What Are the Treatments for a Heart Attack?

Heart attack occurs when a portion of your heart muscle becomes blocked due to a blood clot. The flow of blood to the heart becomes disrupted and the heart itself may suffer serious damage. A heart attack can be fatal if immediate attention is not provided. The sooner you start treatment after recognizing the signs of a heart attack, the less damage done to your heart and better your chances are for survival.

Initial Response

• The symptoms of heart attack include chest pain, nausea and vomiting, pain within your jaw, shoulder, arm, and back. If heart attack is suspected, call for medical attention. Take an aspirin to help prevent blod clots from forming within your arteries. If you've been prescribed nitroglycerin for previous heart conditions, take it as prescribed. If you witness someone having a heart attack, call for help. If the person loses consciousness, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation. (See References 1)

CPR

• If you are in the presence of someone who is unconscious, and you know how to conduct CPR, begin mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing and chest compressions immediately. However, if you do not know how to perform CPR, do not begin mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing. The Mayo Clinic suggests doing chest compressions only, at a rate of 100 compressions per minute. If you are concerned about how to properly administer chest compressions, the American Heart Association offers courses and also provides a step-by-step guideline on how to do this procedure. (See References 2)

Medications

• Once you have arrived at an ER, and a diagnosis has confirmed that a heart attack has taken place, medications will be administered. If you're able to arrive to an ER within an hour of having an attack, you will be given thrombolytic medications. Thrombolytic medications are used to dissolve blood clots that have blocked any arteries within your heart. Thrombolytic medications are effective in preventing further damage to your heart when taken soon after an attack. Other medications that may be administered include pain medication, beta-blockers (which slow your heartbeat and blood pressure), heparin (a blood thinner) and superaspirins, such as Plavix.

Angioplasty and Stenting

• An angioplasty may be performed to help open clogged arteries. An angioplasty consists of a catheter with a balloon that inflates a closed artery. As a result, your blocked artery widens, and blood flow is restored. Severely blocked arteries are sometimes treated with stents, which are made of meshlike material that's strong and durable and keeps the artery open. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, a heart patient's stent may be coated with a medication that can help prevent the artery from becoming clogged in the future. (See References 3)

Coronary Artery Bypass

• A coronary artery bypass may be done immediately after a heart attack, or after recovery from a heart attack. Veins or arteries that bypass the clogged or narrowed arteries are sewed in a new area within your heart. As a result, blood flow is restored.