1. Communicate Your Symptoms to Health Care Professionals Immediately
If you feel that you or someone you know is suffering from symptoms of a heart attack, it's important to communicate this information to health care professionals by calling ahead to a hospital or emergency room. These symptoms may include pain or minor discomfort in the chest that may build slowly over time and then intensify to extreme pressure levels. By accurately relating the nature of this pain and discomfort, the health care team can start the diagnosis and treatment processes even before you arrive at the hospital.
2. Receive Immediate Treatment
If you are having a heart attack and have just arrived at the hospital, your health care team will usually start treatment by administering oxygen, followed by aspirin, to reduce the chance that clots may develop in your heart and arteries. Nitroglycerin may be given in an IV drip to improve the flow of blood to the heart. Pain killers to relieve discomfort in the chest may also be given at this time.
3. Treat Heart Attack Through Medications
The first line of defense against a heart attack is the use of various types of drugs that can unclog arteries and restore the flow of blood to your heart. The most common type of medications used in these instances are known as thrombolytic medicines, although these drugs must be used within one hour of the heart attack to work correctly. Additional drugs such as beta blockers (to reduce the amount of work for your heart), ACE inhibitors (which lower blood pressure) and pain relievers are often used to treat secondary symptoms of a heart attack.
4. Determine if Surgery Is Necessary
Once all the tests have been completed and a diagnosis of heart attack is confirmed, your doctor will review your options. If your heart does not respond positively to the medications described above, then surgery may be necessary to repair damage to your heart and arteries. Angioplasty, which involves a small tube and balloon inserted into blocked blood vessels, is the least invasive form of surgery. Coronary artery bypass grafting may be necessary to re-route blood flow away from blocked or damaged arteries.
