Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack) Cause & Symptoms

Myocardial infarction, more commonly known as heart attack is a serious that can health risk which may lead to the death of the person. It has become one of the leading causes of death across the world. According to the reports of the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 17.9 million people had died due to cardiovascular diseases across the globe 2019. 85% of these deaths were due to heart attack. With the cases of heart attack, increasing at such fast pace, not only in the elderly people but in the younger population as well, it is very important to know about heart attack in detail. In this article, let us discuss about the causes, risk-factors, and symptoms of heart attack.

What are the causes of Myocardial Infarction?

Heart attack or myocardial infarction is generally caused when there is an inadequate supply of blood to your heart muscles. The various myocardial infarction causes include:

• Atherosclerosis

It is a condition wherein a sticky substance gets deposited on the walls of your arteries. These deposits narrow the diameter of your arteries thereby decreasing the flow of blood. The deposition of plaque inside the coronary arteries can rupture the blood vessels leading to blood clots. These clots get stuck around the ruptured area of the vessel thereby blocking the arteries. The blockage in the arteries causes insufficient supply of blood leading to heart attack.

• Spasm of the Artery

The muscle lining of your blood vessels allow these vessels to become either narrower or wider depending on the need. A spasm or twitch in the muscle lining can lead to blockage of flow of blood to the heart muscles.

• Trauma

It is the condition wherein the coronary artery either ruptures or tears apart. The rupture in the blood vessel leads to inadequate supply of blood to the heart muscles, leading to heart attack.

• Rare Medical Conditions

Certain rare medical conditions can also cause the blood vessels to narrow down leading to insufficient supply of blood to the heart muscles.

• Electrolyte Imbalance

Heart attack can also be caused due to the deficiency or excess of some essential minerals in your bloodstream like potassium. These minerals are important to help muscles function properly and the imbalance can cause weakening of heart muscles. 

• Obstruction

The presence of any kind of air bubble (embolism) or blood clot in the coronary artery can cause obstruction in the flow of blood to the heart.

• Eating Disorders

With the increased consumption of unhealthy food, eating disorders have become another important cause of damage in the heart that ultimately leads to heart attack.

Who is at risk of getting a Myocardial Infarction?

Myocardial infarction can occur due to various reasons. There are certain groups of people who are at a higher risk of getting a heart attack because of either their lifestyle or medical conditions. The people at a higher risk of myocardial infarction include:

• Smoking or long term exposure to secondhand smoke is one of the main causes that makes you highly prone to heart attack. So make sure you quit smoking for better heart health.
• Males above the age of 45 and females above the age of 55 are at a higher risk of heart attack than the younger population.
• Obesity leads to fluctuation in various health parameters like high blood pressure, blood sugar levels, triglycerides, and bad cholesterol and low levels of good cholesterol which can lead to heart attack.
• High cholesterol levels narrow the arteries increasing your risk of heart attack.
• High blood pressure can damage the arteries leading to the heart.
• If you have any metabolic syndrome then you are at a higher risk of having a heart attack.
• High blood sugar levels (diabetes) also increases your chances of heart attack.
• If there is a history of heart attack or heart disease in your family, then you need to be extra careful.
• Sedentary lifestyle, that is, lack of physical activity or exercise.
• Emotional stress and anger can also increase your risk.
• Having a diet that includes too much animal fat, sugar, processed food, salt, and trans fat.
• Pre-eclampsia is a condition that leads to high blood pressure during pregnancy. It increases your chances of heart attack for the lifetime.
• Use of stimulants or drugs like cocaine and amphetamines can trigger coronary artery spasm.
• Autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

What are the symptoms of Myocardial Infarction?

Myocardial infarction is an emergency situation. However, you may notice some signs and symptoms of myocardial infarction. Therefore, if you notice the below mentioned myocardial infarction symptoms, make sure to consult your doctor once.

• Chest pain
• Tightness or pressure in the chest
• Pain in the upper body 
• Sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Anxiety
• Vomiting
• Fast heart rate
• Feeling of faintness
• Sense of impending doom

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

The symptoms of heart attack are mostly common in males and females. However, according to the American Heart Association, there are certain symptoms which are found to occur more commonly in females than in males. These signs of myocardial infarction include:

• Jaw pain
• Shortness of breath
• Pain in the upper back of your body
• Nausea
• Lightheadedness
• Vomiting
• Flu like symptoms

Heart Attack symptoms in Young Adults

Heart attack is no more a morbid condition of the elderly. It is now very common in young adults, especially between the ages of 40-50 years. The most common symptoms of heart attack or myocardial infarction in young adults are:

• Discomfort in the chest: This includes some sort of pressure, tightness or pain in the chest that will make you uncomfortable.
• Irregular heart beat
• Long-lasting cough
• Unusual loud snoring
• Pain spreading to the jaw or throat from the centre of the chest
• Pain spreading to the left side of the body
• Indigestion
• Stomach pain
• Nausea 
• Heartburn
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Fatigue 
• Cold sweats
• Swollen ankles, feet and legs

To know more about Heart attack in young adults, click here. 

How is Myocardial Infarction treated?

If diagnosed at the right time, myocardial infarction can be treated. The treatment of myocardial infarction can be done through one of the following ways:

• Use of supplementary oxygen
• Percutaneous coronary intervention
• Coronary artery bypass grafting
• Medicines like
  • Anti-clotting medicines
  • Thrombolytic or clot-busting medicines
  • Nitroglycerin
  • Pain medicines
  • Antiarrhythmic medicines 

Takeaway

Myocardial infarction or heart attack is a serious and emergency condition that should be dealt with utmost care. With the increasing cases of heart attack in our country, it is very important to know about heart attack in detail. Now that you know the causes that lead to heart attack, the risk factors that can make you more prone to heart attack, and the symptoms that can indicate towards a heart attack, you will better be able to evaluate your condition and take necessary steps at the right time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• What is the main cause of a Myocardial Infarction?

The main cause of myocardial infarction or heart attack is atherosclerosis, that is, narrowing of the arteries due to cholesterol build up.

• What are the 3 types of Myocardial Infarction?

The 3 main types of myocardial infarction are:

1. STEMI, that is, ST segment elevation myocardial infarction
2. non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)
3. Coronary spasm

• What are 4 common signs of Myocardial Infarction?

The most common symptoms of heart attack include:

• Chest pain
• Tightness or pressure in the chest
• Pain in the upper body
• Shortness of breath