What Is Myocardial Infarctions?

Have you ever been asked to define what a myocardial infarction is? It certainly sounds like a frightening and serious complication. You most likely know a myocardial infarction by its more common name—a heart attack. Yet, what causes a myocardial infarction and how can you prevent it? Read on to find out.

A myocardial infarction occurs when the blood supply to the heart is interrupted. When the blood supply is interrupted, the consequence is that certain heart cells die. Although there are several causes to how a heart might become damaged, if there is damage or death of the heart muscle, this is a myocardial infarction.

If the heart muscle is starved for oxygen or nutrients—which can occur due to a number of reasons, such as when the artery is blocked and blood is shut off from entering the heart—this is called ischemia. If the ischemia results in death of the heart muscle or damage to the heart muscle, this is known as myocardial infarction or a heart attack.

Acute Myocardial Infarction

You can also examine myocardial infarctions more closely, and look at acute myocardial infarction. There are two types of acute myocardial infarction: transmural and subendocardial.

• A transmural acute myocardial infarction usually result when there is a complete occlusion of one area of the heart’s blood supply, and thus these infarctions extend throughout the entire heart muscle of the area.
• A subendocardial acute myocardial infarction only involves a small area, specifically in the subendocardial wall of the left ventricle, the ventricular septum, or the papillary muscles. These occur when the heart is receiving a decreased blood supply in a localized area of the heart.

Symptoms

Now that you can define what a myocardial infarction is, let’s learn a little more about some of the symptoms. It’s rare that the symptoms for myocardial infarction are instantaneous, and it is much more likely that there are some gradual symptoms. Chest pain is perhaps the most common symptom.

This chest pain has been described by individuals who experienced it as a tightening in the chest, or a pressure. Pain will sometimes radiate from your extremities, most likely from your left arm (the closest arm to your heart). Pain may also radiate from your lower jaw, your neck, your opposite arm, or your back.

It’s possible that you may mistake the early symptoms of a myocardial infarction for heartburn. You will often feel a shortness of breath, or you may begin to excessively start sweating. Other possible symptoms include nausea or vomiting. If you feel a combination of these symptoms, you should take an aspirin and call for emergency help. An aspirin has been shown to reduce the effects of a heart attack.

Risk Factors

Now that you can define what a myocardial infarction is, and you know the symptoms, let’s learn about some of the risk factors for having a heart attack. Some of the risk factors for a heart attack are behaviors that you can control. For example, smoking is a risk factor for heart attacks.

Your diet also plays a major role in the likelihood of having a heart attack. If you eat foods that are high in saturated fat and calories, it’s more likely that your arteries will become clogged. If your arteries become clogged, blood will have a difficult time being transported to your heart.

Your age is also a risk factor, and men are at a greater risk after age forty-five, while women are at greater risk after age fifty-five. Your alcohol intake also increases your risk factor for having a myocardial infarction, and if you drink more than the recommended amount, you increase your risk for a heart attack.

In general, males are also at a greater risk for a heart attack than females are. Finally, diabetes has shown to be the single most important risk factor for heart disease, and thus is also a risk factor for your chances of having a heart attack.