HEART ATTACK

 DEFINITION

Also called myocardial infarction. Ussualy occurs when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood through a coronary artery (a blood vessel that feeds blood to a part of the heart muscle).

The interrupted blood flow that occurs during a heart attack can damage or destroy a part of the heart muscle.

SYMPTOMS

·         Pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing or aching sensation in your chest or arms that may spread to your neck, jaw or back)

·         A feeling of fullness

·         Nausea

·         Indigestion

·         Heartburn

·         Abdominal pain

·         Shortness of breath

·         Sweating or a cold sweat

·         Feeling of anxiety or an impending sense of doom

·         Fatigue

·         Trouble sleeping

·         Lightheadedness or dizziness

COMPLICATION

·         Abdominal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)

·         Heart failure

·         Heart rupture

·         Valve problems

TEST AND DIAGNOSIS

·         Electrocardiogram (ECG)

·         Bloos test

·         Chest X-ray

·         Echocardiogram

·         Coronary catheterization (angiogram)

·         Exercise stress test

·         Cardiac computerized tomography (CT)

·         Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)