Symptoms and first signs of preinfarction. Pre-infarction condition: characteristic symptoms and treatment

Myocardial infarction - this diagnosis, like fire, is feared by the elderly and all those who have problems of a cardiovascular nature. The specificity of this form of coronary heart disease is such that it requires urgent surgical intervention. Missing the moment, you can say goodbye to life. It is for this reason that it is very important to know what signs characterize a pre-infarction condition in order to help yourself or a loved one in time.

Alarm signals that should not be ignored

Symptoms indicating an approaching danger are moved to a separate clinical condition. By recognizing them in time and taking appropriate measures, you can protect yourself from such a serious and terrible diagnosis as a heart attack. What is the essence of these manifestations?

The basis of pathological symptoms is an increase in the wall of occlusion in a particular coronary artery. The reason for this phenomenon can be, for example, an increase in thrombosis. The heart attack itself is not an exceptionally acute condition, but it causes the necrosis of a certain proportion of the tissues of the heart muscle. As a result, cardiac arrest or rupture may occur. In any case, emergency treatment is required, the count goes literally for seconds.

Under the influence of the described condition, ventricular fibrillation can occur and acute heart failure can form. These factors cause serious, often irreparable damage to health. The conclusion suggests itself: if you recognize the signs of a pre-infarction condition in time, you can save the life of someone who has these symptoms. In this case, the signals that the body gives will depend on its characteristics, including the location and size of the dead zone of the heart.

Key forms of manifestation

People who have a pre-infarction condition are diagnosed with unstable angina. It can be divided into several types:

1. First time angina pectoris.
2. Progressive angina pectoris, when previously this condition has already taken place, but recently the cases of its manifestation have become more frequent; symptoms are also characterized by the occurrence of prolonged and much more intense pain with a change in their location and spread beyond the heart.
3. Rest angina, in which pain occurs after physical exertion.
4. Early postinfarction angina is characterized by pain attacks, starting from the first days to a month from the date when myocardial infarction occurred.
5. Angina pectoris after bypass surgery, which is performed in case of critical narrowing of the arteries due to cholesterol plaques.
6. Prinzmetal's angina occurs as a result, accompanied by severe pain attacks, mainly appears in the morning.

Symptoms

Considering the symptoms of an anxiety state, it is important to note that it is characterized by the active progression of angina pectoris with an advanced stage. If this condition is not treated, and even constantly exposed to stress and other types of complications, myocardial infarction may soon occur, which is more common in men than in women. Often, independent relief of angina pectoris is noted, due to which the patient can recover.

A pre-infarction condition that progresses can be suspected with increased pain behind the sternum. Another hint is the increase in pressure. There is a bright pain syndrome in the area behind the sternum, similar to angina pectoris.

However, unlike it, the manifestation of pain can be eliminated with the help of nitroglycerin. In a state preceding a heart attack, nitroglycerin does not relieve pain, and the number of attacks increases during the day, sometimes up to 30 per day.

All these attacks gradually lead to necrosis of a certain part of the heart. Pain is given to the collarbones, arms, under the tongue and to the right side of the sternum. These manifestations occur in both men and women. The patient is thrown into a cold sweat, anxious and agitated, the heart is pounding furiously, there is a fear of death, especially if an additional symptom has appeared - suffocation.

An atypical scale of the pre-infarction state is also possible, in which the patient is worried about dizziness, weakness, disturbing sleep, or even its absence. Pain, however, is not observed. If the pathology proceeds in this form, shortness of breath usually occurs and which manifest themselves without any obvious prerequisites and during rest. Diagnosis in this case is possible only with the help of an electrocardiogram.

Atypical picture

Symptoms of this course are usually seen in older people over the age of 80 years. In some individual cases, an abdominal syndrome appears, which is characterized by the localization of pain in the left hypochondrium and the upper half of the abdominal region. The patient complains of heartburn, believing that the cause of the pain is the stomach. However, the pain can be stabbing, cutting, aching. Increases with excitement and after physical exertion, including walking. The state of rest, as well as the intake of nitrates, will help eliminate pathological manifestations.

Companions of this condition can serve as vomiting and nausea, pain in the abdomen, hiccups, increased flatulence. In some cases, there are pains in the throat, neck and lower jaw. However, signals of an imminent heart attack may be limited to shortness of breath or disturbance in the rhythm of the heart. The cerebrovascular form of the pre-infarction state may be accompanied by fainting, nausea and dizziness.

