Overview
A heart attack happens when a blood clot suddenly blocks an artery supplying the heart muscle, starving part of it of oxygen. Every minute of delay kills more heart muscle — treatment works best within the first golden hour. Classic warning is pressure-like chest pain spreading to the left arm or jaw, but in people with diabetes and in women, the signs can be as quiet as unusual breathlessness or sweating.
Symptoms
- Pressure, heaviness or squeezing pain in the centre or left of the chest lasting more than a few minutes
- Pain spreading to the left arm, jaw, neck, back or upper stomach
- Cold sweat with uneasiness or a sense of doom
- Breathlessness with or without chest pain
- Nausea or vomiting, sometimes mistaken for acidity
When to see a doctor
Do not wait to see if chest pain settles, and never drive yourself. Chew one aspirin (if not allergic) while arranging emergency transport. After any heart attack, lifelong cardiology follow-up and medicines are essential.
Emergency — call 108 or go to the nearest hospital
- Chest pain or pressure lasting more than a few minutes — call 108 / go to the nearest hospital with a cathlab NOW
- Chest discomfort with sweating, breathlessness, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw
- Sudden collapse or unresponsiveness — start CPR if trained
Causes
Blockage of a coronary artery by a clot forming over a cholesterol plaque. Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, family history and stress all raise the risk — often years earlier in Indians than in Western populations.