To receive the best care, you have about 90 minutes from the onset of the heart attack for an interventional cardiologist or surgeon to restore the flow of blood to the heart before critical heart tissue dies or is damaged. It is critical for you and your heart that you receive immediate medical attention. If your symptoms persist for more than 15 minutes, you are at more risk that heart muscle cells will die. That’s because the consequences of an untreated heart attack are so great. It is better to go to the hospital and learn that you are not having a heart attack than to stay home and have one. The risk of death within five years of being diagnosed with certain types of heart failure can be 50 percent or more, worse than many forms of cancer. Large heart attacks that are not treated early and aggressively can lead to heart failure. An extensive blockage, especially in a major blood vessel, such as the left anterior descending artery, can cause a large heart attack. That is why every second counts when it comes to heart attack treatment.
Blood carries vital oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle, and without blood, the heart muscle begins to die. When blood flow is cut off, this is called ischemia.Ī heart attack is an emergency that requires immediate medical attention. This blood clot ( thrombosis) can partially or completely cut off blood flow through the artery. This piece of plaque can then lodge in a narrowed portion of the artery and blood will begin to clot around it. Alternatively, part of the plaque may break off and flow downstream in the blood. With rupture, exposure of atherosclerotic debris to the bloodstream can cause platelets (a component of blood that assists with clotting) and red blood cells to collect at the site of the rupture, cutting off blood flow to the artery. A plaque can be topped with a thin, fibrous cap that ruptures. This plaque narrows the arteries, leaving less room for blood to flow. Blockages are caused by a disease process throughout the arteries in your body called atherosclerosis, in which plaque (a fatty substance) builds up in the arteries. What Is a Heart Attack?Ī heart attack happens when a complete blockage suddenly forms in an artery that supplies blood to your heart (a coronary artery). There are other causes of chest pain that relate to the heart as well as non-heart-related causes of chest pain. You can learn about many of the causes of chest pain here, but first it is important to learn about heart attack and conditions that mimic it. Your physician can help you identify the cause of any chest pain. A few possible non-heart-attack causes of chest pain are described below. Remember, if you are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack, dial 911. Some of these are a sign of something urgent, and others are not. There are many medical conditions that can mimic a heart attack.