Heart Attack

By recognizing and responding to heart attack symptoms, you could save a life. Trust Billings Clinic for a quick emergency response, diagnosis, and treatment.

What’s a Heart Attack?

A heart attack happens when the blood flow to part of your heart gets blocked. Fat and other substances cause plaque to build up in your arteries, which supply blood to your heart. When the plaque breaks free, a blood clot forms and blocks blood flow to the heart. Without blood flow, your heart can't get the oxygen it needs and begins to die.

Symptoms & Warning Signs

Signs of a heart attack include:

Chest pain, pressure, tightness, or a squeezing sensation in your chest
Cold sweat
Feeling sick to your stomach or vomiting
Lightheadedness or feeling dizzy
Pain and discomfort that spreads to your arms, back, jaw, neck, or shoulders
Shortness of breath
Tiredness

Symptom Differences Between Men & Women

Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack for men and women. Women are more likely to have shortness of breath, upset stomach, vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Call 911 for a Heart Attack

If you suspect someone is having a heart attack, call 911 for emergency help right away. Fast action can save lives.

Emergency Heart Attack Treatment

When you arrive at the ER, your care team will act quickly to stop your symptoms from getting worse. You may get oxygen and drugs to reduce blood clotting and blood pressure, and improve blood flow to your heart.

Diagnosing a Heart Attack

A quick heart attack diagnosis leads to faster treatment. The less time it takes to restore blood flow, the less heart damage you’ll have.

Emergency room doctors use several tests to verify you’re having a heart attack:

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) - Records your heart's electrical activity through sensors attached to your chest and limbs. Certain patterns can show if a heart attack is happening or has happened.
Blood tests - Checks for proteins in your blood that indicate heart muscle damage
Chest X-ray - Shows the size and condition of your heart
Coronary angiogram - Uses a special dye and X-rays to show blood flow and blockages in the arteries
Echocardiogram - Uses ultrasound to create images of the heart and assess damage
Cardiac CT or MRI - Creates detailed pictures of your heart to help doctors assess damage

Treatment Options

Prompt diagnosis also helps your doctors determine the best treatment based on the type and severity of your heart attack. Treatments work best within the first few hours after heart attack symptoms begin.

Depending on the severity and cause of your heart attack, treatments you might receive include:

Clot-busting drugs (thrombolytics) to dissolve the blood clot, which work best in the first 90 minutes of symptoms
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a procedure that uses a tiny balloon and stent to open blocked arteries
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery to create a new path for blood to flow to your heart

Heart Disease Prevention & Risk Factors

Learn about prevention and risk factors for heart disease.

Taking Care of Yourself After a Heart Attack

Rely on Billings Clinic for heart attack aftercare to help you live well. To prevent another heart attack, you need to:

Take prescribed medication and manage health problems that contribute to your risk, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Attend follow-up appointments and have regular check-ups with your doctor.
Join cardiac rehabilitation, a supervised program that includes exercise, education, and counseling to improve your heart health.
Make lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, stopping smoking, and managing stress.