The first signs of a heart attack in women and men - how to provide first aid, treatment and consequences. Acute heart attack

The concept of " heart attack" is very broad. It combines a group of symptoms that occur when various diseases. The most common types of attacks are arrhythmia, angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction. Similar condition requires emergency care and can lead to the death of a sick person.

Causes

There are the following possible reasons heart attack:

  • myocardial ischemia (angina);
  • acute heart attack;
  • pulmonary embolism;
  • atrial fibrillation;
  • aneurysm;
  • acute thrombophlebitis;
  • acute heart failure;
  • cardiogenic shock.

Signs of a heart attack in women are specific. This allows you to exclude diseases of other organs and provide proper medical care. Most often occur the following symptoms heart attack:

  • frequent heartbeat;
  • feeling of interruptions in the work of the heart;
  • fear;
  • anxiety;
  • discomfort in the arm, half of the face or shoulder blade;
  • dyspnea;
  • lack of oxygen;
  • pale or blue skin;
  • sweating;
  • dizziness;
  • nausea;
  • the appearance of edema.

The earliest sign is pain in the heart area.

Signs

Often, females develop an attack of angina. It's a manifestation coronary disease hearts. The most common causes are atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, vasospasm, thrombosis and high pressure. Angina can be stable or unstable. The following symptoms of a heart attack of the angina type are observed:

  • chest pain;
  • weakness;
  • cardiopalmus;
  • nausea;
  • sweating.

In females, the attack often occurs without severe pain. If it does appear, then it is characterized by the following symptoms:

  • duration less than 15 minutes;
  • connection with physical activity;
  • pressing or squeezing character.

The pain often radiates to the arm and jaw. It lasts several minutes. An attack can occur during movement or at rest (during sleep). In some sick women, an attack of angina develops after prolonged walking or in cold, windy weather. The attack is eliminated by taking nitrates (Nitroglycerin). The pain syndrome most often disappears during rest.

The most severe attacks are unstable angina. The appearance of pain can provoke anxiety, physical work, running, cooling. With Prinzmetal's angina, the attack often occurs in a state of complete rest (at night or early in the morning). The pain is combined with intense sweating, changes in blood pressure, nausea, headache, and tachycardia.

Possible fainting. Often, against the background of angina, heart rhythm and conduction are disturbed. Often attacks occur one after another. Their peculiarity is that they are poorly eliminated by Nitroglycerin and occur with little physical activity.

Symptoms of myocardial infarction

The symptoms of a heart attack in women most clearly manifest themselves during a heart attack.

This dangerous state requires emergency assistance. Its mortality rate is very high. This attack is caused by an acute lack of oxygen in the heart. An attack develops against the background of blockage of a vessel by an atherosclerotic plaque or thrombus. Symptoms are most pronounced in the acute period.

They arise due to necrosis of a portion of the myocardium. A heart attack is manifested by the following symptoms:

  • intense pain lasting more than 30 minutes;
  • severe weakness;
  • excitement;
  • fear;
  • shortness of breath;
  • the appearance of cold, sticky sweat;
  • pale skin;
  • blueness of fingertips, ears and nose;
  • increased blood pressure initially and subsequent hypotension;
  • violation heart rate;
  • frequent heartbeat.

If pulmonary edema and cardiac asthma develop, a cough appears. The pain syndrome can last for several hours or even days. At the same time, the sick woman’s condition either worsens or improves. Unlike angina, an attack during a heart attack is not eliminated by Nitroglycerin. IN acute period heart attack pain syndrome disappears.

Signs of atrial fibrillation

At healthy person the heart contracts at a rate of 60-80 beats per minute sinus rhythm. With many cardiovascular diseases atrial fibrillation develops. A type of it is atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation. More often this pathology develops against the background of acquired heart defects.

Seizures atrial fibrillation are manifested by the following symptoms:

  • feeling of an accelerated heartbeat;
  • a feeling of interruptions in the functioning of the myocardium;
  • weakness;
  • dizziness;
  • shortness of breath;
  • lack of air.

The paroxysmal nature of the disease is determined only by early stages. Then the arrhythmia becomes permanent. A common manifestation of arrhythmia is trembling, sweating, and a feeling of fear. Diuresis often decreases. Sometimes severe dizziness becomes the reason short-term loss consciousness.

With the development of complications in women, paresis and a drop in blood pressure may develop. With atrial fibrillation, the frequency of atrial contractions is 400-800 beats per minute. Specific symptom is a pulse deficit. This is a condition in which the number of myocardial contractions more quantity pulsations.

Attack with normal vascular patency

The feeling of heart failure and pain are not always a sign acute illness. The reason may be increased production of catecholamines (adrenaline and norepinephrine) in response to stressful situation. These hormones speed up your heart rate. This is manifested by tachycardia. Catecholamines can cause a short-term spasm of the arteries, which also manifests itself in the form of a small attack.

Interruptions in the heart are a common symptom vegetative-vascular dystonia. The development of a heart attack is possible with good arterial patency in the case of disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome. In elderly women, a paroxysmal condition may be a consequence of insufficiently developed collaterals. Sometimes interruptions in the functioning of the heart are observed due to poisoning and the use of certain medications.

