Types of chest pain in women
A heart attack (or myocardial
infarction) occurs when a coronary
artery, one of the blood vessels
that supply oxygen-rich blood to the
heart muscle, becomes blocked. The
area of heart muscle that does not
receive blood begins to die. The
seriousness of a heart attack
depends on how much of the heart is
affected. Often the surrounding
healthy muscle keeps working,
allowing the heart to keep pumping
while the injured muscle heals and
recovers some of its strength.
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The signs of a heart attack can
be subtle and hard to identify. Many
people don't recognize the symptoms
even when they are in the middle of
a major heart attack. The amount of
time that passes before you receive
treatment can mean the difference
between life and death. Learn about
the symptoms of heart disease and
your own risk factors. Get help
immediately even if you are not sure
you are having a heart attack.
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A heart attack feels different to
different people. Even if you have
already had a heart attack, a second
one may not feel the same. You may
feel pain in any of the areas of the
body shown below. Or you may feel
pain only in your arms, jaw, or
back. Other warning signs of a heart
attack include dizziness, fainting,
sweating, nausea, or weakness.
continue to next page to read
what is angina
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Angina--a feeling of pain,
heaviness, tightness, burning, or
squeezing in your chest--is an
indication that you have heart
disease and are at risk of having a
heart attack. Angina occurs when the
heart muscle does not receive enough
oxygen because of a temporary
narrowing of one of the coronary
arteries that supply it with
oxygen-rich blood. Angina usually
occurs during physical exertion or
emotional stress.
Tell your doctor immediately if
you have any symptoms of angina,
which are similar to those of an
actual heart attack. Prompt
treatment for angina can prevent you
from having a heart attack. Many
people experience angina for years,
but do not seek treatment and
eventually have a heart attack.
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Getting prompt treatment for a
heart attack can be lifesaving. If
you experience one or more symptoms
of a heart attack, act quickly and
take the following steps:
- Sit down or lie down.
- If symptoms persist for 2
minutes, call your local
emergency telephone number and
say you may be having a heart
attack. Leave the phone off the
hook so that medical personnel
can locate your address if you
should become unconscious.
- If you have nitroglycerin
tablets, take up to three pills,
one at a time every 5 minutes.
- Ambulances are well equipped
to provide emergency care for
people who are having heart
attacks. It is usually better to
have medical personnel come to
you than for you to start off
for the hospital.
- If you can get to the
hospital faster by car than by
ambulance, have someone drive
you. Do not drive yourself--it
could be dangerous.
- Do not delay getting medical
treatment, even if you are not
sure you are having a heart
attack. A delay can cause
permanent damage to your heart
muscle or even death. Let the
doctor determine whether or not
you are having a heart attack.
- If your breathing or pulse
stops, any person who is trained
in cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR) should immediately begin
the procedure. Call your local
emergency telephone number
first.
- When you arrive at the
emergency room, you or the
person who brought you should
announce clearly that you may be
having a heart attack. Make sure
you are seen at once.
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Nitroglycerin is a drug that
reduces the pain of angina by
widening blood vessels to allow more
blood to reach the heart muscle. You
place nitroglycerin tablets under
your tongue whenever you feel the
pain of angina or anticipate it
coming on. People who have angina
should have nitroglycerin with them
at all times and should take it
immediately if they feel pain in
their chest.
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A heart attack does the most
damage in the first 2 hours. The
longer you delay seeking treatment,
the more damage your heart is likely
to sustain. Responding promptly to
signs of a heart attack can
dramatically increase your chances
of recovery. If your symptoms last
more than 2 minutes, call your local
emergency telephone number . Here
are some common reasons why people
delay calling for help, and the
facts in each situation:
Reason for delay: You
think that only men have heart
attacks.
Reality: Heart disease is the
most common cause of death in women
as well as men. If you have
symptoms, call for help.
Reason for delay: You are
not sure it is a heart attack.
Reality: Call anyway--heart
attack symptoms can be vague.
Reason for delay: It feels
like heartburn.
Reality: If you have a
history of heart disease, angina, or
high blood pressure, the heartburn
you feel may actually be a heart
attack. Call for help immediately.
Reason for delay: You'd
feel embarrassed if it turned out
you didn't need medical help after
all.
Reality: Never feel
embarrassed about calling for help.
A little embarrassment might save
your life.
Reason for delay: You're
hoping that it is not a heart
attack.
Reality: Wishful thinking can
be deadly. You can't wish a heart
attack away, and getting treatment
quickly can save your life. Most
people who survive a heart attack
can return to their normal life,
including work, within 3 months.
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Much can be done to help you
recover from a heart attack, but you
must take the first and most
important step--getting medical help
immediately. At the hospital, the
emergency room staff will determine
if you have had a heart attack by
doing a test called an
electrocardiogram (ECG) and by
taking a blood sample to test for
chemicals that are secreted by
damaged heart muscle. You may be
given drugs immediately to help
dissolve a clot that may be causing
the blockage. If your heartbeat is
abnormal, the doctor may need to
restore a normal rhythm with a
defibrillator, which delivers an
electric current to your heart. If
your heart has stopped, doctors will
compress your chest rhythmically to
try to maintain normal pumping
action until your heartbeat has been
reestablished. Later, you may be
given blood-thinning medications to
help prevent a clot from forming
again or to prevent new clots from
forming. Your care will continue in
the coronary care unit until you are
out of danger.
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Posted on 12/1997
From the AMA
Complete Guide to Women's Health
