Heart attack. Heart attack: symptoms in men, in women, causes, treatment

Almost everyone has experienced this situation: a neighbor, relative or work colleague was taken away in an ambulance with a heart attack. Subsequently, the patient was diagnosed with a heart attack, severe arrhythmia, or aortic aneurysm. However, all these cases have a common pattern - the serious condition of the patient and the real threat to life.

It’s good if people are next to such a patient and call ambulance. The count of time during a heart attack goes literally for minutes, death can come suddenly. That is why everyone should know the first signs of a heart attack, what is necessary and what is strictly forbidden to do in this case.

Heart attack: what is it?

A heart attack is an acute condition, characterized by particular severity and caused by the rapid development of heart failure. A pronounced spasm of the coronary vessels or their blockage by a thrombus leads to the death (necrosis) of the myocardial area.

An attack of heart failure can occur both in heart patients (hypertension, diagnosed heart disease, etc.), and in completely healthy people. Often, an acute condition occurs in emotionally labile women with a history of vegetovascular dystonia. The peak of heart attacks occurs in the spring, days of magnetic storms and hot weather.

Women of childbearing age are at least at risk. Hormones and an extensive network of small coronary vessels (a physiological feature of the female body) save them from a heart attack. However, with the onset of menopause in women, they begin to occur equally often with "male". Moreover, the stronger sex has a great chance of survival: women often die before the arrival of emergency help.

The main causes of a heart attack:

• Developing myocardial infarction - necrosis of the heart muscle begins 30 minutes after the onset of the attack, such patients often have a history of cardiac ischemia, angina pectoris;
• Rhythm disturbance - severe tachycardia (heart rate "gallop"), atrial fibrillation (rapid heartbeat is replaced by fading);
• Aortic aneurysm - often combined with aortic defect and arrhythmia, its detachment provokes a sharp deterioration in the condition at night in bed;
• Pulmonary embolism - often develops against the background of thrombophlebitis of the legs and in old age, death occurs in a matter of minutes;
• Progressive heart failure is the result of long-term cardiosclerosis, hypertension and other heart diseases, a sharp weakening of myocardial contractions can occur after the flu, emotional reactions (both positive and negative), physical activity, atmospheric pressure drop.

Smoking is the first enemy of blood vessels. Women's addiction to cigarettes - a pack or more a day - causes frequent heart attacks at a young age.

Harbingers of a heart attack

Recent medical studies, in particular by scientists at Harvard University, have identified symptoms that occur about a month before a heart attack. A cardiologist should be consulted in cases where the following conditions are found:

• Exorbitant fatigue - not the usual after a working day or household chores, but a complete lack of strength to perform simple actions (go to the store, climb the stairs). Fatigue does not go away even after a good sleep. Often, women note that the usual load (for example, a bag or a light bag of groceries) feels heavier. Many patients note more pronounced weakness, numbness or goosebumps on the fingers of the left hand.
• Slight pains in the chest can migrate (either it pricks under the breast on the left, then it presses behind the sternum). At best, a woman takes Corvalol, Corsiz or valerian drops. However, these drugs have only a calming effect, but do not improve the blood supply to the myocardium.
• Shortness of breath occurs with little exertion and sometimes at rest. When climbing stairs, a woman has to stop to catch her breath.
• In the morning and during the day there is dizziness, up to staggering and the need to sit down. In this case, the body is covered with cold sweat, the skin turns pale.
• Edema - women, especially lovers high heels, note that swelling in the legs has become stronger, does not disappear even after sleep. Often the hands swell (it is impossible to remove the ring from the finger), the face (swollen eyes in the morning).
• Influenza state - many recall the fact that shortly before a heart attack they experienced a flu-like condition (fever, body aches, runny nose and cough).

The first symptoms of an impending heart attack indicate oxygen starvation myocardium and decreased contractility. Without medical intervention, acute ischemia - a heart attack - develops as a result.

Important! With similar symptoms, a microinfarction can occur. Occurring myocardial necrosis is often diagnosed later during the ECG. A microinfarction transferred “on its feet” is dangerous with a high risk of developing an extensive heart attack in the future.

