It is possible to summarize the complaints or clinical findings that may be seen in cardiovascular diseases as follows:
* Chest pain (angina pectoris)
* Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
* Rhythm disorders (arrhythmias)
* Heart failure
* Sudden death
* Sometimes cardiovascular disease There may be no complaints even though it significantly impairs the nutrition of the heart (silent ischemia)
When the coronary vessels narrow significantly, chest pain occurs (angina). This pain is a squeezing, pressing pain that usually comes with fatigue, anger or cold, can spread to the front of the chest, left arm, neck and jaw, lasts 10-15 minutes, is relieved by rest or by taking medication that dilates the coronary vessels. stable angina). However, in some cases, there may be dynamic changes at the site of stenosis, and in these cases, the pain may occur at rest, may last longer, and may not respond easily to rest or medication (unstable angina). This type of angina is more dangerous as it can easily lead to infarction.
- Body areas where heart-related chest pain (angina) is felt.
In the vein. If the stenosis progresses and causes complete obstruction, the cells of the part of the heart fed by that vessel become unable to function. If the occlusion of the vein exceeds 6 hours, the cells of that area cannot maintain their vitality and are irreversibly destroyed. Thus, that part of the heart cannot contract, rhythm disturbances may occur, and serious problems that can lead to death may occur. We call this a heart attack (myocardial infarction).
In infarction, there is chest pain that is similar in location and spread to angina, but is much more severe and lasts longer. In the diagnosis of heart attack, in addition to complaints, heart electrocardiography (ECG) and blood tests are also used. It is possible to prevent heart muscle damage if the vascular occlusion is opened with balloons or clot-dissolving drugs within the first 6 hours of myocardial infarction, so early diagnosis is very important. It should not be forgotten that 50% of deaths from heart attack occur within 1 hour. this death The majority of heart diseases are caused by arrhythmias, which can be easily treated in the hospital. Therefore, patients with similar pain, especially if they are known to have heart disease, should be referred to a health center as soon as possible.
However, the usual rules in medicine may not always apply. Sometimes, especially in the elderly and those with diabetes, pain due to angina or infarction may not be present at all. Such patients may experience silent infarction.
Again, in some patients, instead of chest pain,
- Indigestion,
- Abdominal pain,
- Breathlessness. There may be complaints such as stenosis,
- Back pain,
- Arm pain,
- Jaw pain and even toothache
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