Post Heart Attack Symptoms

There are certain symptoms that occur in both men and women which you need to keep an eye out for, after you've suffered from an attack. Learn more about the causes, symptoms, and treatment options available for patients.

A heart attack, or what is known as a myocardial infarction, is when one's heart ceases to function due to a build up of pressure within the heart, where this muscle constricts itself, making way for one to suffer from heart failure. It can either be mild or fatal, depending on one's age and the severity of the attack.

Pericarditis, which is a result of irritation and swelling of the pericardium, is a problem that takes place, showcasing different symptoms for women and men alike.

It is a common and very evident problem that patients face after they've undergone an episode. Sometimes this can either be an acute/chronic case, where the two layers of the pericardium rub against one another causing an irritation and inflammation as a subsequent reaction.

Chest pain is the number one symptom that is detected during this time. Usually, all cases of heart-related problems, be it surgery or a heart attack, can leave patients experiencing a case of pericarditis.

The causes of this problem take place due to what is called Dressler's syndrome or postcardiotomy pericarditis/post cardiac surgery syndrome. This can take place with patients that have been through heart surgery, trauma subjected to the heart, or a heart attack.

An attack on the immune system is what is likely to be the cause of this problem. It could be either weeks or months before symptoms are revealed. The other type of pericarditis occurs within a span of 2 to 5 days after one goes through a heart attack, which as a result of cleaning up the diseased heart tissue, leads to an inflammation and even swelling.

To understand the signs of this condition, you need to first identify the many ways that the body reacts to a post heart attack problem.

• Breathing difficulties
• Anxiety
• Malaise
• Extreme chest pain (or mild in some cases)
• Dry cough

• Pain from the chest can spread to the arm or neck, and sometimes even to one's back
• Fever
• Chest pain can be either unbearable or cause a stabbing sensation
• Fatigue

• Pain can spread to the shoulder-blade
• Recurring pain in the chest
• Heart rate increases
• Pain while swallowing

NSAIDs or aspirin is given to patients to help deal with pericarditis. Pain that is closely related to this problem will be better dealt with when patients are given non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Prednisone which is a corticosteroid, is given to patients who don't react well to NSAIDs.

To help reduce inflammation, patients are given colchicine, but those suffering from previous ailments need to update and check with doctors first if this is safe to use depending on their type of illness. Narcotic pain relievers are given should patients experience extreme pain which includes the use of drugs like morphine.

If the heart is being compressed excessively by the pericardium, then a surgical procedure called pericardiectomy, is undertaken to help remove the entire pericardium in order to help the heart's strangulation from this particular outer layer, loosen up.

Excess fluid is drained out from the pericardial cavity which can take several days to complete; this procedure is known as pericardiocentesis.

These post heart attack symptoms can be dealt with if one were to immediately spot the changes that his/her body is going through. The earlier one looks out for these signs, be it heart attack or any other heart-related problem, the better and easier it will be for patients to deal with this condition. Have a safe tomorrow.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.