Heart attack

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack (myocardial infarction or MI) occurs when blood is suddenly blocked from flowing to the heart, usually by a blood clot. Damage can occur to the heart’s tissue, and it begins to die because there isn’t enough oxygen-rich blood flowing to the heart.

Symptoms

Men and women may experience heart attacks differently. Women are more likely to notice symptoms such as extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, and back or jaw pain alongside common heart attack symptoms compared to men.

What to do during a heart attack

A heart attack is a medical emergency and needs to be treated immediately. 

If you believe you or someone you are with is having a heart attack, call 999 immediately for an ambulance.

If 300mg of aspirin is available and you are not allergic to this medication, we advise you to take it and wait for the ambulance to arrive.

Risks

Several factors can put you at risk of a heart attack. Some you can modify, and some you can’t. 

Modifiable risk factors include:

• Eating a diet high in trans fats and saturated fats
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Being overweight or obese
• Lack of exercise
• High levels of stress
• Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Sleep apnoea
• Smoking

Non-modifiable risk factors include:

• Age
• Family history
• Gender
• Ethnicity 
• Menopause
• Pre-eclampsia
• Gestational diabetes

You can make changes to modifiable risks to decrease your chances of developing a heart attack.

Focusing on maintaining a healthy diet while limiting saturated fats, salt, and added sugars is important for your heart health. Also, engaging in regular physical activity, avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol intake, managing stress through relaxation techniques, ensuring you get enough quality sleep, and aiming to maintain a healthy weight all help reduce your risk of a heart attack.

Regularly monitoring your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels can help detect any issues that may be present.

Diagnosis

If a heart attack is suspected, diagnosis is typically performed in the hospital. The tests usually performed include an electrocardiogram (ECG) to assess the heart’s electrical activity and confirm whether a heart attack is happening. This is followed by blood tests to detect whether there has been any heart muscle damage.

Additional tests may include a chest X-ray to evaluate the heart and lungs, an echocardiogram to check heart function and damage, and, if needed, coronary angiography to identify blockages in the heart’s arteries.

Your vital signs will be monitored throughout your checks. The medical team will also ask about symptoms and medical history to help guide the right urgent treatment.

Treatment

Treatment will depend on the severity and the type of heart attack you are experiencing.

Getting treatment as quickly as possible is vital. The quicker you can be treated, the less damage your heart will sustain.

Your doctor may recommend some treatment options to help relieve the pain and treat the damage to your heart.

This may include medication such as thrombolysis, a pacemaker, stents, angioplasty, heart bypass surgery, heart valve surgery, or a heart transplant. 

Aftercare and lifestyle changes

After being treated, you will be kept in the hospital for 2 to 5 days after your attack, depending on how you are recovering and what type of treatment you’ve had. You won’t be sent home from the hospital until your doctor is certain you’re well enough to go home.