Heart Attacks

Know the Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States among both men and women. While everyone may experience different symptoms, these are the top five most common symptoms of heart attack:

• Chest pain that increases in intensity and is not relieved by rest or by taking nitroglycerin
• Shortness of breath
• Shoulder, neck, jaw and/or arm pain 
• Severe pressure, fullness, squeezing, pain and/or discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes
• Nausea, light-headed or unusually tired

Atypical Symptoms

Some people may not experience typical heart attack symptoms, like pain or pressure in the chest. Be alert for the following:

• A sharp or “knife-like” pain that occurs with coughing or breathing
• Pain that spreads above the jawbone or into the lower body
• Difficult or labored breathing

Different Symptoms of Heart Attack in Men and Women

While chest pain is the most common indication for both sexes, heart attacks in women and men may exhibit different symptoms:

• Men normally feel pain and numbness in the left arm or side of chest, but in women, these symptoms may appear on the right side.
• Women may feel completely exhausted, drained, dizzy or nauseous.
• Women may feel upper back pain that travels up into their jaw.
• Women may think their pain is the flu, heartburn or an ulcer.

The symptoms of a heart attack may resemble other medical conditions or problems. Women, in particular, are more likely than men to suffer from diseases that mimic a heart attack. Although chest pain is the key warning sign of a heart attack, it may be confused with indigestion, pleurisy, pneumonia or other disorders. 

Pay particular attention if any of these additional warning signs coincide with chest pain:

• Rapid or irregular pulse
• Fainting
• Unexplained weakness or fatigue
• Cool, clammy skin 
• Sweating without exertion
• Paleness

Causes and Risk Factors for Heart Attacks 

Some risk factors are inherited or genetic, meaning things you are born with that cannot be changed. These can be improved with medical management and lifestyle changes. Other risk factors are acquired, meaning caused by activities that we choose to include in our lives. These can be managed through lifestyle changes and clinical care.

General heart attack risk factors:

• A family history of cardiovascular disease
• High blood pressure
• Overweight or obese
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Using tobacco products
• Metabolic disease, diabetes or other illnesses
• For women it can include birth control pills, a history or pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes or having a low birth weight baby

What are Your Treatment Options for a Heart Attack?

There are several types of heart attacks – from mini heart attacks to major heart attacks – so there are also several types of treatments. All heart attacks occur when a blockage restricts blood flow to the heart muscle, causing a prolonged lack of oxygen. The blockage might be complete or partial:

• STEMI heart attack or ST-elevation myocardial infarction is a complete blockage of a coronary artery
• NSTEMI heart attack or a non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction is a partial blockage

Treatments differ for a STEMI versus NSTEMI heart attack, although there can be some overlap. Treatment may also include a variety of medications. Your care team will consider your unique situation before prescribing the right treatment and medication for you. Here are several common methods of treating heart attacks in alphabetical order:

• Angioplasty involves a catheter whereby an attached deflated balloon is threaded up to the coronary arteries; the catheter may have a laser tip to open the blockage
• Artificial heart valve surgery involves replacing a diseased heart valve with a healthy one
• Atherectomy is similar to angioplasty except the catheter has a rotating blade tip to cut away plaque
• Bypass surgery creates new passages for blood to flow to your heart muscle
• Heart transplant removes a diseased heart and replaces it with a donated healthy human heart
• Minimally invasive heart surgery is a less aggressive alternative to bypass surgery
• Radiofrequency ablation involves guiding a catheter with an electrode tip to the heart muscle to target and destroy heart muscle cells
• A stent is a tube that props open the artery during angioplasty
• Transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) uses a laser to drill holes into the heart’s pumping chamber

Medicine for the Heart

Whether you have survived a severe or a mild heart attack, your care team will likely recommend that you take medication to reduce the risk of another attack. There are numerous heart medications which may be taken alone or in combination. Some medications may be combined into a polypill, one pill with multiple medications that treat the same condition. The following is a summary of the types of drugs used to treat coronary artery disease.

• Anticoagulants help decrease clotting in the blood
• Antiplatelet Agents help prevent clots from forming
• ACE Inhibitors expand blood vessels which can help reduce hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Beta Blockers decrease the heart rate to help reduce hypertension
• Calcium Channel Blockers disrupt the movement of calcium which can help reduce hypertension
• Cholesterol-lowering medications reduce LDL cholesterol levels
• Digitalis Preparations increase the force of contractions
• Diuretics cause an increase in urination to help rid the body of excess sodium
• Vasodilators relax and dilate the blood vessels to help reduce hypertension 

If you or someone with you is experiencing signs of a heart attack, CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY.   

Take a Heart Health Risk Assessment

You can learn more about your current heart health and associated health risks by taking a health risk assessment. Our online assessment is quick, easy and confidential, and it can provide you with information that you can share with your doctor.

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