In any case, when an attack develops, you need to be able to provide assistance to the victim. It is necessary to give the person a semi-sitting position, give a Nitroglycerin and Aspirin tablet, and also provide a flow of clean air. Need to call ambulance. In case of a heart attack, anticoagulants (Heparin), fibrinolytics (Streptokinase), antiplatelet agents, and painkillers are prescribed. Thus, the development of a heart attack requires immediate assistance, in otherwise the likelihood of complications is high.

Heart attack is not independent disease, and one of the main signs of a pathological condition of cardio-vascular system. It's always serious signal that not all is well with the heart. Moreover, what older man, the higher the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, according to different reasons, they are increasingly being diagnosed in very young people.

If signs characteristic of an attack appear, you need to act very quickly, since there is a real threat to a person’s life and every minute counts. What you need to know about a heart attack: symptoms, what is first aid for a heart attack at home, what are its causes in young people? We'll talk about this today:

What is the danger?

You need to understand that very often a heart attack occurs due to blockage coronary artery blood clots that gradually accumulate on the walls of blood vessels and arteries. They are also called cholesterol plaques.

The coronary arteries carry oxygen to the heart through the bloodstream. If one of the arteries is blocked, the heart does not receive a significant amount of oxygen, which causes damage to its cells. If blood does not flow to this area long time, its damage and subsequent death occurs - that is, it develops.

As you understand, this condition is very dangerous and usually begins with a heart attack. Therefore, it is very important to distinguish dangerous symptoms, and before the doctor arrives, be able to provide first aid.

What are the symptoms of a heart attack?

There is a feeling of compression on the left side of the sternum, interfering with inhalation. It's hard for a person to breathe full chest. Often there is a sharp, piercing pain that radiates to the area of ​​the left shoulder and shoulder blade. May also occur in the throat and lower jaw. These sensations are especially pronounced during body movements.

It is difficult for a person to breathe, he cannot lie quietly, he tries to take a deep breath, but he cannot. Against this background, interruptions in heart rhythm are often observed.

The skin is pale, cold sweat appears. The attack is accompanied by fear of death and usually lasts from 5 to 30 minutes.

You need to know that there are diseases accompanied by similar symptoms. In particular, an exacerbation of osteochondrosis may look like a heart attack thoracic, manifestations of intercostal neuralgia and diaphragmatic hernia, and acute manifestations peptic ulcer, pancreatitis, cholecystitis.

Heart attack - causes in young people

As we have already mentioned, a heart attack is becoming more and more common, which we continue to talk about on this page www.. There are many reasons for this. Let us briefly list the main ones:

- Heredity. According to experts, if one of your close relatives suffered from cardiovascular diseases with frequent attacks, the risk of their occurrence in the next generation increases significantly.

- Diabetes. This disease often causes the development, exacerbation various pathologies, including increasing the risk of a threatened attack.

- arterial hypertension . When this occurs, the load on the blood vessels and heart increases significantly, which contributes to the development of the described pathological condition.

- Having bad habits. It has been proven that smoking, alcoholism, and drug addiction very often become the main causes of heart disease. In particular, alcohol poisoning of the body is fraught with very serious consequences, for example, myocardial infarction. Drugs destroy all organs, the heart is no exception. Cocaine kills heart cells especially quickly.

- Overweight, obesity. This is the most common cause of cardiovascular diseases, in particular myocardial infarction. Excess weight is dangerous because the heart becomes covered with fat, which makes it much more difficult to function.

- stressful conditions, nervous feelings. A regular state of stress provokes the development of many diseases, including cardiological ones.

Heart attack - first aid

Providing first aid for a heart attack, start by calling an ambulance. IN telephone conversation be sure to indicate the nature of the attack (pressing sensations, pain). Tell us where the pain originated and where it radiates, its intensity, as well as the time of its occurrence. And also tell us what drug you have taken or are going to take.

After calling the team, open the window to ventilate the room. Then you must lie down and, if possible, not make any movements at all. To reduce pain, take a deep breath, hold it for 10-15 seconds, then exhale slowly.

Place 1-2 pillows under your head to top part the body was elevated (semi-recumbent position). Be sure to unfasten all belts, remove your tie, and unbutton the top buttons of your blouse.

If possible, measure arterial pressure, or better yet, ask someone else to do it. If an increase is observed, you need to take vasodilator, which are usually taken by hypertensive patients.

Should accept or. However, it is important to remember that nitroglycerin should not be taken if you have low blood pressure.

You can put a mustard plaster on the chest (heart area).

Until the medical team arrives, you must remain completely calm.

Remember that if you have a heart attack, you cannot go without medical help. Urgent professional diagnostics, provided in a timely manner adequate help can save a person's life, especially if we are talking about myocardial infarction. Be healthy!

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If a heart attack and its symptoms are recognized promptly, a person’s life can be saved. Therefore, it is so important to know what a heart attack is and what the causes are. You should remember the main points of first aid for manifestations of the disease. For this you do not need to have medical education, it is enough to familiarize yourself with the information and remember it, and, if necessary, apply it in practice. How to recognize a heart attack and not confuse it with pain due to osteochondrosis? It is not uncommon for a person to simply ignore the signs of a heart attack and not seek help. medical care, or finds out that he has heart problems after the heart attack has occurred.

