Wilderness: Heart Attack

• Heart Attack Overview
• Heart Attack Symptoms
• Heart Attack Treatment
• When to Seek Medical Care
• For More Information
• Web Links
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

Heart Attack Overview

A heart attack causes chest pain because arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked. A temporary blockage may last only a few minutes, but a full heart attack lasts more than 30 minutes and causes heart damage. Heart attacks are more common in middle-aged men, though even young men and women may experience heart attacks. Risk factors for heart attack include age (older than 55 years), smoking, high blood pressure, family history of heart attacks, and high cholesterol levels.

Chest pain should not be ignored, though chest pain can be due to a variety of causes other than a heart attack: lung problems (asthma, pneumonia), stomach problems (ulcers, heartburn), blood vessel problems (aortic dissection), chest wall problems (pulled/strained muscles, inflammation of sternum-rib joints), and skin problems (rashes, such as shingles).

Next: Heart Attack Symptoms »

Printer-Friendly Format

|

Email to a Friend