Symptoms of a heart attack: how to distinguish from angina pectoris?

Most often, a heart attack occurs in the morning. Heart patients are "used" to their illness and do not pay due attention to some deterioration in their condition, continuing their usual life - take a shower, get ready for work, etc. A heart attack overtakes suddenly:

• Severe chest pain, pressing or sharp, accompanied by palpitations (the heart jumps out of the chest) or fading (a feeling of cardiac arrest). The pain can radiate to the neck, lower jaw, under the shoulder blade and arm on the left. Sometimes there is a feeling that the pain is localized in the stomach.
• The attack is accompanied by nausea and heartburn, rarely vomiting.
• Shortness of breath - the patient captures air through the mouth. With severe tachycardia, there is a feeling of a coma in the throat. In the future, when breathing, wheezing is heard, a wet cough sometimes appears with blood. This indicates progression of heart failure and pulmonary edema.
• The skin turns pale, covered with cold sweat. With the development of heart failure, cyanosis (cyanosis of the skin) develops, the extremities become cold.
• Dizziness often provokes a person to fall to the ground. The patient's eyes and facial expressions express a genuine fear of disaster, but often he cannot even ask for help. It often takes 10 seconds from falling to losing consciousness, although this option is not required.
• The pressure during a heart attack rises, but sometimes remains within acceptable limits.

Important! Patients with diabetes often develop a "silent", asymptomatic heart attack.

A heart attack can mimic angina pectoris, an exacerbation of a stomach ulcer, and bronchial asthma. To recognize a heart attack, you should know:

• Neither anti-asthmatic sprays (Salbutamol) nor acid-lowering drugs (Renii, Almagel) will help.
• An attack of angina pectoris, unlike a true heart attack, lasts no more than 10 minutes. and is easily treated with nitroglycerin.
• With a heart attack, nitroglycerin does not help, and the attack lasts 30 minutes or more.
• Angina pain is always associated with physical or emotional stress. A heart attack often occurs at rest.
• Rest, taking a comfortable position by the patient does not bring relief. If, with a drop in pressure (hypotension, anemia, etc.) and a pre-fainting state, the patient is awakened with ammonia (bring it to the nose on a cotton swab), such a technique is useless during a heart attack.

Heart attack: what to do to save life?

Many people who have experienced a heart attack complain about the callousness of the people around them: a person who has fallen on the street is often mistaken for a drunk and shunned. In the meantime, time is running out, and the chances of survival are getting smaller. First aid for a heart attack:

• Raise the patient's head (if he fell), unfasten the top buttons, loosen the belt. Open windows indoors.
• Urgently call an ambulance. If the patient is in a public place, shout for a doctor or nurse to be found. Their help will be needed for massage in case of cardiac arrest.
• Urgently put the patient under the tongue Nitroglycerin. Before the arrival of the ambulance, if the pain does not go away, you can give up to 3 tab. with an interval of 5 min. Most quick effect give sprays with nitroglycerin - Nitrospray. Nitroglycerin lowers blood pressure! In order to avoid cardiogenic shock, its intake should be limited if the upper a/d is below 100.
• In the best case, give the patient Aspirin at a dose of 300-500 mg (1/2 or a whole tablet). The patient must chew it! The use of Aspirin in the first 30 minutes from the onset of an attack will avoid the formation of a blood clot and increase the chances of survival. You should notify the emergency doctor about taking Aspirin.
• If you have a tonometer, before the arrival of an ambulance, you should measure the pressure.

Important! In case of a heart attack, you should by any means attract attention to yourself and ask for help. If the attack happened on the road, you need to stop the car on the side of the road, turn on the headlights or press the horn.

Special techniques that should not be used in case of a heart attack:

• deep cough

The technique of deep coughing for a heart attack - inhale deeply and cough until sputum is discharged - is widely spread on the Internet. However, in the authoritative Journal of General Hospital Rochester, in which the article was allegedly first published, it is not and never was!

