A heart attack, or myocardial infarction, occurs when blood flow through the coronary arteries is blocked. The coronary arteries are the vessels that feed blood directly to the heart muscle itself. When these vessels are blocked they can cause the heart tissue to be destroyed. According to the American Heart Association, there are approximately 1.2 million coronary attacks each year and about 34 percent of those are fatal. Many heart attacks start slowly and are mild, but if not treated they can become more severe and possibly fatal. It is important to recognize symptoms of a heart attack, even if they are mild.
Chest Pain
Almost everyone recognizes that chest pain is one of the primary symptoms of a heart attack. Most people think of heart attacks as a sudden surge of pain causing an individual to fall over and die. This can happen, but most heart attacks begin mildly and cause discomfort or pain in the center of the chest. This pain will last more than a few minutes or will be reoccurring. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, heart attack pain may be felt as an uncomfortable pressure, fullness or squeezing. Angina is a form of chest pain that occurs when part of the heart is not getting enough blood and oxygen and can precede a true heart attack.
Other Pain
Pain may spread to, or occur in, other areas of the body besides the chest. The Mayo Clinic reports that pain from a heart attack may occur in the shoulder, arm, back, jaw and teeth. The pain experienced in these other locations is usually referred pain from the heart itself. Because there can be such a wide variety of locations of pain, it is critical to be aware of all symptoms. The more symptoms an individual exhibits that are consistent with a heart attack, the more likely it is that the person is experiencing one.
Shortness of Breath
According to The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, anything that causes a disruption in the delicate balance between the body's oxygen supply and requirements can cause shortness of breath. This symptom is often associated with coronary artery disease and occurs during activity, but during a heart attack, shortness of breath can occur even at rest.
Other Symptoms
Not everyone who experiences a heart attack will have every symptom that is consistent with a coronary event. It is possible to experience a heart attack with very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. Some other common symptoms of a mild heart attack may include nausea, vomiting, fainting, sweating and an impending sense of doom, according to the Mayo Clinic.
References
- American Heart Association: Heart Attack and Angina Statistics
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Heart Attack Warning Signs
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Symptoms of Heart and Blood Vessel Disorder
- Mayo Clinic: Heart Attack
- American Heart Association: Heart Attack Symptoms and Warning Signs
