Contents of the article:
- Symptoms in women typical for the classical form of microinfarction
- Recommendations
- Forecast
In this article we will consider the typical signs of a microinfarction( abbreviated as "micro myocardial infarction") in patients. In conclusion, let's look at the prognosis of the disease, tell you how you can help yourself in this situation.
The cardiologist treats this disease.
Differences in symptoms in men and women, which can be identified on their own, exist, albeit insignificant. You need to know about this, as the clinical picture in women is not so bright and can be mistaken for manifestations of another pathology, and the time that is so expensive to start treatment is missed.
Symptoms of a microinfarction in women -
In women, small-focal myocardial infarction( abbreviated as micro myocardial infarction) develops twice as often as in men( source: "Methodological recommendations for management of patients with myocardial infarction for doctors").
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When admitted to a hospital, women are more likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure( higher than 140/80 millimeters of mercury), increased heart rate( more than 80 beats per minute), signs of heart failure( shortness of breath, swelling on the legs).
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Women develop complications more often if the patient is under 45 years old. However, in 80% of cases, microinfarctions in the female population occur 10-15 years later, compared with the male population. That is, only 20% of heart attacks are observed in women under 65 years of age.
Symptoms in women, typical for microinfarction
Female intuition is better developed than men's, so patients are able to anticipate adverse events. This is a scientifically proven fact, which doctors report in the journals "Cardiology" and "Russian Medical Journal."
The first signs of
Prodromal symptoms or the first "bells" - a sense of fear, anxiety, fear of death. These sudden sensations should be alerted, since they are typical for a bright clinical and classic picture of small-focal MI.
Chest pain
Knowledge of the structure of this symptom is necessary for physicians and patients to diagnose a microinfarction prior to admission.
Pain has a number of characteristics, such as: localization, irradiation, the type of onset of pain, the nature, duration and circumstances that caused pain. Women are 25% more likely to have pain syndrome, that is, they have less intense intensity and less inconvenience.
Areas of pain with a microinfarction - Localization. The pain is localized inside the chest, behind the breastbone( dense bone between the mammary glands in women).
- Irradiation. The pain gives to the left half of the body, the lower jaw, to the neck. It is constant and does not change when breathing.
- Type of onset of pain. Initially, the pain is weak, then gradually increases and can become intolerable.
- Character. Patients describe the pain in the following way: compressing throat, suffocating, "scalding heart", tearing. Either as - gravity, restraint, pressure.
- Duration. Disturbs from 5 minutes to an hour or two. Many hours and intense pain without other signs of myocardial infarction - do not indicate the development of myocardial infarction.
- Circumstances that caused pain: stress, overeating, cold weather.
Pain in any myocardial infarction is not stopped by the intake of nitroglycerin and is increased with minor physical exertion. If the heart receives even more "tasks and work," then shortness of breath, rhythm disturbances, which can threaten life may develop. These symptoms are accompanied by a sharp drop in blood pressure. Symptoms are extremely unfavorable for prediction - the risk of death increases by 25%.
The opinion of the patient herself can not be ignored, however strange it may sound. The assumption of women about the origin of pain is more than 50% of cases are correct.
Shortness of breath
This symptom develops when the contractility of the myocardium decreases, that is, blood from the ventricles of the heart in a smaller volume goes to the organs for feeding or gas exchange to the lungs.
If there is less blood in the "waiting" place, there is a shortage of oxygen. Our body instantly reacts to this and with the help of rapid breathing tries to compensate for this problem.
Dyspnoea - one of the symptoms of the microinfarction Cardiac arrhythmias
Cardiac arrhythmias in 52% of cases occur in men, and in women less often - only 34% of patients among all patients. In this case, the prerequisites( predictors) for the development of rhythm disturbances are the same for men and women: attacks of arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, palpitations. There is no data that could explain these signs. But exactly these results of their observations are reported by cardiologists( Russian Medical Journal, 2014).
self-examination data What external signs can you identify yourself?
- The rise in body temperature to 37.5 degrees is typical for men and occurs more often at 15%.
- Skin covers can be pale, cyanotic in both sexes.
- Sweating profusely. Let's say at once - this is a bad sign! The contractility of the heart is reduced. It is necessary to immediately contact a doctor.
Recommendations
First aid is to call a team of emergency doctors. A patient with suspected microinfarction is hospitalized. Usually it is a cardiological, cardiosurgical hospital or an intensive care unit, where cardiac surgeons, cardiovascular surgeons, cardioreanimatologists, cardiologists will help.
The only recommendation is to exclude any physical activity. It is necessary to lie down and wait for the doctor. Patient for any suspected myocardial infarction requires transportation.
Forecast
For women 80 years of age, the risk of death from complications of myocardial infarction is 50% higher, compared to the risk of death in men( with a microinfarction at the same age).
If a microinfarction in women is associated with a concomitant pathology: diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, the risk of death increases 3-4 times compared to men with diabetes mellitus.
In conclusion, I want to note that the microinfarction does not happen on a "flat spot" and completely without any symptoms. Please do not forget about it. If you have angina( pain in the heart), high blood pressure, increased blood lipids, excess weight, you smoke or drink - refer to the symptoms described above, carefully.
The foregoing symptoms are proven risk factors that cardiologists attach paramount importance to the prevention of infarction. Begin to take care of health with their elimination.
