Heart Attack Symptoms and You
What
is a heart attack?
A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle itself – the myocardium – is severely reduced or stopped. The medical term for a heart attack is myocardial infarction. The reduction or stoppage happens when one or more of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle is blocked.
This usually is caused by the buildup of plaque (deposits of fat-like substances), a process called atherosclerosis. The plaque can eventually burst, tear or rupture, creating a “snag” where a blood clot forms and blocks the artery. This leads to a heart attack.
A heart attack is also sometimes called a coronary thrombosis or coronary occlusion. If the blood supply is cut off for more than a few minutes, muscle cells suffer permanent injury and die. This can kill or disable someone, depending on how much heart muscle is damaged.
Symptoms of a
heart attack
·
Chest discomfort (may feel like a weight on the chest or a squeezing
sensation)
·
Pressure
or pain
·
Shortness
of breath
·
Left
arm discomfort or pain
·
Sweating
·
Nausea
and vomiting
·
Pain
or discomfort between shoulder blades, neck or jaw
·
Aching, burning, or
pain in one or both arms
If you have chest pain
· Take one 325mg table of uncoated aspirin (this is one adult aspirin)
· If your doctor has given you nitroglycerin, place on tablet under your tongue as soon as you feel discomfort
· Take a second nitroglycerin tablet if pain does not go away in 5 minutes
· Take a third table after 5 more minutes if pain/discomfort continues
· If symptoms stop, call your doctor.
·
If symptoms continue, call 911.
Never wait more than 15 minutes to call for
assistance.
Minutes Count!
Risk Factors You Can Control
Smoking: Don’t smoke and avoid smoky environments. If you smoke, please consider quitting. Formal Smoking Cessation Programs are
available at Crockett Hospital. For more information, contact Dana Townsend at
766-3259.
Diet: Eat a
healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and avoid saturated fat,
cholesterol, and excess salt.
Exercise: Exercise on most days. Even pleasure walking, gardening, and dancing can bring benefit.
Habits: See your
doctor for regular check-ups.
Cholesterol: Be active
in monitoring your cholesterol. Prompt
your healthcare provider to monitor your levels a t least annually.
Blood Pressure: Control
your blood pressure with medications, diet, and frequent monitoring and regular
check-ups.
Risk Factors You Can’t Control
·
Family History
·
Personal Health
History
·
Increasing Age
For more information:
American Heart
Association website: http://www.americanheart.org
National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute website: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/actintime/index.htm
Emergency Heart Attack
Care website: www.ehac.org
The Patient with Pain Most pain is caused by damage to nerves or tissue. Damage can come from a variety of sources, such as: -Infection -Inflammation -Arthritis -Joint or muscle problems -Effect of a tumor -Blockage of the stomach or intestines -Injury Nerves carry pain signals up the spinal cord to the brain. These signals travel on pathways that are seperate from those that carry other sensations. Most pain control works by blocking these signals. Pain can affect a person's physical health. Pain can lead to a decrease in strength and endurance, can interrupt sleep, can interfer with a healthy appetite and can affect recovery from illness. Long term pain can make a person feel helpless and hopeless. Pain can rob a person's interest in favorite activities. Pain can even take away the will to live. Chronic pain creates a cycle that can be hard to escape. Treatment however, can break the pain cycle. Medications can be prescribed by the health-care provider that can control the pain. For example, mild pain can be treated with nonprescription medications such as aspirin, acetaminophin or ibuprofen. (These also can cause side effects, use only as directed. Never give aspirin to children or young adults under the age of 20 unless directed by a physician.) Moderate pain may require a mild opioid (a drug that relieves pain and causes sleepiness). Severe pain is usually treated by strong opioids, such as morhpine. 3 Common Fears About Pain Medications Addiction Many patients worry wbout this when considering opioid use. Talk to your health-care provider about your concerns. Ask about the risk and benefits of any medication you are considering. Be sure that you understand your treatment plan and what warning signs to look out for. Drug Interactions Some medications should not be taken together. Drug interactions can be avoided if the patient will: -Ask what they should avoid while taking the medication -Do not take other medication, including over-the-counter drugs, without asking the physician or pharmacist. Side Effects Side effects may vary from medicine to medicine and from person to person. Some people may experience things such as: constipation, drowsiness, dizziness, stomach or intestinal problems or slowed breathing. Many side effects will disappear over time, others can usually be treated. Ask your physician or pharmacist what side effect to watch out for. Tell your physician if you experience any side effects. Good Communication is Very Important in the Treatment Plan of Pain Desribe your pain: tell your health-care provider what your pain feels like: Is the pain sharp, dull, shooting, buring.... Use a pain scale: Help others to understand your pain by rating your pain on a scale from 0 to 10 (0 is no pain and 10 is the most sever pain). A person who is experiencing pain may feel less pain just by being in a familiar setting. If you are providing home care for a loved one that is in pain, keep in mind the importance of: Family Communication Talk to the physician about what changes you can expect. Let family members know how they can help. encourage all family members to voice their concerns and needs. Good Physical Care It is important to know proper patient care techniques to decrease the patient's pain. Talk you your physician or nurse about home care. Love and Support Spending time with a loved one in pain can be a powerful medicine. Discuss things he or she likes talking about. Your attention and affection mean a lot. Ultilizing these tools can help to control pain...understanding how pain afects a person's body, mid and life.
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