How to recognize the onset of a heart attack?

You have already read my articles about atherosclerosis or hypertension. Yes?!

I already frightened you with a heart attack?

Well? This is, on the one hand, bad! To frighten it is not necessary even small children, and you know it! But on the other hand, you wanted to deepen your knowledge about yourself! It is commendable! And this knowledge will benefit, in the first place, personally to you!

After all, folk wisdom says "I would know where I fell - I would have piled a straw!" All right!

You know that you have high blood cholesterol or high blood pressure! And these are the main risk factors for myocardial infarction! So you already know where you can (I stress - you can) "fall." Now the question is about the "straw".

In the article "Can" pass "hypertension?" I have proven to you that hypertension is not cured. Doctors, prescribing medicines, give you the same "straw" that we mentioned above. These drugs will prevent premature development of complications of hypertension - early heart attacks and strokes.

A similar situation with atherosclerosis - see the article "Elevated cholesterol. What it is?"

I hope that you have understood from the above that to prevent the possible development of an early infarct, the main thing is that you need:

  • First, - "keep" your blood pressure within normal limits.
  • And, secondly, - to strive for normal blood indicators for atherogenic factors, i.e. Total cholesterol and its fractions.

If, unfortunately, you could not fulfill these two main requirements for some reason, the probability of occurrence of Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) is high.

What is IHD? The root cause of it is atherosclerotic plaques, which lead to a blockage of the coronary vessel. As a result of the fact that the blood passes in insufficient quantity, ischemia of the heart cells arises. The patient feels it in the form of pressing pain behind the sternum.

Depending on the duration of ischemia, there will be either a simple attack of angina or the latter will "outgrow" into a myocardial infarction.

I suggest first to recognize angina pectoris.

Angina pectoris is a pain in the region of the heart, triggered by physical exertion. After the termination of the load, pain is stopped alone or there is a need for taking nitroglycerin, which also pains this pain.

Stenocardic pain, which is not stopped by stopping, taking nitroglycerin, requires urgent consultation of a doctor with the aim of excluding myocardial infarction.

What is angina pectoris? How do you recognize it yourself or even suspect it? Listen carefully!!! The main criteria for the recognition of angina pectoris:

  • The nature of pain . It, in most cases, is compressive or pressing. The pain is intense. Makes the patient stop, if he moved. It is called "angina pectoris".

As a digression, I will tell you a historical case, when a squad leader raided soldiers into the military campaign of 1812. The commander stood up to his full height. But from the enemy went heavy fire. The attack drowned, the soldiers lay down. And the commander had a "pectoral toad", which did not allow him to even move. So he stood under a hail of bullets. Seeing his heroism, the soldiers began to climb, and went on the attack. The commander remained alive and even received a badge of distinction. And the reason for his heroism was the unbearable pain behind the sternum, which did not even allow him to move.

This case was described by military doctors in their memoirs. Here is an intensity of pain - like the "quintessence" of angina pectoris. It is more typical for a heart attack.

  • Localization of pain . This is the epicenter of the pain itself. Most often it (pain) is located behind the breastbone, less often in the heart. However, another localization is possible. This is the lower jaw, neck. This is the left shoulder. This is the epigastrium when patients confuse it with a pain in the abdomen. There are other more rare cases (pain to the right of the sternum, pain in the left arm and hand, etc.).
  • Irradiation of pain . These are areas where pain is transmitted or spread. The most common places of irradiation are in the left shoulder, the left arm, the lower jaw, under the left scapula.
  • What provokes this pain ? This pain is provoked, as a rule, by physical activity. At the onset of the disease, IHD physical stress, causing intense pain (running, accelerated walking pace under the hill, etc.). In the future, even a lower level of exercise causes pain, up to pain at rest.
  • What removes pain or at least reduces it ? Stopping or reducing the load can stop the pain. Sometimes this alone is not enough. It is necessary to take nitroglycerin or other drugs that contain nitroglycerin. These are the drops of Votchal, and the plates of trinitrotone, and the isoket in inhalation, and nitrogranulong, etc. etc. Validol, as a rule, is ineffective.
  • Duration of pain . In the classical version, the pain lasts no more than 10-15 minutes. Then it is angina with the greatest probability. If the pain is prolonged for 30 minutes or more? If nitro drugs without a positive effect? Then we have every reason to suspect a heart attack.

And now we summarize.

If you have similar pain, then contact your doctor immediately. If this is only angina, then it is necessary to deal with it closely. Take all necessary measures to ensure that it does not "turn into" a heart attack.

After all, with ischemia, only the cells "starve", but do not die. They can be temporarily "fed" with drugs, and then more seriously deal with the root cause of angina pectoris. And this is atherosclerotic plaques. There are many treatment methods (therapeutic and surgical). We'll talk about this another time.

And if you have a heart attack, then the urgency here is extraordinary. After all, the earlier the pain is removed, the less cells of the heart "die." The smaller the area will develop a heart attack. The better your heart will work in the future. And this is the guarantee of an active life in the future!

Therefore, with prolonged pain, an urgent call of an ambulance is needed. Before her arrival, complete peace. Nitroglycerin or drops of Votchala. If the pressure is high, and nitroglycerin reduces pain, then repeated repeated nitroglycerin intake under the tongue is possible, but under the strict control of blood pressure and in prone position.

I hope that you will not need new knowledge! But it's better to know more about the "straw" before you have to "fall"!

If something is not clear, then ask me questions
Bye for now!

Doctor SVETLANA.