It is important to pass in a timely manner necessary examination and begin treatment immediately, since lack of treatment can lead to a heart attack. Remember that death from a heart attack is common, so you should do everything possible to avoid heart problems.

What is myocardial infarction, and what can trigger a heart attack?

A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked. If blood flow is not restored in required quantity within 40 minutes, myocardial cells begin to die.

If the resulting blood clot is eliminated within an hour and a half, the muscle can recover. Otherwise, changes appear that can ultimately cause heart rupture.

Timely assistance during a heart attack can protect a person from irreversible processes in the body that lead to death. In this case, every second counts.

A heart attack can have different causes. List of main factors that can lead to illness:

  • high cholesterol;
  • excessive fullness;
  • nervous tension;
  • absence physical activity;
  • diabetes;
  • bad habits consisting of excessive drinking and smoking;
  • hereditary heart diseases;
  • high blood pressure.

All these reasons contribute to the deterioration of the condition and can cause a heart attack, so for recovery it is necessary to eliminate any factor that painful in heart. You cannot ignore the treatment prescribed by your doctor.

Characteristic features of myocardial infarction in men and women

Heart attacks are much more common in men than in women. This is due to the fact that representatives of the fairer sex perform childbearing function, and in order to bear and give birth to a child, you must have a healthy, strong heart. But with the onset of menopause, women often experience palpitations and become just as susceptible to heart attacks as men. Therefore, they need to undergo heart diagnostics more often. The signs of a heart attack are the same in women and men:

  • shortness of breath is the first harbinger of the disease;
  • heartburn;
  • chest pain that may radiate to left side body: arm, shoulder, neck or jaw;
  • constant fatigue without much physical activity;
  • increased sweating;
  • cardiopalmus;
  • snoring during sleep;
  • insomnia;
  • attacks of nausea and even vomiting;
  • hard breath.

The presence of one or more signs indicates a heart attack.

Not every woman feels pain, as it can be subtle. All passing symptoms of a heart attack are the same in women.

How to provide first aid?

Blocking an attack requires freeing the blocked artery to reduce the extent of the damage.. This can only be done in the intensive care unit. If the first signs of a heart attack appear, you should immediately call an ambulance and wait for the medical staff to arrive. At this time, you can alleviate your condition yourself or help someone else by doing the following:

  • it is necessary to take a sitting or lying position (the head should be vertical);
  • a person should be calm, therefore, if he is experiencing anxiety, try by all means to balance his state of mind;
  • create conditions for admission fresh air indoors, unfasten the collar on your neck;
  • measure blood pressure and pulse;
  • take an Aspirin tablet (swallow or chew) or Nitroglycerin (sublingual lozenge).

After these actions, it is necessary to monitor the patient’s well-being. If improvement does not occur in the first 10 minutes after taking the drug, you must re-take Nitroglycerin to relieve the pain.


Before giving any medicine to a patient, you must carefully read the contraindications.

In the event of a heart attack in both men and women, walking, eating, drinking alcohol, smoking or driving a car is strictly prohibited. You need to be in a state of calm and complete relaxation until the emergency medical team arrives.

Diagnostic testing for heart attack

Before treatment is prescribed, the patient undergoes the necessary examination, which includes an electrocardiogram, urine and blood tests.

An ECG helps to identify the intensity of blood flow, the condition of the heart muscles, and heartbeat.

Laboratory blood tests can measure blood enzymes that indicate heart health.

How is a heart attack treated?

When a patient with a heart attack is transported in an ambulance, the called medical staff begins treatment on the way to the hospital and relieves pain. If there is a risk of a new attack, the patient is admitted to the intensive care unit, where timely assistance can be provided.

Usually therapy includes taking such drugs:

  • Analgin, if the patient has not taken it before;
  • thrombolytics, which eliminate blood clots (they should be taken in the first hours after an attack);
  • beta-blockers, they lower the heart rate.

If medications do not provide the desired effect, then coronary artery bypass surgery or balloon angioplasty is performed.

The patient is prescribed bed rest, the patient should be at rest, and only after a while he is allowed to sit, and even later - to get up.

Recovery after suffering a heart attack

Rehabilitation of a recovering patient is carried out in stages, since overload can adversely affect the heart. The patient gradually begins to walk, then he starts classes physiotherapy exercises, while the exercises are performed under the supervision of the attending physician. Your doctor may recommend that you exercise at home. It must be remembered that overexerting the body exercise under no circumstances is it possible. Charging helps to quickly restore the heart after a heart attack.

It is very important to follow a proper diet, which should include a large number of vegetables, grains and fruits. It is necessary to exclude from the diet foods that increase blood cholesterol levels, namely: fatty varieties meat, smoked products, sausages, sausages. Meat and fish should be low-fat varieties, turkey and chicken must be cooked by removing the skin. Fatty dairy products, especially butter, sour cream, and cottage cheese are also prohibited. Fried foods should be completely eliminated and replaced with boiled or steamed foods. Salt should be added to dishes with extreme caution, as it leads to hypertension. It should either be completely eliminated or consumed in small quantities.


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What is a heart attack

Pathology often leads to fatal outcome. But doctors say that if first aid is provided in a timely manner and a team of doctors is called, then the patient can be saved. Most often, death is likely if urgent curative measures failed to take action. In this case, death occurs as a result of extensive damage to the heart and complications that arise.

