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A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, is a type of heart disease. It happens when blood flow to the heart suddenly becomes blocked. Without the blood coming in, the heart can't get oxygen. If not treated quickly, the heart muscle begins to die.

But if you get quick treatment, you may be able to prevent or limit damage to the heart muscle. That's why it's important to know the symptoms of a heart attack and call 911 if you or someone else is having them.

A heart attack is different than sudden cardiac arrest. During a heart attack, the heart usually doesn't suddenly stop beating. With a sudden cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating and the person passes out. A heart attack can trigger a sudden cardiac arrest. Both are medical emergencies.

If you are having symptoms of a heart attack, you should call 911, even if you are not sure it is a heart attack. Emergency medical services can start treatment as soon as they arrive, and calling 911 gets you care faster.

There are many heart attack risk factors that you can change to lower your risk, which include:

• Smoking.Quit, or never start, smoking.
• High cholesterol and high blood pressure. Manage both with diet, exercise, and medicine.
• Diabetes. Manage your blood glucose (also called blood sugar).
• Inactivity and obesity. Stay active and keep a healthy weight.
• Stress. Learn healthy ways to cope with stress.

There are other risk factors you can't change, which include:

• Age
• Sex
• Family history
• Race or ethnicity

The most common cause of heart attacks is coronary artery disease (CAD). With CAD, there is a buildup of cholesterol and other material, called plaque, on the inner walls or the arteries. This is atherosclerosis. It can build up for years. Eventually an area of plaque can rupture (break open). A blood clot can form around the plaque and block the artery.

A less common cause of heart attack is a severe spasm (tightening) of a coronary artery. The spasm cuts off blood flow through the artery.

Heart attack symptoms can vary from mild to severe. The symptoms one person has may not be the same as someone else's.

The most common symptoms include:

• Chest discomfort. It is often in the center or left side of the chest. It usually lasts more than a few minutes and may go away and come back. It can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. It also can feel like heartburn or indigestion.
• Shortness of breath. Sometimes this is your only symptom. You may get it before or during the chest discomfort. It can happen when you are resting or doing a little bit of physical activity.
• Discomfort in the upper body. You may feel pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, shoulders, neck, jaw, or upper part of the stomach.

You may also have other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, palpitations (racing or pounding heart), and lightheadedness. You may break out in a cold sweat. Sometimes women will have different symptoms then men. For example, they are more likely to feel tired for no reason.

At the hospital, health care providers make a diagnosis based on your symptoms, blood tests, and different heart imaging tests.

Treatments may include medicines including blood thinners to break up and prevent clots, oxygen therapy, and medical procedures such as coronary artery bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty, also known as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). After a heart attack, cardiac rehabilitation and lifestyle changes can help you recover.

Once you've had a heart attack, you have a higher risk of having another one. Talk to your provider about steps to take to lower your risk. These may include medicines and making lifestyle changes to improve your heart health.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Heart surgery can correct certain heart problems when other treatments haven't worked or can't be used.

In some cases, heart surgery may be a medical emergency. For example, surgery for a severe heart attack may need to be done right away. In other cases, you can plan heart surgery ahead of time. Some heart surgeries are major operations, such as heart bypass surgery for blocked arteries in the heart. Other surgeries are more minor heart procedures, such as putting in a pacemaker.

There are different types of heart surgery that can help treat many heart conditions:

• An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to help prevent sudden cardiac arrest.
• A biventricular pacemaker to coordinate the heart's pumping action so it's more powerful.
• A ventricular assist device to help the heart pump blood.
• A total artificial heart to pump blood for the heart.

The approach a surgeon uses to do heart surgery depends on your heart problem, your general health, and other factors. Approaches to heart surgery include:

• Open-heart surgery (also called traditional heart surgery) is when the surgeon cuts the chest open to reach the heart. Because it's difficult to operate on a beating heart, medicines are used to stop the heart. A heart-lung bypass machine keeps oxygen-rich blood pumping through the body during the surgery.
• Off-pump heart surgery is open-heart surgery on a beating heart without using a heart-lung bypass machine. The surgeon holds the heart steady with a device. Surgeons may use off-pump heart surgery to do coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG), but only in certain cases.
• Minimally invasive heart surgery uses small cuts between the ribs. The cuts may be as small as 2 to 3 inches. The surgeon inserts tools into the chest through the cuts. This type of heart surgery may or may not use a heart-lung bypass machine.
• Robotic-assisted surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery. The surgeon uses a computer to control tools on the arms of a robot. This allows the surgeon to be very accurate when doing difficult operations.

Like all surgery, heart surgery has risks even though the results are often excellent. The risks include:

• Bleeding
• Infection, fever, and swelling
• A problem from anesthesia (medicine that makes you sleep during surgery)
• Arrhythmia
• Damage to the heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs
• Stroke

The risks of heart surgery tend to be higher if:

• The surgery is an emergency.
• You have other medical conditions, including:
  • Diabetes
  • Kidney diseases
  • Lung diseases
  • Peripheral artery disease (PAD)

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

The pericardium is a membrane, or sac, that surrounds your heart. It holds the heart in place and helps it work properly. Problems with the pericardium include:

• Pericarditis - an inflammation of the sac. It can be from a virus or other infection, a heart attack, heart surgery, other medical conditions, injuries, and certain medicines.
• Pericardial effusion - the buildup of fluid in the sac
• Cardiac tamponade - a serious problem in which buildup of fluid in the sac causes problems with the function of the heart

Symptoms of pericardial problems include chest pain, rapid heartbeat, and difficulty breathing. Fever is a common symptom of acute pericarditis. Your doctor may use a physical exam, imaging tests, and heart tests to make a diagnosis. Treatment depends on the cause.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute