A: Once a person has had a heart attack, he or she is at higher risk for another one. Also, the symptoms of a second heart attack may not be the same as those of a first heart attack. Don’t take a chance if you’re in doubt. Always call 911 within five minutes if someone you’re with has symptoms.  Unfortunately, most heart attack victims wait two hours or more after their symptoms begin before they seek medical help. This delay can result in lasting heart damage or death.
    After a heart attack, many people worry about having another heart attack. Sometimes they feel depressed and have trouble adjusting to the new lifestyle that’s needed to limit further heart trouble. The doctor may recommend medicine or professional counseling if your loved one is experiencing depression or anxiety. Physical activity can improve mental well-being, but consult with the doctor before starting any fitness activities.
 

A: After a heart attack, most people without chest pain or discomfort or other complications can safely return to most of their normal activities within a few weeks. Most can begin walking immediately. Sexual activity also can begin within a few weeks for most patients. Encourage your loved one to discuss with the doctor a safe schedule for returning to normal activities.
    If allowed by state law, driving can usually begin within a week for most patients who don’t have chest pain or discomfort or other complications. Each state has rules about driving a motor vehicle following a serious illness. People with complications shouldn’t drive until their symptoms have been stable for a few weeks.
 

A: According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), heart attack victims may receive:

• Thrombolytic Medicines (clot busters) are used to dissolve blood clots that block coronary arteries. To be most effective, these medicines must be given within one hour after the start of heart attack symptoms.
• Beta Blockers decrease the workload on the heart and also are used to relieve chest pain or discomfort and to help prevent additional heart attacks.
• Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors lower blood pressure and reduce the strain on the heart. They also help slow further weakening of the heart muscle.
• Anticoagulants thin the blood and prevent clots from forming in the arteries.
• Antiplatelet Medicines, such as aspirin and clopidogrel, stop platelets (a type of blood cell) from clumping together and forming unwanted clots.

Other medicines may also be given to relieve pain and anxiety, and to treat arrhythmias, which often occur during a heart attack.
 

A: Many people survive heart attacks and live active and full lives. If one gets help quickly, damage to the heart muscle can be limited. There will be a medical followup, and your loved one will need treatment for coronary artery disease (CAD) to prevent another heart attack. The doctor may recommend:

• Lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, following a healthy diet,  increasing physical activity and losing weight, if needed
• Medicines to control chest pain or discomfort, blood pressure, blood   cholesterol and the heart’s workload
• Participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program

A: Once the doctor has suggested the treatment best suited to the condition, you and your loved one will become involved with a team of specialists who might include:

• Cardiologist—a doctor specializing in heart and blood vessel care. Identifies symptoms of heart disease may recommend lifestyle changes, medications, and treatments such as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), angioplasty, and/or stenting procedures.
• Cardiac surgeon—a doctor specially trained in the surgical treatment of heart disease.
• Electrophysiologist—a cardiologist specially trained in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders.
• Anesthesiologist—a doctor specially trained in anesthesia whose focus is on pain management and making sure that the patient is safe before, during and after surgery.
• Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA)—a specially trained nurse who assists and supports the anesthesiologist.
• Radiologist—a doctor who works closely with the cardiologist and cardiac surgeon to provide images of the coronary arteries.
• Nurses—a critical part of the surgical team, it is their responsibility to manage the patient’s care and comfort at each stage of the procedure—from preparation through recovery.
• Other team members could include:
  • Pharmacist (both in the hospital and community)
  • Nutritionist
  • Physical therapist
  • Social workers

A: Don’t drive yourself or anyone else to the hospital. Call an ambulance so that medical personnel can begin life-saving treatment on the way to the emergency room. For example, they bring oxygen and medication. And they can actually restart someone’s heart if it stops after they arrive. You can’t do that. In the ambulance, there are enough people to provide needed help.
 

A: Often, it is not easy to tell. But there are symptoms people may have. These are: an uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back; discomfort in other areas of the upper body, which may be felt in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach; shortness of breath, which often occurs with or before chest discomfort; and other symptoms such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.
    There are differences in how women and men respond to a heart attack. Women are less likely than men to believe they're having a heart attack and more likely to delay in seeking emergency treatment. As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain. When in doubt, check it out! Call 911. Don’t wait more than a few minutes–five at most. Call right away!
 

A: A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a section of heart muscle becomes blocked. If the flow of blood isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die.
    Heart attacks occur most often as a result of a condition called coronary artery disease (CAD). In CAD, a fatty material called plaque builds up over many years on the inside walls of the coronary arteries (the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to your heart). Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form on the surface of the plaque. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the part of the heart muscle fed by the artery.
    Severe problems linked to heart attack can include heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats). Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood throughout the body. Ventricular fibrillation is a serious arrhythmia that can cause death if not treated quickly.