Myocardial infarction symptoms: the signs to recognise a heart attack

By Cristiano Antonino On Mar 28, 2023

Myocardial infarction is one of the most frequent causes of emergency room access and is among the leading causes of death in industrialised countries

The most common symptom of a heart attack is pain radiating from the chest to the left arm.

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The myocardial infarction will occur as a result of erosion or rupture of the atherosclerotic plaque in a coronary artery

There will then be clot formation, which will cause blockage of blood flow in the affected vessel in whole or in part.

As a result, there will then be necrosis of the cardiac tissue underlying the coronary vessel, which will no longer have blood supply.

It is essential to act promptly.

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How to recognise a heart attack

Myocardial infarction has several and numerous warning signs, the first to manifest itself will be chest pain.

A feeling of oppression will be felt in the chest area.

This pain will be the same in both men and women.

It is thought that heart attacks are more common among men, but there is an increased risk in women after the menopause due to the protective decrease by oestrogen.

It is important to pay attention to the signs: 30% of heart attack cases occur in women over 60, and recovery of heart function after a heart attack is frequently weaker in women than in men.

Usually the pain starts behind the sternum, on the left side of the chest, or at the mouth of the stomach.

It will then radiate to the arms, travel up the shoulders and neck and extend to the jaw.

The pain will be oppressive and will tend to worsen if one exerts oneself.

In women, back pain in the event of a heart attack may be more pronounced.

They will have difficulty breathing, to which will be added nausea, dizziness and sudden sweating.

These difficulties will occur at the same time as the symptoms listed above.

Nausea will be felt suddenly; if it is not associated with gastrointestinal or other malaise, it may be related to a more serious event that needs to be acted against immediately.

Fatigue, exhaustion, dizziness and shortness of breath may be another alarm bell.

There will be acceleration or slowing of the heartbeat.

These are all signs that should not be underestimated and you should consult your doctor if they occur.

Learning to recognise the symptoms of a heart attack can save the lives of others and even your own

During a heart attack, as mentioned earlier, a thrombus causes an occlusion of a coronary artery, blocking the flow of blood to part of the heart.

The heart muscle no longer receiving blood begins to die, which is why it is essential to intervene as quickly as possible, the more time passes the greater the damage and the cells that have died cannot, regenerate or be repaired.

Pharmacological treatments capable of dissolving the thrombus, or angioplasty, are at their most effective if started within the first hour of the onset of symptoms, and the benefit decreases as this intervention time is prolonged.

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Risk factors for myocardial infarction include:

Age; high cholesterol; high blood pressure; diabetes; overweight and obesity; sedentary lifestyle; family history; poor diet; alcohol, tobacco and drug consumption.
In order to have a definite diagnosis of myocardial infarction, a 12-lead electrocardiogram should be performed to define whether one is in the presence of acute cardiac ischaemia; the latter requires a specific course of treatment to be implemented promptly. Cardiac pathway that may be percutaneous coronary angioplasty or a fibrinolytic drug treatment aimed at dissolving the occlusive clot

Thoracic pain is the first, transient symptom of a process of rupture and repair of the atheromasic plaque and is part of the picture of acute coronary syndromes, which may not even create specific alterations on the electrocardiogram.

In these cases, a period of observation in a hospital environment is always necessary to perform a specific blood test called Troponin High Sensitivity (Troponin HS) aimed at highlighting conditions of heart muscle suffering in the preceding hours and proceeding to specific diagnostic and therapeutic courses.

In any case of chest pain, it is essential to take steps to carry out a medical assessment in order to avoid wasting valuable time.

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