Corrective action

Symptoms of an anxiety state indicate that the threat of getting a heart attack is very close and immediate treatment is required. In this case, it is focused on preventing a possible myocardial infarction.

In other words, the treatment is designed to eliminate the severe form of angina pectoris. In this case, the patient is prescribed bed rest, which helps to reduce the load on the heart. Due to this, its energy requirements are reduced.

An acute condition preceding a heart attack, both in men and women, requires emergency medical attention. Before the ambulance arrives, the patient should receive one tablet of Nitroglycerin under the tongue. If earlier the patient eliminated this kind of symptomatology with the help of Validol, then this time it can also be applied.

Treatment with other drugs, such as Valocordin and Corvalol, is possible. You can stop the attack with the help of intramuscular injection of Papaverine, Platifillin or No-shpy. Excessive hypertension must be treated with intravenous injection of Eufillin diluted with saline.

Prevention

What to do to prevent trouble? What kind of prevention is needed? These questions are especially relevant for men and women who have previously had a heart attack. The first thing that is needed is a change in lifestyle, for which a diet, quitting smoking and alcohol, and establishing a regimen are prescribed. The diet involves eating light, low-cholesterol foods. This means that you will have to give up fried, smoked foods, most confectionery and meat products.

Prevention also involves regular intake of cardiac and vascular drugs, including antiplatelet agents, beta-blockers, etc. It is very important to control blood pressure, analyze the level of cholesterol and lipoproteins in the blood.

Adequate, healthy sleep plays an important role in recovery. Sometimes treatment of ischemia of the coronary vessels is required, in which case the best solution is surgery, but this can only be done if there are no contraindications.

Even in the distant past, myocardial infarction was most often a disease of the elderly, but, unfortunately, with the modern rhythm of life, this condition is increasingly being diagnosed in young people. This disease develops gradually and makes itself felt in the form of some "alarm bells". Each person must know how to recognize a pre-infarction condition and prevent such a serious violation.

The pre-infarction state and myocardial infarction are separated only by a borderline state. In this case, we are talking about progressive angina pectoris without medical support. In some cases, spontaneous relief of the developing disease is observed, but this is rare, most often the clinical severity only worsens.

A cardiologist can notice such a violation in the diagnosis, where the initial stage of possible necrosis of the muscle layer of the heart will be presented in the form of an increase in the wall of the coronary artery, which most often appears as a result of thrombosis.

What are the forms of such violation?

Depending on the existing violation, the following predisposing forms of a pre-infarction state can be distinguished:

1. Angina pectoris progressive. Pathology will progress if there is a history of angina attacks in the past. At the same time, heart pain is prolonged and pronounced.
2. Angina pectoris after bypass. It develops as a result of a surgical intervention to remove atherosclerotic plaques that cause narrowing of the walls of blood vessels.
3. Angina at rest. It is characterized by pain after increased physical exertion.
4. Prinzmetal angina pectoris. It occurs if spasms of the coronary artery are observed, it is difficult and most often appears in the morning.

Depending on the progression of such a condition, symptoms are also distinguished that make it clear about the existing violation.

What symptoms should be looked out for?

Signs of a pre-infarction state are characterized by a certain clinical severity, namely:

• manifestation of severe anxiety and emotional overexcitation;
• pain localized in the shoulder girdle;
• the appearance of difficulties with coordination of movements;
• release of cold sticky sweat;
• the patient cannot take a deep breath.

But it should be noted that the most characteristic symptoms for this condition are pain in the chest area. They cannot be eliminated even after taking nitroglycerin, and the frequency of daily attacks can reach a number of 20-30 times. Most often, pain overtakes a person at night with a duration of up to half an hour. All this leads to the inevitable necrosis (necrosis) of the muscle tissue of the heart and the development of myocardial infarction in the absence of attention to this problem.

In some people, the pre-infarction state may be characterized in an atypical way. Someone notes constant weakness, dizziness, bouts of nausea, insomnia, shortness of breath, aggression, etc. If you or people in your environment have these symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor to start timely treatment.

What can cause these symptoms?

The appearance of alarming symptoms is always associated with provoking factors. The following reasons can accelerate and enhance clinical severity:

• frequent stress and nervous strain;
• conducting frequent intensive training;
• hypothermia of the body or, conversely, heat stroke;
• physical exhaustion of the body;
• high alcohol consumption and smoking;
• drug addiction;
• drug overdose;
• developing hypertensive crises, etc.