The effectiveness of this method is also not confirmed by the US Heart Association. From a medical point of view, a deep cough can help with arrhythmias, but will only aggravate the condition in myocardial infarction, when any exercise is not desirable. You can't cough during a heart attack!

• Hot water bottle

Old remedy - heating pad with hot water- at best, aggravate the patient's condition. Heat will provoke the spread of the necrotic focus and increase the area of ​​​​the infarction.

• Antiarrhythmic drugs

Antiarrhythmics and adrenergic blockers (Risoprol, Verapamil, etc.) should be taken if they were previously prescribed by a doctor (history of arrhythmia) or the patient has a rapid pulse. Self-administration of these drugs is not desirable.

Development Forecast

Cigarettes are the enemy of vessels No. 1

During a heart attack, it is important not to waste precious time. In many cases, it is the timely provision of qualified medical care can save a life! You should not be afraid of the reproaches of the emergency doctor who arrived about the diagnosis of "heart attack". Human life is much more expensive, and what kind of attack happened, they will figure it out already in the hospital.

Symptoms of a heart attack in women in 60% of cases are fatal. Such disappointing figures are largely due to the failure to provide or untimely proper medical care. The most unfavorable prognosis is pulmonary thrombosis and aortic dissection. With thromboembolism, death occurs in a matter of minutes, as a rule, even before the ambulance arrives. Aortic dissection in 90% of cases is fatal even with timely assistance.

To minimize the risk of a heart attack, no matter how trite it sounds, you should healthy lifestyle life. However, even the absence of bad habits (smoking, alcohol), rational nutrition and sports do not guarantee complete protection against heart disease. Permanent companions modern life- stress, excessive tension - make the heart work at the limit of its capabilities, which sooner or later leads to the inability to fully cope with the load.

Take care of your heart, take care of your nerves and remember: experiences, achievements, failures - "everything passes." “If a problem can be solved, it is worth looking for a solution. If the problem is unsolvable, then there is no point in worrying.” Last but not least, visit your doctor regularly and get tested. After all, it is easier to correct minor violations than to treat a developed heart disease.

A heart attack is a sensation of pain in the heart area. Also, the attack is accompanied by a mass of unpleasant symptoms and manifestations. The cause of circulatory disorders can be spastic, as well as thrombotic lesions of the coronary vessels.

Heart attack, it's a manifestation coronary disease heart (CHD). IHD is based on a decrease in the volume of incoming blood to the organ, due to narrowing of the heart (coronary) vessels.

The type of disease that is in the IHD group depends on the degree of blood flow disturbance.

When diagnosing a heart attack in women, they often diagnose coronary syndrome in an acute form. After diagnosis, very often the diagnosis of a heart attack is made by an unstable form of angina pectoris or an acute form of myocardial infarction.

Symptoms in women with a heart attack

Symptoms of an attack in women and in the male body have slight differences. Cardiac pathologies in women develop at a later age.

The physiological quality of the female body is a good natural defense in childbearing age.

The heart and blood vessels have the ability not to take on the blows of life, the influence of environmental factors. But with the onset of menopause, the chances of developing heart pathologies in men and women become equal.

Often a heart attack in a woman is an asymptomatic development, so it is especially important for women to diagnose disorders in the work of the cardiac system in a timely manner.

The reasons

Pain in the region of the heart is manifested due to a lack of blood in the myocardium, a disease of ischemia of the heart muscle (myocardial walls). Insufficiency of blood in the myocardium can be triggered by the deposition of cholesterol plaques inside the arteries, as well as blood clots.

Factors that provoke cardiac ischemia:

• Obesity. This is the first factor in the formation of diseases of the cardiac system, vascular system and pathologies in the internal organs. Overweight people have a high cholesterol index in the blood, and this leads to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques that impede blood flow in the arterial system;
• High levels of cholesterol in the body. high cholesterol provokes the development of atherosclerosis, which can lead to a heart attack;
• Tobacco smoking (nicotine addiction). Smoking, like obesity, is the first among the provocateurs of coronary artery disease;
• Alcohol addiction. This is a threat not only to the heart and arteries, but to the whole body;
• Hypertension (arterial hypertension), is one of the provocateurs of pathology in the heart, as well as a heart attack;
• Sedentary lifestyle;
• Hyperlipidemia- deviations in metabolic processes;
• Elevated blood glucose index diabetes;
• Disease thrombophilia(the tendency of the vascular system to form blood clots).

