Myocardial infarction is the last degree of coronary heart disease, which is characterized by necrosis (necrosis) of part of the heart muscle - the myocardium. The cause of a heart attack is an abrupt cessation of blood circulation in the coronary vessels: if it stops completely, then within a few minutes the muscle tissue undergoes irreversible destruction. The number of dead cells will depend on the diameter of the vessel in which the blood flow has stopped.
Why does the blood flow stop?
Myocardial infarction is a consequence of atherosclerosis of the coronary vessels, or rather, its complications such as embolism and thrombosis. The cause may be spasmodic phenomena in the arterial vessels of the heart. It happens that a heart attack causes an embolism that has arisen due to a foreign body or a piece of tissue. Often the cause is a fat embolism, which occurs as a result of multiple bone fractures. During surgical interventions on the heart, the cause of a heart attack can be a transverse dissection of a coronary vessel or its ligation. Distinguish between primary (aka spontaneous) and secondary infarction. Spontaneous occurs when the movement of blood stops, and with secondary necrosisdevelops due to an increase in the work of the heart, as a result of which the need for oxygen increases. With an increase in the work of the heart muscle, hormones are released that activate the entire body. This is what causes spasm of blood vessels, including coronary ones.
There are typical and atypical forms of myocardial infarction. The latter, as a rule, occur in older people with severe cardiosclerosis, often against the background of a repeated attack. In addition, several types of infarction are distinguished depending on the location of the blocked vessel (for example, posterior inferior or inferior myocardial infarction).
Symptoms
The way a heart attack manifests depends on the area and depth of necrosis, as well as on the affected area. Myocardial infarction is primarily pain in the sternum, which is often described as pressing, squeezing, or burning. It can last 15-20 minutes. Sometimes the pain is located behind the sternum and does not radiate to any other parts of the body, but usually it can appear in the left arm, left side of the neck, under the left shoulder blade and in the lower jaw. shrink. The more pronounced it is, the greater the area of damage by necrosis. A cough may occur - as a result of a slowdown in blood circulation in the lungs.
In addition, vegetative reactions are observed - pallor, sweating.
It is important to understand that the symptoms may vary from person to person, therefore, in case of any ailments of this kind, it is necessary to showdue attention to what is happening.
Treatment
Myocardial infarction is a very serious disorder, but that does not mean that it is necessarily fatal. Treatment of a heart attack involves complex therapy aimed at eliminating the pain syndrome, restoring the patency of the coronary vessels and preventing relapses. Sometimes surgery is required, which can be both emergency and planned. Emergency are needed to restore blood flow, planned - to reduce the affected area.