What is the difference between pre-infarction state and myocardial infarction?

It should be understood that there are certain differences between usually angina, pre-infarction and myocardial infarction. If there is no treatment, the condition worsens, the symptoms become more pronounced as a result of the process of death of the muscle mass of the heart that has begun.

Patients who have experienced attacks of a pre-infarction state may note such changing symptoms:

• pain has changed localization, severity, duration and prevalence;
• there are complaints that have not been noted before;
• attacks became more frequent;
• while taking Nitroglycerin, the pain continues.

In order to recognize the onset of myocardial infarction in time, you need to know about certain signs. So, in this condition, there will be the following symptoms:

• the pain is long, intense and squeezing. It is localized in the region of the heart behind the sternum and can be given to the neck, shoulder blades, back or arm;
• the skin is pale, there is a cold sticky sweat;
• the patient is in a pre-fainting state.

Treatment and care in the prehospital stage

Treatment and home care for a pre-infarction condition is provided, as with an attack of unstable angina pectoris. In this situation, you need to do the following:

1. Provide the patient with complete rest and help him take a comfortable position, most often the attack is easier to tolerate in the “half-sitting” position.
2. Be sure to call an ambulance.
3. Try to create the most comfortable conditions (open a window for fresh air flow, unfasten tight clothing).
4. Place a Nitroglycerin tablet under the tongue. Drugs such as Isoket, Nitrominate, etc. are also suitable. If there is no effect, repeat the administration of the drug after 3 minutes. However, it is not recommended to give more than three doses during an attack.
5. Measure your blood pressure and watch your heart rate. If there is a pronounced tachycardia, you can offer 1 tablet of Anaprilin, and in case of hypertension, give a sublingual tablet of Clonidine.
6. If the pain is very strong, you can stop the pain syndrome with the help of analgesics (Spazmalgon, Sedalgin, Baralgin).

Attention: medicines can cause allergic reactions. If you know that a person has increased individual hypersensitivity, you need to get by with only those medications that the patient is treated with in everyday life.

Treatment in a hospital

Even if it was possible to alleviate the patient's condition and stop the attack, it is imperative to continue treatment in the hospital. In this case, doctors will do everything to prevent the development of necrosis of the heart muscle. For this purpose, the following treatment is used:

• taking medications (antispasmodics, antiplatelet agents, ACE inhibitors, nitrate drugs, etc.);
• adherence to strict bed rest;
• sparing diet.

With the improvement of well-being and discharge from the hospital, a person must necessarily take the prescribed medications, follow the doctor's instructions and be observed by a cardiologist. The pre-infarction state is fraught with serious complications, so it is important to undergo inpatient treatment in order to avoid the development of a heart attack.

Signs of a heart attack in a woman should alert and force them to call an ambulance so that doctors can provide medical care on time.

Myocardial infarction is a formidable disease that doctors around the world have been fighting for many years. Often leads to serious consequences - to the death of a person.

In the Russian Federation, according to statistics, 65 thousand people, both elderly and young, die annually due to myocardial infarction. The myocardium is the name of the heart muscle, which receives blood through the coronary arteries.

If a blood clot clogs one of the arteries, some part of the heart stops receiving oxygen. This state can last no more than 30 minutes. The main cause of the myocardium of the heart is the arrest of coronary circulation.

In men, diseases of the cardiovascular system are observed 5 times more often than in women, who may first encounter them only during hormonal disruptions or menopause, with a lack of progesterone and estrogen in the body. The risk group will include the age category of the fairer sex from 45 to 50 years.

Women can prevent the onset of an attack of coronary disease if they carefully monitor their health. In them, the process of formation of blood clots and disruption of the blood supply to the heart occurs gradually.

In this case, it is quite simple to determine the characteristic initial signs of a heart attack:

• Snore. There is a periodic violation of breathing during sleep.
• Dyspnea. It begins after heavy physical activity or strong emotional excitement.
• Fatigue, weakness.
• Poor interrupted sleep, state of anxiety.
• Vomiting, nausea, discomfort in the stomach.
• Manifestations of periodontal disease. Gum problems, frequent bleeding.
• In the evening or after waking up, swelling may appear in the lower extremities.
• Frequent urge to urinate.

