Heart Attack

Heart Attack

Heart attacks or "acute myocardial infarction" (AMI), are very common and also very deadly. The underlying cause of a heart attack is usually "coronary thrombosis", which is a blockage of the blood vessels of the heart. When the heart actually stops in a heart attack, this is called "cardiac arrest". The most common symptom is chest pain or chest discomfort, but these may also be mild or even absent, and in many cases even the patient is uncertain if they are having a heart attack. If there is any doubt, seek immediate emergency medical help. 

The classic fatal misdiagnosis of heart attack is a person believing that their chest pain is simply heartburn (i.e., reflux, indigestion, GERD, etc.), and failing to seek medical attention for what turns out to be a heart attack. Similarly, people can mistakenly believe they have angina, when it is actually a heart attack. 

However, many cases of heart attack go undiagnosed even in the emergency department. This diagnostic error in the ER makes AMI the single largest malpractice litigation-related medical condition. Because the typical profile for AMI in older men (usually over 45), AMI is often underdiagnosed in women or younger adults. In any age patients, AMI can have a variety of presentations, and diagnostic tests such as an EKG may still be normal. Misdiagnoses of AMI include gastrointestinal disorders (26% of misdiagnoses), musculoskeletal pain (21%), or respiratory ailments such as pneumonia or bronchitis (6%). 

Other the other hand, there are also less serious disorders that are mistakenly believed to be heart attack. A common example are people having a panic attack (anxiety attack) and will rush to emergency in the belief they are dying from a heart attack. There are many other causes of chest pain, many of them not as serious (e.g. heartburn, GERD, gastric reflux, etc.). Nevertheless, it is important not to take chances, and seek immediate emergency medical attention for chest pain, or any possible heart attack or similar symptoms.

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Heart attack includes the 43 symptoms listed below: 

• Chest discomfort - usually in the center of the chest, and may come and go. 
• Uncomfortable chest pressure 
• Chest squeezing 
• Chest fullness 
• Chest pain 

Upper body discomfort - it is not necessarily just the chest that gets pain or discomfort 

• Pain radiating to left arm 
• Back discomfort Back pain 
• Discomfort in one arm 
• Discomfort in both arms Neck discomfort
• Jaw discomfort 
• Stomach discomfort 

Symptoms of actual full cardiac arrest: 

• Loss of consciousness 
• Cyanosis 
• Pallor 
• Absent pulse 
• Dilated pupils 

Other Signs 

• Shortness of Breath 
• Sweating 
• Cold sweat 
• Nausea 
• Vomiting 
• Light-headedness 
• Fainting 
• Shortness of breath 
• Tiredness 
• Extreme fatigue 
• Anxiety 
• Palpitations 
• Paleness 
• Upset stomach 
• Dyspnea 
• Diaphoresis 
• Panic 

Common features of heart attack symptoms 

• Uncertainty about symptoms - most people are unsure whether they are having a heart attack. Doubt is common 
• Progressive symptoms - the pain often starts mild and gets worse 
• Intermittent symptoms - sometimes the pain or discomfort will come and go 
• Sudden severe symptoms - sometimes the symptoms start out severe and sudden rather than mild.