A heart attack in women can provoke an index of blood pressure (high), as well as an increased load on the body.

Also, an attack can occur without visible reasons, from deposits on the arteries or from a blood clot.

Genetic Risk Factors

• Age. With age, vascular tone is lost, which provokes cardiac pathologies;
• Gender identity. Women develop heart problems with the onset of menopause;
• hereditary predisposition. If relatives suffer from diabetes or hypertension, then the risk of heart and vascular diseases increases several times;
• Emotional depression. Depression increases the risk of heart attacks.

Signs of a heart attack in a woman

The following indicators indicate the approach of a heart attack in women:

• A sharp failure of the heart rhythm - arrhythmia in severe form;
• Great dizziness with nausea and urge to vomit;
• Persistent cough that cannot be coughed up;
• Burning and heat in the chest - comes to a strong;
• Violation in the digestive system - vomiting, diarrhea, constipation;
• Pain in the stomach, which gives in women to the lower abdomen;
• Weakness in the body, but most noticeable in the limbs;
• Shortness of breath, which develops against the background of insufficiency of the lungs and heart;
• Movement coordination is severely impaired;
• Rapid heartbeat;
• Increased sweating during an attack, sticky and wet palms;
• confusion;
• Feelings of irritability and anxiety;
• A sharp feeling of tiredness and drowsiness.

At the first heart attack, it is very difficult to determine a sign of pathology from these symptoms, because many people confuse an attack, which is caused by disorders in the heart organ, with gastric and intestinal disorders.

The signal that this is a heart attack is pain that occurs with different intensity.

If these symptoms occur and develop, it is necessary to call doctors to provide first aid. The doctor will be able to carry out the necessary manipulations to prevent a heart attack.

Symptoms of an attack of heart disease in women, with angina pectoris

For an attack of the disease, unstable angina pectoris has distinctive symptoms:

• Pressive chest pain;
• Pain that ricochets to the left side of the body: arm, left shoulder, neck on the left side, and also in the back under the shoulder blade;
• Pain in the left side of the abdomen, in women the pain is similar to the symptoms of pain during menstruation;
• With pain that radiates to the stomach, a symptom of nausea is added.

The symptomatology of unstable angina refers to the mild features of a heart attack.

Some signs of a heart attack may appear long before the attack itself (15 to 30 calendar days). It is possible to prevent the occurrence of an attack of angina if you turn to a cardiologist in a timely manner.

Heartache - how and where?

It is important to correctly recognize the attack, as well as to determine its etiology, possible complications and consequences.

If an attack of angina pectoris, the pain is sharp and burning, occurs unexpectedly, so suddenly it disappears.

The patient should immediately call the doctors and lie down horizontally, not fall into a state of panic and nervous stress. Take the medication Nitroglycerin and make a free passage of fresh air into the room.

Symptoms of heart pain radiating to the left arm

Heart pain radiating to the left arm is a sign of unstable angina, which is in a state of relapse. The pain goes on increasing, and turns into a burning sensation in the chest. With this pain, the patient cannot relax and sleep normally.

Symptoms usually appear at night. If with this pain there is shortness of breath, which is caused by heart failure, then the patient must immediately be hospitalized in a hospital.

Only after resuscitation measures and taking the necessary medications can this attack be stopped.

Symptoms of heart pain in women when breathing

Tingling and pain when inhaling is not always a sign of a heart attack. Such symptoms are possible with pneumonia, with a complicated state of nerves, as well as with trauma to the chest (fractured ribs).

If the use of analgesic drugs does not stop this pain, then you need to call a doctor.

Self-medication can only aggravate the pathology.

Pain in left shoulder blade

Pain in the region of the left shoulder blade on the back is a sign of a violation in the functionality of the cardiac organ and the vascular system.

This pain can be caused by:

• Heart disease - ischemia;
• aortic aneurysm;
• Acute myocardial infarction;
• Microinfarction of the heart muscle.

