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Troponins
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Common Questions
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1. What does heart attack mean?
2. If I have chest pain, does that mean I am having a heart attack?
3. What if I am not sure if I am having a heart attack?
1. What does heart attack mean?
Heart attack means that some of the muscle tissue in your heart has died. The medical term for this is myocardial infarction. Most commonly, a heart attack starts with a sensation of heavy pressure or pain in the chest, often extending into the neck or left arm. You may have trouble catching your breath, or you may feel weak and break into a cold sweat.
A heart attack usually occurs because one of the blood vessels (called coronary arteries) that bring blood to your heart muscle is blocked. This usually happens when a blood clot forms in a blood vessel that is already partially blocked. The partial blockage is usually due to atherosclerosis (often called hardening of the arteries). This blockage occurs gradually over many years as lipid plaques are deposited along the walls of the blood vessels. These plaques narrow and stiffen the arteries and can rupture unexpectedly, totally blocking off the affected artery.
2. If I have chest pain, does that mean I am having a heart attack?
Many other problems can cause chest pain, and it is not possible to tell from the type of chest pain whether or not you are having a heart attack. Many people have chest pain from straining the muscles in their chest, from heartburn or other problems involving the stomach and esophagus, from emotional stress, and with some lung problems. Chest pain that occurs during exercise, hard work, or at times of stress, lasts for a few minutes, and goes away with rest is often caused by angina. A relatively rare form of chest pain may be due to temporary heart spasms called variant angina. These spasms usually occur at night when the patient is resting and can cause severe but temporary pain.
If chest pain lasts longer than just a few minutes, especially if it occurs when you are resting, seek immediate medical attention.
3. What if I am not sure if I am having a heart attack?
If you have prolonged chest pain (especially if it does not go away with rest) or if you have been previously diagnosed with angina and the drugs you were prescribed do not ease the pain, seek immediate medical attention. Many people who have had a heart attack die without ever having tried to call an ambulance or get to an emergency room.
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This article was last reviewed on
June 15, 2008.
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