By Ally Jamah
The constriction of arteries interrupting blood supply to the heart is technically known as myocardial infarction.
Chest pain is the most common symptom of acute myocardial infarction and is described as a sensation of pressure, or squeezing.
Pain radiates most often to the left arm, but may also radiate to the lower jaw, neck, right arm, back, and stomach, where it may mimic heartburn.
Approximately, half of the patients experience warning symptoms such as chest pain prior to the infarction.
Other symptoms include sudden chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and anxiety (often described as a sense of impending doom).
About a quarter of all myocardial infarctions are silent, without chest pain or other symptoms.
Prior history
‘Silent’ heart attack cases can be discovered later on electrocardiograms or at autopsy without a prior history of related complaints.
A heart attack is a medical emergency and people experiencing chest pain are advised to alert their emergency medical services, because prompt treatment can be crucial to survival.
Heart attacks are a leading cause of death.
Important risk factors include older age (especially men over 40 and women over 50), tobacco smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, the abuse of certain drugs such as cocaine and chronic high stress levels.
A heart attack can be the cause of cardiac arrest, which is the stopping of the heartbeat, or result in an abnormal heartbeat.
Severe myocardial infarction may lead to heart failure.
Heart attack rates are higher in individuals under intense or physical stress.
Acute severe infection, such as pneumonia, can trigger myocardial infarction.
Many heart attacks tend to occur in the morning.
