process in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. These are the arteries that supply the oxygen-rich blood to your heart.
When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis. The buildup of plaque occurs over many years.
Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture (break open) inside of an artery. This causes a blood clot to form on the plaque’s surface. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block blood flow through a coronary artery.
Many people aren’t sure what’s wrong when they are having symptoms of a heart attack.
Pending heart attack symptoms mask themselves as indigestion, being overworked and tired all the time, and taking naps several times a day.
During a real heart attack, you may feel feverish, have a nauseous sick feeling, shortness of breath, labored breathing, sweating, tingling in arms, chest pain, heaviness in the chest area like someone is pushing on your chest and various other indications.
One of the major causes of a heart attack is the restriction of blood flow to the heart muscle, which causes any number of symptoms. But the bottom line is, how severe is your heart attack. That will in many ways determine what symptoms you experience.
The more severe the blockage, the more severe the heart attack symptoms in most cases. The blockage may occur due to a blood clot, or material buildup inside the artery walls that breaks loose.
Your life may depend on you making the right decision within minutes, is what you are feeling a heart attack… as a quick response time in calling for help… 911… could be the determining factor that saves your life. It is better to be wrong, than to be right and not get help on the way STAT!
Many hospitals are not fully equipped to deal with heart attack victims, and will transfer the patient by air to a hospital or medical center with a heart attack specialist who can determine how bad it was, and one who has the skill to repair the damage caused by the heart attack.
The quicker the blood flow to the heart muscle is restored, the better your chance for a complete recovery from your heart attack.