heart disease heart attack

Heart Attack

A heart attack occurs when there is complete blockage of an artery. It is usually caused by a blood clot that has become lodged in a narrowed artery or an artery goes into spasm and blocks the blood flow to the heart. This causes the heart muscle to die because it needs the blood to supply it with oxygen. If the heart goes without oxygen and part of the muscle dies, that is called a heart attack. Heart attacks happen suddenly and may give no warning. Some people may experience angina days before the heart attack. It is very important that you seek medical attention immediately if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms.

Pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the chest that lasts more than ten minutes.
Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, sweating, nausea, fainting, or shortness of breath.
Pain which spreads to the neck, shoulders, or arms.

If you, or someone you are with, is possibly having a heart attack, follow these guidelines:

Call or have someone call 911.
If an ambulance is not available, someone should drive the heart attack victim to the nearest medical facility.
Have the heart attack victim chew on an aspirin. This may start to dissolve the clot.
Take the symptoms of a heart attack seriously. It is easy to shrug it off because no one wants to believe they are having a heart attack. Be safe rather than sorry.

A heart attack is when an artery supplying the heart with blood is blocked by a blood clot, or the artery "spasms" enough to block blood flow.

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