Naturally, these violations should alert. If such signs of a heart attack in a woman appear periodically, and after a temporary relief they repeat again, an urgent need to contact a specialist. The body cannot cope with the disease on its own.

Every year, more people seek medical help for problems related to heart disease or circulatory disorders. These are women and men over 55 years old with already advanced angina pectoris or in a pre-infarction state, which were not previously observed by a cardiologist. Delayed treatment often leads to such consequences.

There are several reasons that can trigger a heart attack:

• Age-related changes in the vascular system. Loss of elasticity, the presence of blood clots, narrowing of the gaps that impede the blood supply to the heart.
• Decreased immunity.
• Permanent arrhythmia.
• Atherosclerosis.
• Hypertension.
• Rheumocarditis.
• Too much physical, mental and emotional stress.
• Wrong lifestyle, bad addictions.

Ischemic heart disease can also manifest itself under adverse environmental conditions, possible genetic predispositions or congenital pathologies.

There are additional reasons that not only lead to cardiovascular disorders, but also accelerate the process of their occurrence. Increasingly, there are cases when myocardial infarction is diagnosed in women already at the age of about 40 years.

Factors that lead to the risk of coronary disease:

• sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work;
• obesity;
• infections caused by staphylococci and streptococci;
• alcohol, drug addiction, smoking;
• high or low cholesterol levels;
• previous ischemia;
• angina;
• chronic kidney disease.

To the above characteristics, we can add the fact that most people do not go to medical institutions for examination on time. This increases the death rate from myocardial infarction by 15% every year. Specialists have to cope not only with necrosis of the heart tissue, but also with concomitant diseases. And it is impossible to count on a favorable prognosis of treatment in this case.

Heart attack symptoms in women and pregnant women

Symptoms of a heart attack in women are gradually becoming more frequent. And if the attack lasts more than 15 minutes and does not recede, it is necessary to call an emergency ambulance. Consequences and complications can be unpredictable, up to death, because it is most likely a myocardial infarction.

The symptoms in women are as follows:

• sharp, sudden burning pain in the region of the heart, chest on the left, near the shoulder blades;
• tingling of the arm up to the elbow and hand;
• an attack of heaviness in the stomach;
• periodic numbness of the back of the head, turning into an unpleasant pain syndrome in the front part and even teeth;
• drop in blood pressure;
• dizziness, loss of consciousness;
• shortness of breath can cause any movement;
• copious secretion of sticky sweat;
• slurred speech;
• impaired coordination of movements;
• panic attacks;
• blurred vision;
• rapid pulse;
• jumps in blood pressure.

This is how a heart attack manifests itself in women. All these signs indicate the gradual death of myocardial cells, insufficient supply of nutrients and oxygen to the heart, and impaired blood circulation. In such cases, before the arrival of doctors, it is necessary to provide first aid. With a strong lack of air, it is necessary to open the window and loosen the clothes, choose the most comfortable position for the patient, give Nitroglycerin and Aspirin preparations. Be sure to maintain calm and silence all this time, do not panic.

The most beautiful period of every woman's life can overshadow the onset of coronary heart disease. This is an infrequent occurrence, but after the age of 40, the likelihood increases during the period of bearing a child. There can be various reasons for the occurrence of a disease such as myocardial infarction, the symptoms in women during pregnancy will be the same as in an ordinary woman.

But there are many reasons for this:

• emotional stress;
• heredity;
• arrhythmia;
• increased blood clotting;
• coronary embolism;
• chronic or acquired disorders of the kidneys and heart.

Don't rule out age. Vessels wear out, their walls become thinner and the load on the coronary arteries increases. During pregnancy, the pressure of the fetus on the lower limbs occurs, which also disrupts the full blood circulation. Ischemic disease can manifest itself in the form of shortness of breath, frequent urination, pain in the left side of the body, numbness of the arm, tingling in the upper abdomen. Accompanied by dizziness, migraines. During sleep, there is often a temporary cessation of breathing, involuntary snoring. If similar symptoms of a heart attack are observed in women, the patient is hospitalized for further examination, treatment and stay within the hospital.

Harbingers of a heart attack in women and symptoms of a pre-infarction condition

Harbingers of a heart attack in women are all the signs of an approaching disease noted earlier in this article. They can be messengers of other diseases, but their presence should at least alert the person and think about going to the doctor.

Alarming symptoms of a pre-infarction state in women are remote, gradually leading to a heart attack. Imminent signs of a heart attack require immediate medical attention to provide the necessary emergency care. If this is not done, then a heart attack can overtake a person in a short period of time.