What happens in the body with this pathology? Symptoms of a heart attack in women appear when one of the arteries supplying the myocardium ceases to function fully. It does not deliver the full amount of blood to main body. This leads to damage to part of the heart muscle. Tissues begin to die. The patient is in dire need of qualified help. Otherwise, it will be fatal.

What can cause a heart attack? Symptoms in women occur due to impaired vascular blood flow. Pathology can manifest itself as a result of a sudden spasm. Often an attack is triggered by an unexpected blockage of a vessel with cholesterol or a blood clot. Regardless of the factor that caused the pathology, the reason for the death of cardiac tissue is the same - lack of oxygen.

Factors leading to heart attack

There are many reasons that can trigger a heart attack. Symptoms in women are in most cases similar, regardless of the source of the pathology.

The main provoking factors include:

  • age (after 55 years a woman enters the risk zone);
  • hereditary factor;
  • undergone surgery to remove the ovaries;
  • period after menopause.

Additional sources of pathology

However, there are other causes of a heart attack that can be eliminated or nullified. negative impact on the body.

These factors are:

  1. Smoking, alcohol addiction, drug addiction. These factors come first. Smokers are almost always diagnosed with heart disease. Alcohol intoxication worsens the situation several times. Often an acute attack occurs in a state of deep hangover.
  2. Reception birth control pills. Sometimes this factor leads to the appearance of pathology in women who have not even reached 40 years of age.

  3. High cholesterol content. Vessels clogged with plaques experience serious overload. Of course, the heart does not receive enough blood. He has to function in an enhanced mode.
  4. Obesity. Organs swollen with fat do not allow the myocardium to work at full capacity. This is a fairly common cause leading to cardiac disorders.
  5. Inactivity. As a rule, this factor is combined with obesity or overweight.
  6. Hypertension. High blood pressure overloads the heart muscle and blood vessels.
  7. Diabetes. This is a pathology that provokes many various violations in organism. The cardiovascular system also suffers from the disease.
  8. Inflammatory processes in blood vessels. They provoke rupture of the coronary artery. Inflammation causes an increase in reactive protein in the body. This picture is most often observed in women. Doctors are not yet ready to say what causes the increase in protein.
  9. Hypothyroidism. The disease often becomes a source of heart disease. It can trigger an attack.
  10. chronic stress. This state- the cause of the development of most diseases in the body. And first of all, stress negatively affects the functioning of the heart.

Classic signs

Let's look at what are the most common symptoms of a heart attack?

The pathology is characterized by the following main features:

  1. There is pain in the area chest. This is the most characteristic symptom impending heart attack. But pain doesn't always happen. Some people feel discomfort, tightness, and a certain pressure in the chest. In this case, pain is completely absent. Patients claim that it becomes difficult for them to breathe, and there is a feeling “as if someone had stepped on their chest.” Very often people believe that a heart attack only causes pain in the chest and unpleasant discomfort in the left hand. You should know that negative sensations can appear in any other parts of the body: in the shoulders, throat, upper abdomen, jaws, teeth, back.
  2. Heavy sweating, perspiration. Pay attention when this symptom appears. Particular concern is caused by increased sweating in a person who is in a cool room, and not in the heat. Perspiration that appears in the absence of physical activity may indicate problems. Heavy sweating is caused by clogged arteries. The heart needs to work harder to pump enough blood. To save normal temperature With additional stress, the body produces a large amount of sweat. If you encounter such a problem, be sure to consult your doctor.
  3. Dyspnea. If such attacks occur after a slight exercise (climbing a couple of floors, walking), you should consult a doctor. Very often, shortness of breath is a symptom of heart disease. Especially if it is accompanied by severe fatigue and chest pain. Women are more likely to experience similar symptoms. It is shortness of breath and fatigue that usually warns of an upcoming heart attack.

Additional symptoms

In a classic attack, the following often occur:

  1. Problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Very often, before an attack, disorders appear in digestive tract. Indigestion, heartburn, and nausea may occur. These symptoms are often combined with dizziness. However, do not forget that such symptoms can be inherent in a number of pathologies.
  2. Numbness in fingers. Can only cover brushes. But sometimes the numbness spreads to the shoulders and forearms.
  3. Impaired speech. A completely sober person begins to get tongue-tied. Speech becomes slurred and incomprehensible.
  4. Impaired motor coordination. The person loses control over the body. Most often this affects the neck, shoulders, and arms. This state is very reminiscent alcohol intoxication. Especially if it is combined with slurred speech. That is why others do not always rush to help a person in such a state. This is very dangerous, because precious minutes are lost.

If you promptly pay attention to the main symptoms of a heart attack listed above, you can save a person’s life. Therefore, do not pass by a person who needs your help.

Features of attacks in women

Most often, people imagine a heart attack as a sudden, pronounced attack. If pathology concerns representatives of the fair half of humanity, then the situation is somewhat different. Symptoms of a heart attack in women are rarely pronounced. Most patients tolerate them without attaching any importance to them.

This is dictated by the fact that the signs of the disease are blurred in most cases. Therefore, women do not notice them and do not take them seriously. In addition, the symptoms are somewhat different from the signs that characterize an attack in men.