You need to take nitroglycerin. If after the use of nitroglycerin there is no relief, then immediately call the doctors.

If the attack is not stopped in a timely manner, necrosis of the tissues of the heart muscle may occur, which will lead to death.

Pain in the region of the heart with a strong and dry cough

A symptom of heart pain with a dry cough, which is accompanied by poor health, indicates an attack of angina pectoris. Also, such symptoms can be caused by: colic in liver pathology, chest trauma and intercostal neuralgia.

The pain increases in attacks, so you need to call a doctor and stop the attack with the help of heart drugs, because heart failure can develop, which can lead to a quick death.

Symptoms that have atypical

Atypical evidence of an attack in heart disease may be symptoms that are not characteristic of heart disease. Often these symptoms are not associated with abnormalities of the cardiac system.

These symptoms are:

• Heartburn;
• Apnea and nocturnal snoring. These symptoms are directly related to abnormalities in the cardiac system and vascular diseases;
• Painful condition, as in the common cold. Symptoms of this condition: weakness of the body, increased sweating, cold skin of the hands and feet;
• Anxiety, anxiety and depression. This symptom is associated with disorders of the vascular and nervous system;
• Periodontitis. Inflammation of the gums is one of the atypical signs of a violation in the work of the cardiac system, which provokes an attack of myocardial infarction.

How to act during a heart attack?

• If an attack occurred at the time of an active load on the body, you must immediately stop the load, sit down, and it is better to lie down in a horizontal position. You need to lie on a sufficiently firm and even surface. The head should be above the level of the heart. You need to lie in a calm state, do not talk and do not make any sudden movements. It is necessary not to fall into a state of panic and calm the nerves;
• It is necessary to free the body as much as possible from squeezing clothing and allow free breathing: unbutton the collar of the shirt, untie or remove the tie, unfasten the belt on the trousers, unfasten the bra for women. If the attack occurred indoors, you need to open the window and let in a stream of fresh air;
• Measure blood pressure, if the blood pressure is too high, then you can take medication vasodilators (nitroglycerin). With a low blood pressure, it is forbidden to take vasodilators;
• Take nitroglycerin medication and an aspirin tablet, which will help avoid vascular thrombosis;
• If nitroglycerin does not help, you need to call an ambulance;
• At the time of the attack, you need to constantly monitor the pulse, and if the pulse begins to disappear, it is necessary to do an indirect heart massage and carry out the procedure for artificial ventilation of the heart muscle.

Diagnostics

To establish a diagnosis of heart disease, it is necessary to examine:

• Questioning the doctor about the patient's condition, about the lifestyle;
• General blood analysis. By result general analysis blood will be a known blood glucose level, blood cholesterol index;
• ECG (electrocardiography) shows possible pathologies of the heart at the initial stage of the development of the disease;
• ECHO (echocardiography);
• Angiography. This is an invasive technique for examining an organ.

Medical therapy

• Taking drugs of the nitrate group: nitroglycerin;
• The use of (beta) - blockers;
• ACE inhibitors;
• Heparin for blood thinning;
• glycosides;
• Diuretics;
• sedatives;
• Taking statins.

Life after a heart attack

After suffering a heart attack, you must follow some rules.

This will help you avoid another attack:

• Healthy lifestyle;
• Do not drink alcohol;
• Quit smoking;
• Compliance with the correct daily routine;
• Physical education within the limits recommended by the doctor.

Forecast

The prognosis for life during an attack of heart disease depends on how timely and professional medical assistance is provided.

In case of a heart attack, therapy should be started within half an hour from the onset of an attack, because the consequence of a heart attack is a fatal outcome.

Most diseases of the heart and vascular system cannot be cured, but following the rules of prevention will help make life easier.

During a heart attack, both men and women usually experience pressure and tightness in their chests. But women also often experience other, lesser-known symptoms of a heart attack. Therefore, women are more likely to die from a heart attack than men due to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. As a woman, it is very important to know which symptoms to watch out for. If you think you are having a heart attack, call an ambulance immediately on 103 (mobile) or 03 (landline).