Seeing the symptoms of a pre-infarction condition in women, the very first thing is to call an emergency team, having previously laid a person with a suspected myocardial infarction on the floor, lifting him up a little. It is impossible to leave a person sitting on a chair - the heart will not be able to work normally under load.

It is necessary to help in restoring breathing - by unbuttoning the collar of clothes, loosening the belt. The inflow of fresh air from the window will also help, but do not catch the patient.

Medicines. One tablet of Nitroglycerin and Aspirin. If the ambulance does not arrive in half an hour, repeat the medication.

If a person is in a state of panic, then let him take sedatives. If pain is felt, give the sick person a tablet of Analgin. A person with an attack of a heart attack cannot be left unattended for a minute, one must be nearby and monitor his condition, breathing, and heart function.

If a cardiac arrest occurs during a myocardial infarction, then at the very first moment it is necessary to start resuscitation - applying short and strong pressure to the sternum, since it will no longer be possible to prevent a heart attack in women. We perform heart massage in an indirect way, we try to restore breathing by supplying air from mouth to mouth. First aid should be provided as quickly as possible, otherwise, the consequences will become irreversible.

How to recognize a heart attack in women: early signs and prevention

How to recognize a heart attack in women in the early stages in order to provide her with the necessary assistance. There are specific signs of the disease.

1. Pain in myocardial infarction in women in the shoulder joint, the pain gives to the left side.
2. Heart failure from any cause.
3. There was a feeling that a hot pressing object (such as a brick) was lying on the chest.
4. There is dizziness.
5. Movement becomes stiff.
6. Disrupted coordination.
7. Speech becomes slurred, as in a stroke.
8. Coherent speech turns into delusional.
9. Conscious activity ceases.
10. Elevated blood pressure increases the risk of acute coronary disease and is often recorded in women with a heart attack.
11. Frequent nighttime urination, along with other symptoms, may be a sign of heart failure.
12. Heart failure that occurs even after small exertion, a feeling of lack of oxygen.
13. Insomnia, the causes of which are not clear, is also a distant symptom of an impending ailment.
14. Even mild pain in the region of the heart that does not stop over time, causing slight discomfort, is a warning factor.

Constant fatigue, which lasts for a long time, even after waking up from sleep, and does not go away after rest, should alert. It is even worse when the tired state becomes chronic. Ordinary dental periodontal disease, when the gums bleed and hurt, indicates a poor local blood supply. Although distant, but a definite sign of a distant heart attack.

Frequent swelling of the right or left leg, as well as the feet, may occur due to a violation of the cardiac activity of the heart. Familiar to many, even young people, arrhythmic heartbeat, that is, disruption of the artery that pumps blood to the heart.

Heart failure caused by shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. A signal that the heart is working with insufficient performance. If a cough occurs during shortness of breath, this means that the pulmonary circulation is slowed down, and necrosis of a large area of ​​the left ventricle may occur. Pulmonary edema is also possible.

A sharp feeling of mortal fear, incomprehensible to a healthy person, a premonition of impending troubles, sowing panic feelings.

Sudden awakening from sleep, after which a person feels sticky and cold sweat, signals the onset of the development of a serious pathological disease, possibly myocardial infarction.

Headache, often recurring, not only brings suffering, but can also indicate, along with other symptoms, an impending threat - myocardial infarction.

An unreasonable state of anxiety, strong anxiety, characteristic of women, should be alarming. It can talk about the onset of coronary insufficiency, be its first sign.

There are burning pains and painful sensations in the abdomen, shoulder blade, neck, etc. The pain is compressive in nature. It can be given to the teeth, ears, collarbones, lower jaw.

You should also pay attention to other symptoms of the disease, characteristic of the female.

An upset stomach, characterized by bouts of vomiting and nausea, oddly enough, can also be a pre-infarction condition. If an upset stomach is also accompanied by severe pain that is difficult to endure - an alarming sign for any disease. And in the female, the diaphragm of the stomach, the digestive organs are closer to the heart muscle than their location in men. Heart pain gives its response to the stomach, strong spasms of a nervous nature occur in it.

Respiratory failure that may stop briefly. In this case, the heart ceases to receive oxygen in the required amount, which leads to the occurrence of myocardial ischemia. Breathing disorders in the form of snoring are a sign of coronary disease, which leads to interruptions in the work of the heart muscle.

