Important: If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 immediately. Common warning signs of a heart attack include chest pain or discomfort, pain radiating through your arm, or shortness of breath.
At WMCHealth, we know each passing second matters when you need heart attack treatment. From the moment you enter our Emergency Department, our skilled interventional cardiologists spring into action to confirm heart attack symptoms and treat the cause. Our goal is to quickly relieve your pain and save as much of your healthy heart muscle as possible.
WMCHealth is the only Level-1 Trauma Center in the Hudson Valley. We are also certified by the American College of Surgeons. This means your care is in the hands of leaders who set the bar and pave the way for advancing comprehensive trauma care across the entire healthcare system.
What is a heart attack?
Your coronary arteries are responsible for delivering the blood and oxygen your heart needs to survive. If these arteries become severely narrowed or fully blocked, oxygen-rich blood flow to your heart is reduced or cut off completely. As a result, your heart muscle sustains damage and starts to die, causing a heart attack (also known as a myocardial infarction).
If you’ve experienced a heart attack, or know someone who has, you’re not alone. Statistics show that each year, about 800,000 people living in the U.S. experience a heart attack—one every 40 seconds. Without quick, expert medical attention, a heart attack can cause lasting heart damage or even death.
What Is a Heart Attack?
Your coronary arteries are responsible for delivering the blood and oxygen your heart needs to survive. If these arteries become severely narrowed or fully blocked, oxygen-rich blood flow to your heart is reduced or cut off completely. As a result, your heart muscle sustains damage and starts to die, causing a heart attack (also known as a myocardial infarction).
If you’ve experienced a heart attack, or know someone who has, you’re not alone. Statistics show that each year, about 800,000 people living in the U.S. experience a heart attack—one every 40 seconds. Without quick, expert medical attention, a heart attack can cause lasting heart damage or even death.
Symptoms of a Heart Attack
During a heart attack, you may feel chest pain (discomfort, squeezing, or heaviness) that lasts for more than a few minutes. This pain may spread to other parts of your body, like one or both arms, shoulders, neck, or jaw.
Additional common warning signs of a heart attack include:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness or fainting
- Rapid or irregular pulse
- Breaking out in a cold sweat
- Unusual weakness or fatigue
Important: If you or someone with you experience warning signs of a heart attack, don’t wait to get help. Call 911 immediately.
Cause of a Heart Attack
Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of most heart attacks. This means plaque, a sticky substance that builds up over time, is blocking one or more of your heart arteries. When plaque breaks off, a blood clot can form and block your artery, which causes the heart attack.
Heart Attack Treatment
As the only Level-1 Trauma Center in Hudson Valley, we are highly specialized in treating even the most life-threatening blockages. We have the advanced expertise and technological equipment needed to increase your likelihood for survival. Treatment options may include immediate intervention to reopen your blocked arteries:
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also called angioplasty with stenting, can open blocked arteries with a small catheter that has a balloon tip.
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), also called open-heart surgery or bypass surgery, can surgically create a detour around your blockage to restore blood flow.
Heart Attack Aftercare
Following your treatment, our cardiovascular care team will guide you in helping your heart heal and strengthen so you can go on to lead a productive life. They may recommend clot-preventing medications or statins to lower your cholesterol. They may also help you learn about lifestyle changes that can improve your overall heart health.