Steps

Identifying Symptoms

Pay attention to discomfort in the chest or back. The main symptoms of a heart attack are a feeling of heaviness, tightness, constriction or pressure in the chest or upper back. This sensation does not necessarily occur suddenly and is not always accompanied by pain. It can last for a few minutes, pass, and then surge again.

Pay attention to discomfort in the upper back. Women with a heart attack may experience sharp pain that resembles a toothache or earache in the jaw, neck, shoulders, or back. This pain occurs because the nerves that carry electrical signals to these areas also carry them to the heart. The pain may come and go for a while and then come back with more force. It is so strong that it can wake you up at night.

• This pain can occur at once in all places or only in one.
• Women often do not experience the pain in the arm and shoulder that men usually report when they have a heart attack.

1. Watch for dizziness and/or lightheadedness. If you suddenly feel weak, your heart may not be getting the blood it needs. If your dizziness (feeling like the room is moving) or lightheadedness (feeling like you're about to pass out) is accompanied by shortness of breath or a cold sweat, you may be having a heart attack. These symptoms are caused by decreased blood flow to the brain.

   Pay attention to difficult breathing. If you suddenly start to feel short of breath, it could be a sign of a heart attack. Shortness of breath occurs when a person is out of breath. If you're having trouble breathing, try breathing through pursed lips (like whistling). You use less energy when you breathe this way. This breathing method will also help you relax and relieve the feeling of lack of air.

   • If you have a heart attack, the blood pressure in your lungs and heart rises, and the heart's pumping ability decreases.

2. Watch for gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, indigestion, and vomiting. Gastrointestinal symptoms are more likely to occur with a heart attack in women than in men. Women often dismiss these symptoms as being caused by stress or the flu. All the fault of poor blood circulation and lack of oxygen in the blood. The feeling of nausea and indigestion can last for quite some time.

   Take into account whether it is difficult for you to take a breath after waking up. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when soft tissues in the mouth, such as the tongue or throat, block the upper airways.

   Consider if you are experiencing anxiety. Increased sweating, difficulty breathing, and a fast (rapid) heartbeat are often signs of anxiety. These same symptoms often occur with a heart attack. If you suddenly start to worry about something, it may be that your nerves react to the overexertion of the heart. For some women, anxiety can also lead to insomnia.

   Pay attention to signs of weakness and fatigue. While fatigue can indicate many things, including a tough week at work, it can also be caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. If you find it difficult to complete everyday tasks without taking extra rest (more often than usual), your blood may not be pumping well through your body. This also indicates that you may have a heart attack. Some women also report a feeling of heaviness in their legs, which occurs in the weeks and months before a heart attack.

• If there are no symptoms of a heart attack, but your heart is bothering you, see your doctor for a complete examination.

Heart attack is not a medical term. So the people call the condition, which is associated with an interruption in the work of the heart, is accompanied by specific symptoms and is dangerous to human life. In this case, the victim usually looks like this: he presses his hands to his chest, catches air with his mouth, and his face expresses mortal fear. An attack develops suddenly and quickly, it can overtake a man or woman (both an elderly person and a teenager) in the most unexpected place and at the most inopportune time. The further development of events depends on the actions of people who, by chance, found themselves nearby. It is important not to get confused and be at least a little "savvy" in the field of first aid in such situations.

A heart attack is a serious violation of the blood supply to the myocardium. This condition is characteristic of an acute manifestation of ischemic disease. At this moment, the movement of blood through the coronary arteries stops or is significantly impeded, because on the way it meets an obstacle in the form of blood clots or cholesterol deposits that close the passage inside the vessel. The heart does not receive oxygen, its cells begin to experience hypoxia and are destroyed. develops angina pectoris light hearted attack) or myocardial infarction.

A heart attack often ends in death, so help must be provided immediately. It is urgent to call an ambulance at the first suspicious signs.