Alarms

Please note what are the first symptoms of a heart attack in women:

  1. Severe fatigue, almost unsettling.
  2. Disturbed sleep, insomnia. This condition can occur even after severe fatigue. These symptoms appear about a month before the attack.
  3. Increased anxiety, nervousness, feeling of stress.
  4. Indigestion, nausea with normal diet.
  5. Weakness, clammy, sweaty skin.
  6. Difficulty breathing during normal exercise or climbing stairs.
  7. The appearance of pain in the neck, face, jaw, ears. Discomfort may spread to the arms and shoulders. It resembles a condition when muscle tissue is stretched.

How to help yourself?

If you observe the signs of a heart attack in women described above, do not wait for the condition to worsen. The best decision is to see a doctor and get qualified help.

Remember that you need to report all symptoms that appear to your doctor. In addition, it is important to name factors that can aggravate the condition ( genetic predisposition, smoking, hypertension).

If you have a seizure

What to do if you are caught by surprise by a heart attack? Symptoms and first aid are points that every person should know well. After all, minutes count.

First aid consists of the following measures:

  1. Call an ambulance immediately. Even if you don’t know how to help yourself, the dispatcher will explain to you what to do before the doctors arrive.
  2. Contact your family who can come to you immediately if the attack begins while you are alone.
  3. Take an aspirin tablet (325 mg). The pill should be chewed so that it has an effect faster.
  4. Take a nitroglycerin tablet. If no positive effect is observed, you can use the medicine again. The third pill is allowed to be taken only if the pain does not subside within 10 minutes after taking the second pill.
  5. Try to remain calm. Panic and fear, characteristic of an attack, complicate the condition. Remember that help is on the way to you. You can focus on counting your heartbeat. It's calming.
  6. Remain in a supine position, on your back. In this case, it is advisable to raise your legs higher by placing a pillow or other object under them. This will allow the diaphragm to open, and oxygen will flow better into the blood.
  7. Do deep breaths and even exhalations.
  8. If possible, it is recommended to open a window to provide fresh air.

What Not to Do

If symptoms of a heart attack are observed in women, it is not enough to know how to act in such a situation. It should be remembered that it is strictly contraindicated:

  • stand up or move around;
  • smoke;
  • drive;
  • use aspirin if there is intolerance to the drug or an exacerbation of gastritis or ulcers is diagnosed;
  • take nitroglycerin if low pressure, severe headaches, with speech, coordination, and vision disorders;
  • consume drinks or food.

Help a loved one

What should you do if you see something wrong with a person and you suspect he is having a heart attack?

Symptoms in women and treatment are often taken lightly by such individuals. Therefore, be prepared for the fact that they will begin to refuse to call a doctor and protest against the need to take horizontal position.

Your actions should be as quick and clear as possible:

  1. Call an ambulance.
  2. Lay the patient on a horizontal surface with any object under their feet. Make sure that the patient does not get up.
  3. Unfasten your collar and belt.
  4. Provide fresh air by opening a window. Turn on the fan.
  5. Try to calm and encourage the victim.

Be sure to complete all the activities described above. And remember that your actions determine future life this man.

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Causes of pathology

Often a heart attack develops against the background of cardiac pathologies that a person has. In particular, a predisposing factor leading to the occurrence this violation in the work of the heart, is atherosclerosis.

In addition, disorders in the work of the heart occur in the elderly, which is associated with functional disorders in the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Moreover, pathology is determined more often in men than in women.

Angina often becomes a "provocateur" of a heart attack, and is characterized by a violation respiratory function(suffocation), as well as changes in heart rate and severe pain. A predisposing factor to the development of angina pectoris is smoking, excessive exercise.

Also, a disorder such as a heart attack often results from:

  • decompensated diabetes;
  • long-term use of nonsteroidal drugs;
  • lack of adequate physical activity;
  • dysmetabolic syndrome.

Symptoms and signs

If we talk about the signs of a heart attack, then they are initially characterized by the occurrence severe pain behind the sternum, which is not relieved by taking nitroglycerin-based drugs. When an attack occurs, a person feels heaviness in the chest area and cannot breathe fully, as the pain interferes with respiratory process. Patients describe this condition as a burning sensation.

Due to the inability to fully enter and exit, a person experiences a feeling of lack of oxygen, with the development of symptoms of suffocation.

In cases where the heart attack is less intense, instead of respiratory failure there is shortness of breath, which occurs as after physical exercise. load and at rest. If a person is interested in the question of how to recognize a heart attack, then he should pay attention to the above signs of a heart attack, that is, shortness of breath, pain and respiratory failure– they are the ones who talk about the progression of this pathology.

In fact, the symptoms of a heart attack are quite varied. Besides characteristic manifestations, described above, other symptoms may be observed that are immediately difficult to associate with this pathology. For example, a person may experience nausea and vomiting without relief.

Many people who have already had a heart attack can anticipate the occurrence of this condition. Therefore, when the first symptoms appear, they should take actions aimed at stopping the development of the pathological condition.

Other signs of a heart attack include:

  • the occurrence of panic attacks;
  • increased sweating (especially among the stronger sex);
  • the occurrence of dizziness, and, as a result, loss of balance;
  • swelling of the legs;
  • snoring during sleep (if formerly man never snored).