An unreasonable state of anxiety, strong anxiety, characteristic of women, should alert her, regardless of age. It can talk about the onset of coronary insufficiency, be its first sign.

Try to prevent myocardial infarction:

1. conduct physical training and play sports;
2. eat right and rationally;
3. quit smoking and not drinking alcohol;
4. for prevention, the drug Entresto may be prescribed;
5. Get regular check-ups with your cardiologist.

Since it is not always possible to recognize a heart attack in women on time, you should not delay diagnosis at the slightest discomfort in the chest area, especially with pain and accompanying symptoms.

Did you know ? In our article, we will talk about how to recognize heart disease in time and prevent dangerous consequences.

In most cases, the symptoms are easy to recognize. If a person has a sudden pain in the chest, which rapidly increases and goes to the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe left arm and back, then medical attention should be provided as soon as possible, otherwise it can be fatal.

Predinfarction condition and angina pectoris are not so dangerous. However, they also require urgent treatment, since they serve as the first signal that something has gone wrong in the body and the work of the heart is disrupted for some reason.

In our article we will talk about the symptoms of a pre-infarction condition that everyone needs to know. If you notice these symptoms, sound the alarm: your health is in serious danger!

First of all, you need to know exactly what a preinfarction state is. This is a malfunction of a section of the heart muscle called the myocardium. In this case, the flow of blood to the heart decreases, which causes severe pain in the chest.

Symptoms of a pre-infarction condition

• Pain or heaviness in the chest, feeling unwell
• Severe pain in the arms, neck, jaw, shoulders, or back
• Rapid fatigue, shortness of breath
• Labored breathing
• Restlessness, anxiety
• The appearance of perspiration
• Dizziness

People who have experienced a pre-infarction state describe it as a sudden heaviness in the chest, as if the chest was strongly compressed or something heavy was placed on it.

Symptoms of a pre-infarction condition in women

Among women preinfarction symptoms may be very different from those described above.

Often women do not feel heaviness in the chest, but only unpleasant tingling, dizziness, shortness of breath or abdominal pain. For this reason, they can easily mistake these symptoms for signs of some other disease.

In no case should this be allowed, because medical assistance must be provided as soon as possible. Misdiagnosis and self-medication can delay the necessary medical care and lead to very disastrous consequences.

What can lead to a pre-infarction condition?

In fact, the pre-infarction state in different casesmay vary in duration, severity and symptoms. You need to be very aware of the possible symptoms and be extremely vigilant. Chest pain can be a sign of unstable angina, which is much more dangerous than normal angina.

For any manifestation of the symptoms that we described above, do not hesitate to contact your doctor so that he can diagnose and prescribe treatment as soon as possible, until the disease begins to progress.

Treatment

• Vasodilators (or vasodilators). They control, dilate blood vessels and help improve blood circulation.
• If you have heart problems, you need to make drastic changes in your diet. Include in it as many fruits, vegetables, cereals, fish as possible. Also eliminate all foods containing fat from the diet.
• In heart disease, regular moderate physical activity is very useful. This could be, for example, walking or cycling. Such exercises should be performed regularly - they will improve blood flow to the heart and will greatly benefit your body.

Remember...

Symptoms of a pre-infarction state are also characterized by the fact that sharp pain in the chest occurs during the general tension of the body and subsides after a short rest.

A heart attack can also be identified by the following symptoms. It causes much more severe chest pain and can last more than 5 minutes. In this case, the pain will not go away even if you rest.

The pre-infarction condition, the symptoms of which are often expressed in the pain syndrome, is an important problem for the timely detection of the most dangerous pathology. Preventing the development of myocardial infarction at an early stage is the main task of a cardiologist, and in order to do this, it is necessary to recognize the signs of a pre-infarction state in a person and take measures to eliminate the provoking causes. With all the complexity of diagnosis, the identification of this anomaly of the cardiovascular system is a very real result of an attentive attitude to one's health.

Essence of pathology

Pre-infarction or unstable angina is a violation of the functioning of the myocardium of the heart as a result of increasing narrowing of the coronary arteries and a gradual deterioration in the blood supply to the heart muscle. Sometimes this condition is assessed as the period of precursors of a heart attack or the initial prodromal period of a heart attack. However, statistics show that not all manifestations of a pre-infarction state develop into a full-fledged myocardial infarction, and the duration of the period can reach weeks and even months.

