What does myocardial infarction look like?
Miscellaneous / / July 08, 2022
Not always people, like in the movies, dramatically grab their hearts and sink to the floor.
What are the symptoms of a myocardial infarction?
When people talk about a heart attack, they remember the severe pain in the region of the heart, which also radiates to the left half of the body, especially to the arm. But this is not the only sign.
With a heart attack may beHeart attack / Mayo Clinic:
- feeling weak and dizzy;
- sweating;
- difficulty breathing;
- nausea and vomiting;
- feeling of anxiety and fear of death up to a panic attack.
Classic pain, or anginal, variant meetsA.V. Gordienko. hospital therapy most often, especially in young and middle-aged people, if the attack happened for the first time.
If there is no typical pain, the person does not always understand that this is a heart attack. And in vain.
When a heart attack does not proceed as usual
The heart may not hurt - or hardly hurt - for various reasons. For example, because after the first heart attack, the heart tissue was replaced by connective tissue - sclerosis developed. Or because nerve transmission was disrupted due to concomitant diseases, such as diabetes.
In women more often than in men, the clinical picture causesHeart Attack Symptoms in Women / American Heart Association doubt, because in the absence of pain there is3 Heart Attack Signs Women Shouldn't Ignore / Cleveland Clinic other non-obvious signs, such as extreme weakness and fatigue, inability to perform habitual activities, shortness of breath and others.
What does myocardial infarction look like?
A heart attack can masquerade as different conditions.
For heartburn, poisoning, or an acute stomach
If the pain in the heart is mild, then it can be to acceptHeart attack / NHS for heartburn. This is because the heart is located close to the stomach.
As we said, except for the pain of a heart attack happensA.V. Gordienko. hospital therapy:
- weakness;
- nausea;
- vomit.
If they appeared against the background of mild pain in the chest and upper third of the abdomen, then a heart attack can be mistaken for poisoning, intestinal infection, exacerbation of pancreatitis or cholecystitis, especially in people with chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, they speak of a gastralgic, or abdominal, variant.
For an arrhythmia
Often during a heart attack violatedHeart attack / NHS heart rate, sometimes to the point of cardiac arrest. The person may feel that:
- the heart is beating too fast;
- there are some “interruptions” and pauses;
- there was weakness up to loss of consciousness;
- broke out in a cold sweat.
If the pain is not expressed, then you can talkA.V. Gordienko. hospital therapy about the arrhythmic variant of myocardial infarction.
For an asthma attack
This form occurs with the development of left ventricular heart failure, when blood circulation is disturbed in the region of the left ventricle, and its area is very large.
Then appearsA.V. Gordienko. hospital therapy:
- difficulty breathing;
- painful attack cough with frothy pinkish sputum;
- feeling short of breath;
- suffocation.
Such a heart attack is called asthmatic.
On a stroke
Sometimes a heart attack accompaniesC.C. Huang, P.C. Liao. Heart Attack Causes Head‑Ache – Cardiac Cephalalgia / Acta Cardiological Sinica the strongest headachelike something exploded inside. It can occur after exercise and decrease after taking angina medications.
This atypical form is called cephalgic, or cardiac cephalgia.
In addition to pain, it indicates:
- photophobia;
- intolerance to loud sounds;
- dizziness;
- increase in pressure.
to faint
With extensive heart attacks, a complication is possible - cardiogenic shock. He developsCardiogenic Shock / Cleveland Clinicwhen the heart can no longer pump blood. If at the same time the pain was not very pronounced, then it may seem that the person is simply losing consciousness.
Symptoms also include:
- a sharp drop in pressure;
- feeling terribly tired;
- pallor;
- confusion;
- cold hands and feet;
- loss of appetite;
- puffiness legs.
If help is not provided quickly, the person is likely to die.
Can a heart attack occur without symptoms at all?
Yes. Then he calledSilent heart attack: What are the risks? / Mayo Clinic painless or asymptomatic. Despite the lack of symptoms, it is also dangerous for the heart. Due to the fact that it often goes unnoticed, the risk of a second heart attack, which can already become fatal, increases.
Painless infarction can be detected using electrocardiography (ECG) or echocardiography (ECHO-CG).
What to do if you suspect a heart attack
Even if you're not sure if it's a heart attack, always callWarning Signs of a Heart Attack / American Heart Association in an ambulance. The duty officer will advise and, if necessary, send a car to you. This is the case when minutes decide.
The emergency doctor will take an electrocardiogram and possibly take you to the hospital. Even if there are no changes on the ECG, but the doctor recommends hospitalization, do not refuse, because additional studies may be needed.
Read also🧐
- 8 signs of a myocardial infarction, in which you need to call an ambulance
- How much exercise to keep your heart young
- Heatstroke: what to do if the heat darkens the eyes and makes you sick
Best deals of the week: discounts from AliExpress, LitRes, Christina and other stores