It should be noted that a heart attack is pathological condition, which differs depending on gender. Thus, in men this pathology occurs at a more early age than in women - this is due to the fact that the cardiac system of the fair sex is stronger than that of representatives strong half humanity. However, with the onset of menopause, women's cardiovascular system weakens, so among people over the age of 45, the number of heart attacks among men and women is equal.

First aid

If signs of a heart attack are present, the person must receive immediate first aid. First, you should reassure the patient, as he panics when he feels chest pain and lack of oxygen. To ensure access to fresh air, you need to free the patient's chest from constricting clothing and open the windows in the room.

First aid for a heart attack also involves patients using medications such as nitroglycerin, which reduces pain, and analgin, which prevents the formation of blood clots. Nitroglycerin can be given to a person in the amount of 3 pieces - until the pain disappears.

It is necessary to monitor the heart rate - if the rhythm slows down or stops, it is recommended to indirect massage hearts. The person's mobility should also be limited.

Timely first aid measures can save a person’s life during the development of a pathology such as a heart attack, so it is important to be attentive to the health status of your loved ones and not ignore initial stage such a serious violation.

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The first symptoms and signs of a heart attack in women and men

It is difficult to determine the signs of the disease; if this is the first attack, they can manifest themselves in different ways. Alarm signal– heart pain different intensity. When the disease is asymptomatic, they are also present, but cause oppressive feeling sternum, feeling of acute discomfort. Such changes general condition it is difficult not to notice, so the person will need the help of a doctor. The main thing is not to waste precious time.

Other early symptoms of a progressive heart attack include:

  • shortness of breath due to pulmonary, heart failure;
  • impaired coordination of movements;
  • dizziness;
  • increased fatigue;
  • sudden sweating with heart pain;
  • instability of the emotional sphere;
  • rapid pulse;
  • fainting, confusion;
  • stomach pain.

Where and how does the heart hurt?

It is very important to correctly identify an attack, determine its cause and consequences. If there is angina of the heart, the pain syndrome is sharp and at the same time burning, suddenly appears and disappears. The patient’s task is to immediately call an ambulance, take a horizontal position, not be nervous, ensure unhindered access of oxygen and take a nitroglycerin tablet under the tongue. Before the doctors arrive, it is important to independently figure out what the reason is. acute attack.

My heart hurts and radiates to my left hand

If the feeling of pressure in the sternum spreads to left hand, then this manifests itself as unstable angina at the relapse stage. The pain attack gradually increases, giving way to sharp and burning sensations, deprives sleep and rest, progresses at night. This symptom is accompanied by shortness of breath and requires immediate hospitalization. Relief comes only after taking it medical preparations, resuscitation measures.

Colitis in the heart area when inhaling

When a patient feels a tingling sensation in the heart muscle when inhaling, this symptom does not always relate to cardiology. Fractures of the ribs, exacerbation of neurosis or pneumonia are not excluded. Myocardial disease also cannot be ruled out, especially if the effect of painkillers does not provide even short-term relief. These diagnoses require medical attention; home self-medication provokes serious complications with health.

Sharp pain under the left shoulder blade

If such a symptom occurs, disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system are obvious. This may be an exacerbation of cardiac ischemia, aortic aneurysm, progressive infarction or myocardial microinfarction. Taking nitroglycerin does not help, the patient has difficulty breathing and moving, access to oxygen and the presence of a medical team is required. Delay in resuscitation measures causes extensive foci of necrosis of the heart muscle, and the patient may die suddenly.

Pain in the heart area when coughing

In such clinical picture observed sharp deterioration general well-being. A painful attack in the chest indicates unstable angina, intercostal neuralgia, hepatic colic and chest injuries. The symptom is paroxysmal in nature and progresses in active stage and a state of complete rest. One should not exclude an attack of heart failure, which in in a matter of minutes leads to the death of a clinical patient.

Clear signs of an angina attack

This heart disease characterized chronic course in the body, and often reminds itself of itself with painful attacks. The symptoms are as follows:

  • burning pain in the chest that spreads to the jaw, shoulder blade, upper limbs;
  • nausea;
  • vomit;
  • increased sweating;
  • rapid pulse;
  • decline in performance;
  • symptoms of arterial hypertension.

If unstable angina pectoris worsens, the patient needs urgent hospitalization, where detailed diagnostics will determine the areas of damage to the heart muscle. The signs of exertional angina are similar, but are complemented by pallor skin, changes in heart rate and inappropriate behavior of the clinical patient.

Symptoms of myocardial infarction

This is the most dangerous diagnosis cardiology, which often becomes the main cause of death in heart patients. It is impossible to stop an attack even after taking a nitroglycerin tablet. Bad feeling it is very difficult to stabilize at a satisfactory level; resuscitation measures are required. The sooner, the greater the chance of saving the patient's life.

Symptoms pathological process next:

  • cold sweat;
  • a sharp drop in blood pressure;
  • abnormal heart rate;
  • fainting;
  • lack of understanding of reality;
  • pallor of the skin.
  • acute pain behind the sternum, radiating to the neck, back, shoulder blade, arm.

Find out what the signs of heart failure in men can be. Cardiac ischemia treatment Extra chord in the heart

According to statistics, a heart attack (heart attack) is perhaps the most common cause sudden death Nowadays. Most of us know real examples from the lives of friends who suffered a heart attack. Many cases end lethal outcome. This can happen to anyone, especially after a person has crossed a certain age limit.