A life-threatening condition can occur when delivery of oxygen to the myocardium is difficult. Vasoconstriction is promoted by thrombosis or atherosclerosis, while the lumen between the walls is blocked by 70% or more. Acute cardiac ischemia is provoked by the following factors:

• excessive fullness;
• passion for alcohol and tobacco products;
• a history of severe forms of diabetes mellitus;
• reduced physical activity;
• intense training for athletes;
• adherence to fatty foods and plentiful portions;
• VVD (vegetovascular dystonia);
• abuse of nonsteroidal drugs;
• prolonged stay in a stuffy room or in the open sun in the heat;
• hypertonic disease;
• age (less common in young people);
• belonging to the male sex;
• tendency to develop blood clots;
• high blood cholesterol.

The situation is aggravated by a spasm of coronary vessels affected by cholesterol (in other words, a heart cramp), when the passage for blood flow can be completely blocked. This happens when it starts to rise. arterial pressure, as well as with severe stress (fear, joy, anger or other nerve disorder), high physical stress. The risk of developing an attack increases in the presence of cardiac pathologies (atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, congenital and acquired defects circulatory system, chronic left ventricular failure).

With partial blockage of the bloodstream, angina pectoris develops, complete blockage of the vessel leads to necrotic phenomena (myocardial infarction).

Symptoms and early warning signs of a heart attack

Excessive suspiciousness spoils a person's life, but sometimes increased vigilance to one's health still does not hurt. Without disregarding all the "strangeness" of his state of health, a person can warn the impending danger. There are signs that can help identify a possible approaching heart attack. The so-called harbingers make themselves felt long before the onset of the critical moment:

Here are the immediate signs of a heart attack:

• burning in the chest, constricting pain, heaviness;
• discomfort in the left half of the body;
• fear of death;
• muscle weakness, "cotton" legs;
• white skin, nose, lips, fingers with a blue tint;
• fainting;
• shortness of breath, difficulty taking a deep breath;
• pulse is frequent or intermittent;
• cold profuse sweat.

A threatening condition can manifest itself in different ways in people of different sexes. So, the symptoms of a heart attack in women have their own characteristics.

1. Signs of a similar nature occur at a later age, after menopause. More often have a tragic outcome than in men.
2. In women, usually small arteries overlap, in the opposite sex - large ones. This is reflected in the symptoms in the development of a heart attack in men.
3. The manifestations of heart problems in the fair half are mostly atypical: heartburn, pain in the upper abdomen, bouts of nausea, the woman becomes very weak, cannot breathe normally, gets tired quickly.
4. Often there is an asymptomatic course of the attack.
5. Signs of an acute heart attack in women usually rule out chest pain.

A heart attack can go completely unnoticed. A quick and sudden death occurs if a large area of ​​the heart is affected, or the person safely endures a silent attack without even suspecting it. In this case, it is realistic to recognize irreversible changes only with a planned medical examination.

Another scenario is that a person is worried about symptoms that he does not associate with heart disease. He does not go to the doctor at the right time, choosing expectant tactics, thus aggravating the situation. Meanwhile, life-threatening complications develop. Atypical signs of a heart attack:

• pain in the right side of the chest;
• possible pain in the abdomen with nausea and vomiting, bloating;
• cold symptoms, sore throat.

Similar symptoms are also characteristic of some other conditions (osteochondrosis, intercostal, tonsillitis, neuralgia, diaphragmatic hernia, stomach disease, acute development of pancreatitis, as well as cholecystitis). But there are also specific features that help distinguish non-cardiac pathologies from myocardial infarction:

• Heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, belching speak of digestive dysfunction.
• Strong and sharp pains occur regardless of physical exertion or nervous tension, aggravated by palpation of the lower part of the ribs, this is a sign of neuralgia.
• Pain is aggravated if a person moves his torso, arms, breathes deeply. Or unpleasant sensations are of a short duration, similar to tingling, stop on their own. Perhaps this is related to osteochondrosis.
• Reception "Nitroglycerin" does not bring relief. So, the appearance of pain is not connected with the heart.

Age-related changes in a child in adolescence can also cause chest pain, but they are a variant of the norm.