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Manifestation of pathology

Preinfarction syndrome is determined by the presence of an unstable form of angina pectoris, i.e. they do not consider angina pectoris, which has a chronic stable character, manifested with a certain frequency. Given this attitude to pathology, the following main forms of pre-infarction state are distinguished:

1. Angina pectoris, manifested for the first time.
2. Progressive angina pectoris: a change in the characteristics of previously occurring angina pectoris in terms of an increase in the frequency of attacks, their intensity and duration, the appearance of pain syndromes with a different localization, the manifestation of pain irradiation.
3. The appearance of angina pectoris in addition to the pre-existing pathology of tension;
4. Angina pectoris after bypass surgery of large arteries.
5. Princetal's angina: appears as a result of spasm in the coronary arteries, characterized by attacks in the morning.

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Causes of pathology

The onset of a pre-infarction state is associated with a narrowing of the vascular lumen and the adhesive ability of platelets. The etiology is based on atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, embolism of the coronary artery with thrombogenic masses, systemic vascular damage, dissection of the aortic aneurysm with damage to the arterial ostium.

The main causes that provoke this condition are the following: excessive smoking, alcohol abuse, prolonged hypertension, incompletely eliminated staphylococcal and streptococcal infections, cholesterol accumulation, elevated blood triglycerides, excessive body weight and obesity, diabetes mellitus, poor ecology with industrial emissions, hereditary predisposition, heart defects, advanced age, frequent psychological stress and stressful situations.

An important role in the generation of pre-infarction syndrome is given to a violation of lipid metabolism, leading to elevated cholesterol levels. The narrowing of the coronary lumen is often caused precisely by the formation of lipid (cholesterol) plaques. One of the reasons for this phenomenon is bad fats, which accumulate as a result of malnutrition and a hypodynamic lifestyle. Smoking also plays a role.

Nicotine provokes vascular spasms, increases blood pressure, reduces the oxygen content in the blood, and cholesterol plaques in smokers are observed much more often than in non-smokers.

Women, to a certain extent, have physiological protection against pathology as a result of the production of female sex hormones between menopauses, which explains the excess of heart attack symptoms in men.

However, this condition ceases to function after 60-65 years, and the likelihood of a pre-infarction condition in people of both sexes levels off.

The degree of risk increases in the presence of congenital and hereditary heart diseases.

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Symptoms of pathology

The main characteristic sign of a pre-infarction state is a symptom of progressive angina pectoris with all the ensuing consequences. Pain in the retrosternal region is similar to pain in angina pectoris, but is difficult to relieve with nitroglycerin. The number of seizures increases significantly, in some cases up to 20-25, which leads to gradual necrosis of muscle tissue.

Pre-infarction pain tends to radiate to the clavicular region, right sternal half, arms, sublingual zone. The following symptoms appear: cold sweat, strong excitement, agitation, increased tachycardia, an obsessive fear of death appears. Quite often, nausea, respiratory failure are added to such signs. This manifestation refers to the typical development of the process.

The course of the pre-infarction process is possible by an atypical mechanism. In this case, a sick person may not feel a significant pain syndrome, but so-called atypical symptoms appear: dizziness, weakness (up to fainting), insomnia, restless sleep. Dyspnea and cyanosis may occur at rest for no apparent reason. This type of pathology is detected by ECG in the form of the presence of blockade phenomena, decompensation in the blood circulation, signs of paroxysmal tachycardia and extrasystole. The atypical mechanism of the course of the process is most typical for older people over 75 years of age.

Another option for the development of the disease is abdominal syndrome. In this case, pain is found in the hypochondrium on the left side, as well as in the upper abdomen. The main signs: burning in the epigastric zone, and the pain syndrome has a aching or stabbing character.

Its intensity increases during physical exertion of various types and in the event of stressful circumstances, psychological stress.

Increased pain is noted with long or fast walking. Abdominal symptoms significantly reduce the painful manifestation at rest, as well as when taking nitrate cardiological drugs. In general, such a pre-infarction condition is accompanied by such symptoms as nausea and vomiting, pain in the abdomen, hiccups, and flatulence.

In a number of circumstances, irradiation of the pain syndrome to the region of the neck, throat and lower jaw is possible. At the same time, there are cases when only shortness of breath or heart rhythm disturbances are detected. Finally, the cerebrovascular disease can cause fainting, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.