Alas, in modern world This age limit is being lowered literally before our eyes. Therefore, it is extremely important to know the signs of a heart attack - after all, most often a heart attack does not happen suddenly, on its own, without previous characteristic symptoms.

What happens during a heart attack

Signs of a heart attack appear when one of the arteries that feed the myocardium ceases to function normally and deliver the required amount of blood. Thus, during a heart attack, part of the heart is damaged, that is, it suffers local area muscle tissue. If urgent measures are not taken, death is quite possible.

Statistics say that about half of deaths due to a heart attack comes from too late seeking medical help or the impossibility of its timely provision.

The pathological condition develops when the blood flow of the vessels leading to the heart is disturbed due to a sudden spasm or unexpected blockage by a blood clot or cholesterol. The reason for the death of a muscle section is a lack of oxygen.

As a result, death occurs due to the developed extensive damage to the heart muscle and complications that have arisen. If you manage to accept Urgent measures, the patient can often be saved.

Who is at risk of a heart attack?

Heart attacks, the causes of which are quite diverse, can overtake anyone. Still, certain factors increase the risk of a sudden heart attack. What exactly?

Firstly, hereditary predisposition. Death from a heart attack in one of the relatives - serious reason think about your own health.

Secondly, diabetes. Its presence is a provoking factor for a whole bunch of diseases, including cardiovascular diseases.

Thirdly, high pressure leading to overload blood vessels and the heart muscle itself.

And finally, age. The older the person, the higher the risk. Starting at age 40, pay close attention to your heart.

To a heart attack - voluntarily!

Whatever one may say, heart attacks are often observed, the causes of which we create with our own hands, without thinking about health. What are we talking about? What are these reasons?

Of course, in the first place are the well-known bad habits: drug addiction, alcoholism, smoking. Heavy smokers almost always have heart disease. Alcohol intoxication can aggravate the situation. An acute heart attack can often occur against the background of a deep hangover. There is nothing to even talk about drugs; cocaine is especially harmful to the heart.

On the second - high content cholesterol. Vessels clogged with cholesterol plaques experience enormous overload, some of which is transferred to the heart muscle. Plus banal obesity. The fatty organs of an obese person prevent the heart from doing its job. This cause of cardiac disorders is the most common.

And, in addition, chronic stress. He is the reason huge amount diseases, especially heart diseases.

How can it begin

Here are the signs of a heart attack, which should promptly call a doctor:

1. Pain (feeling of tightness, heaviness) in the chest area. This is the most typical sign of an impending heart attack. A burning or tingling sensation may also be bothersome. If the symptoms mentioned do not go away after a short time, you need to go to the hospital urgently.

2. Perspiration, heavy sweating. In the summer you might miss it this symptom, but when it is observed in a cool room, it is an alarming sign.

3. Attacks of shortness of breath even with light exertion (walking, climbing several floors), especially in combination with chest pain. Symptoms may worsen when turning or making sudden movements.

4. Numbness of the fingers, moving to the elbows and forearms.

5. Nausea, especially with dizziness. Although this symptom is characteristic of a number of ailments.

6. Impaired speech, which becomes slurred. Especially if the person is completely sober.

7. Loss of motor coordination. The body ceases to obey, mainly the arms, shoulders, neck. Combined with slurred speech, it sounds like alcohol intoxication. And others may not rush to help such a person, which is very dangerous.

If you pay attention to listed symptoms in time, you can save a person’s life.

It's more difficult for women

A separate conversation about heart attacks in women. We are all accustomed to imagining the onset of such an illness as sudden and pronounced. But in practice it often happens differently.

Recent studies have shown that women are less likely to be diagnosed with heart attacks, the symptoms of which are often mild. Many women experience them without giving special significance malaise.

This is because the signs of a heart attack are slightly different in women than in men. The inability to recognize them leads to the fact that the weaker half of humanity often suddenly dies “from the heart.”

Heart attacks. Symptoms in women

To the main " alarm bells"should be attributed the following violations vital activity:

Severe, unsettling fatigue;

Insomnia or sleep disturbances (even when tired). May be observed a month or more before a heart attack;

Stress, anxiety and extreme anxiety;

Nausea, digestive disorders, especially with a normal diet;

Difficulty breathing when normal load or climbing stairs;

Sweaty and clammy skin, flu-like weakness;

Pain in the face and neck, in the ears and jaws (unlike men, who mainly experience numbness in their arms and shoulders. The pain can “drip” to the shoulders and arms, especially on the left, or can be felt as a stretch in the muscles of the back and neck).

How can I help myself?

If you notice unusual symptoms, do not wait, go to the doctor and get seriously examined. At the appointment, be sure to mention all possible risk factors - high blood pressure or cholesterol levels, smoking, having relatives with heart disease.

Remember that during a heart attack, pain is usually localized behind the sternum and can radiate to the left hand, arm up to the forearm, shoulder blade, lower jaw and even in the upper abdomen. Its character is strong squeezing, aching, burning or pressing, often with shortness of breath. Rarely in such cases the pain is stabbing or cutting. Its duration is longer than 5 minutes.