First aid at home

When a heart attack occurs, you need to act quickly and competently. First of all, you need to call an ambulance. Next, you need to do the following:

1. Provide the victim with complete rest and a comfortable position. It is advisable to lay down with your head up.
2. Loosen all fasteners and locks that restrict the chest so that the person can breathe freely.
3. Open windows and vents, let in fresh air.
4. Provide emotional support, try to save a person from fear and panic.
5. Offer "Nitroglycerin" (under the tongue), if there is no effect, repeat the allowable dose after a few minutes. If the pressure began to drop significantly, this method cannot be used.
6. If you suspect a myocardial infarction to prevent blood clots, be sure to chew an Aspirin tablet. It is needed to thin the blood, helping it to flow more freely through constricted vessels.
7. With increased pressure, help the patient take an antihypertensive drug. Usually in hypertensive patients it is always at hand.
8. Place a mustard plaster on the chest, make a warm bath for the legs.
9. If the heart has stopped, you will need an indirect massage of this organ and artificial respiration.

Treatment

A patient with a heart attack can be treated both at home and in a hospital. If there is no suspicion of a heart attack, a person is observed on an outpatient basis, continuing to take drugs to prevent recurrent paroxysms and prevent the formation of blood clots. Usually these drugs are:

• nitro-containing medicines ("Nitroglycerin");
• painkillers ("Morphine");
• antihypertensive drugs ("Metoprolol");
• diuretics ("Furosemide");
• drugs directed against the further development of atherosclerosis ("Atorvastatin");
• anticoagulants ("Heparin");
• thrombolytics ("Streptokinase");
• antiplatelet agents ("Aspirin").

This scheme is followed in the postinfarction period.

In the case of the development of an acute infarction, an emergency surgical intervention is considered appropriate, it is possible to use electrocardiostimulation (in case of cardiac arrest).

Surgery for a heart attack:

• balloon angioplasty (artificial expansion of a narrowed vessel using a catheter with a mini-balloon);
• installation of a stent (special expanding frame) in the cavity of the damaged artery;
• coronary artery bypass grafting (creation of additional blood pathways bypassing the affected area).

Surgical manipulations can stop the development of complications, but they are relevant only in the next hour and a half after the onset of the attack.

Complications

A heart attack is dangerous due to the complications it can cause. Moreover, the consequences occur both in the first hours of the development of the pathology, and within a few weeks after the end of the attack. Necrosis is a consequence of an acute violation of the coronary circulation. Dead cells cannot fully contract, which significantly impairs the functioning of the heart, resulting in myocardial insufficiency or re-infarction. An attack can also cause severe arrhythmia, rupture of cardiac tissues, the occurrence of cardiogenic shock (reduced blood delivery to other organs with impaired function). All these conditions lead to the death of the victim.

The prognosis of the outcome of such a pathology always depends on the amount of damage received, the speed of providing qualified assistance, as well as on age and other factors. individual characteristics organism. The sooner treatment is started, the smaller area of ​​the heart will be affected. Elderly patients, people with weakened immune systems and chronic diseases in the anamnesis it is more difficult to count on a favorable development of events.

How to prevent a heart attack

To prevent primary and repeated attacks of acute coronary syndrome, a number of recommendations must be observed:

1. Strictly comply with medical prescriptions.
2. Categorically give up bad habits.
3. Monitor your weight, if necessary, get rid of extra pounds.
4. Strengthen the heart with moderate physical activity.
5. Observe a rational mode of work and rest.
6. stick to the right balanced nutrition by excluding foods rich in cholesterol.
7. Regularly monitor the level of pressure, sugar and cholesterol in the blood.
8. Getting a flu shot can help prevent heart problems.
9. Protect yourself from excessive emotional outbursts.

Don't joke around with a heart attack. Even if there is no certainty that the symptoms that have arisen indicate a fatal dangerous state, it is advisable to seek help from medical personnel. It must be remembered that the signs of a heart attack may be atypical. In order not to risk your life, you need to be vigilant to any negative manifestations in the body. First aid does not require extensive medical knowledge and skills, but everyone should master these basics. Everyday habits and the established routine are very important for the prevention of heart disorders, and any person can change them for the better.