If the signs are present

What to do if you have a heart attack? Of course, it is better if trouble catches you at home, and not on the street or in a deserted place.

Try to sit in a comfortable chair or lie on a bed with a high headboard. Open a window or vent for fresh air. Take (chew and swallow) an aspirin tablet (250 mg), followed by a nitroglycerin capsule or tablet (place under your tongue).

If after this there is a sharp weakness or headache, drink a glass of water and lie down with your feet on a bolster or pillow. There is no need to take additional nitroglycerin. At positive effect(reduction or disappearance of pain) you can limit yourself to calling a doctor at home.

If there is no effect, take nitroglycerin again and call an ambulance as quickly as possible. Nitroglycerin is taken a third time if the pain does not go away within 10 minutes after the second dose.

What not to do

You should not take aspirin if you are intolerant to it or again on the same day if you have an exacerbation of a stomach ulcer or gastritis.

Nitroglycerin is contraindicated for low blood pressure, severe weakness and headache, dizziness, speech disorders, coordination of movements or vision.

At increased risk In case of a heart attack or coronary heart disease, you must firmly know and be able to apply the rules of first aid, as well as always have nitroglycerin and aspirin with you.

When trouble strikes a loved one

If you see something wrong with one of your relatives or colleagues, try to help immediately. By knowing the classic symptoms of a heart attack, you can prevent the irreparable.

First of all, take what is happening seriously. Perhaps the patient himself does not believe that something like this could happen to him and refuses hospitalization. Women are especially prone to underestimating the danger that threatens them, which catastrophically increases the sad statistics.

Remember that calling a doctor in a timely manner is your main task in in this case. No matter how the patient resists, your job is to assess the situation as quickly and competently as possible and take action.

Before the ambulance arrives, do the same things with the patient - lay him down, unfasten the belt and collar, ensure a flow of oxygen, give a nitroglycerin tablet.

Make sure that the patient does not stand up or move. Try to calm and reassure the person, as additional worries only worsen the picture.

How to help yourself in case of an attack?

Helping with a heart attack without medication or a phone at hand is not an easy task.

Try to buy valuable time and give yourself a seizure severe cough making each time deep chest breath. Inhale and cough approximately every two seconds. This should provide some relief until you take medication and the doctor arrives.

The effect of cough is based on improving blood circulation and supplying the heart muscle with oxygen.

Note to the "heart"

Heart medications should always be on hand, even for those who do not yet enroll themselves in heart disease. A person with a supply of nitroglycerin or Valocordin is safer than a careless “big guy” without any medications. Let your medicines be available both at home and at work. If you don't need it yourself, help someone else out.

Stationary or mobile phone at hand - not a whim, but a necessity. Although it is not a fact that in the event of an acute attack you will have time to make a call.

After experiencing stress, breathe deeply, do not drive, and take a sedative prescribed by your doctor.

Alas, weather sensitivity is not a myth. Particularly acute due to weather changes, such as a snow storm, such as today, is the increase in the number of visits to doctors. People with cardiovascular or other conditions are vulnerable chronic diseases. as well as with problems of the musculoskeletal system, bronchopulmonary system. Unfortunately, during periods of temperature or pressure changes, the number of strokes and heart attacks increases. And such snowy weather in spring itself is stressful.

In medical terms, a heart attack is the death of part of the heart muscle due to insufficient blood flow to it. It is called a heart attack or coronary thrombosis. An attack occurs when one of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle becomes blocked by a blood clot. Or a spasm of the artery occurs, feeding the myocardium - the heart muscle. Most often this happens under the influence of stress.

Heart Attack Symptoms

- Unpleasant sensations in the chest, stabbing pain.

- Cough.

- Dizziness.

- Shortness of breath.

- Pale with a grayish tint.

- Feeling of fear, panic.

- Nausea.

- Anxiety.

- Cold sweat on the face.

- Vomit.

A person having a heart attack first feels pain in the chest. Then discomfort spread to the neck, face and arms, and sometimes even the back and abdomen. The pain may last from a few minutes to several hours. Usually a person feels a little better if he changes his body position or lies down.

What is a “silent heart attack”?

In people over 75 years of age and with diabetes, a “silent heart attack” may occur, which is not accompanied by pain at all. About one fifth of these heart attacks are not diagnosed. Damage to the heart muscle in survivors of a “silent heart attack” progresses because it is not detected and treated.

Risk factors

Age is considered the main risk factor for heart attack. Most often, a heart attack occurs in men over 45 years of age and women over 55 years of age.

Attacks of angina (lack of nutrition of the heart muscle). Heart attack and angina are often confused because their symptoms are very similar: chest pain and shortness of breath are observed in both cases. But the symptoms of angina are relieved by taking special drugs within 15–30 minutes, but no heart attack.

Increased blood cholesterol or atherosclerosis. With these diseases, the risk of blood clots forming and blocking blood flow in the vessels of the heart is increased.

In addition, risk factors for developing a heart attack include:

Hypertension.

Fatty food.

Obesity. The maximum permissible waist circumference for women is 94 centimeters, for men – 102 centimeters. Exceeding these values ​​increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Smoking.

Lack of physical activity.

Stress.

genetic predisposition. Those whose relatives have suffered from heart attacks are at increased risk of developing this disease.