Nstemi, a relatively mild type of heart attack

As already mentioned, NSTEMI is a mild type of heart attack, but that does not mean it should be underestimated. Just like other heart attacks, the cause of this heart attack is also due to blockages in the arteries.

The difference is, the blockage only occurs in some of the arteries, while STEMI sufferers experience total blockage of the arteries.

This means that there is still blood flow that carries oxygen to the heart. However, the number is getting limited due to the blockage. If you are diagnosed with NSTEMI or a mild heart attack, this is a sign that your heart is not severely damaged and is still pumping blood normally.

Unfortunately, according to an article published by the Cleveland Clinic, the type of heart attack cannot be known only from the symptoms of a heart attack or its severity.

To find out, you are advised to go to the nearest cardiologist or Emergency Unit (ER) when you feel a symptom of a heart attack. Your blood will be checked to find out if there is damage to the heart muscle.

Not only that, usually doctors will also perform echocardiography tests which aim to see if your heart is still pumping blood properly. It may take you a long time to figure out what type of heart attack you are having and the best treatment for it.

However, there is no need to worry about wasting time because it is better to get first aid for a heart attack sooner than for a heart condition that is too late to get treatment.

Symptoms that may appear when experiencing NSTEMI

Although it cannot be used as a benchmark, there are several symptoms that characterize NSTEMI, including:

Shortness of breath or shortness of breath.
Feeling pressure or discomfort in the chest.
Pain in the jaw, neck, back, or stomach.
Dizziness and the head feels like spinning.
Nausea and excessive sweating.

Never underestimate the symptoms that a person with a mild heart attack might experience. If you experience any of the symptoms above, immediately call or go to the nearest hospital.

The reason is, if what you feel is indeed a heart attack, every minute that passes without help can increase the level of heart damage.

Risk factors for mild heart attack

As with other heart diseases, NSTEMI or a mild heart attack also has risk factors. This means that you have the potential to have a mild heart attack if you have one of the various risk factors. The following are risk factors for a mild heart attack, including:

People who have a smoking habit.
People who rarely move and exercise.
People who have high blood pressure.
People who have high cholesterol levels in the blood.
People with diabetes.
People who are overweight or obese.
People with a family history of having had a heart attack or stroke.

Diagnosis for mild heart attack

There are actually several ways to diagnose a heart attack. It's just that to find out if you have STEMI or NSTEMI, you can do an examination using an electrocardiogram (EKG).

This examination can be done in a hospital and carried out for approximately 10 minutes. This tool works by measuring the electrical activity in your heart. Each time your heart beats, an electric pull is created which is then recorded on the EKG machine.

This machine then transfers the recording onto paper which your doctor can then view. The doctor will make a diagnosis through the recordings on the paper and determine how your heart is functioning.

Examination using an EKG machine is classified as important because with this tool your type of heart attack is easier to detect. That way, doctors can help deal with a heart attack that is being experienced in a more effective way.

Treatment for minor heart attacks

If you or someone closest to you starts showing signs of a heart attack, the doctor will provide intensive treatment to stabilize the heart and prevent further damage.

Usually the methods doctors will use to treat a mild heart attack are as follows.

1. Relieves chest pain

One of the most common symptoms of a heart attack, including a mild one, is chest pain. Therefore, you also need to relieve this one symptom. You can do this by taking nitroglycerin drugs.

This medication can help dilate narrowed blood vessels. Thus, it can increase blood flow back to the heart. That way, the pain in the chest can be relieved. You can also reduce the pain you feel by taking pain medication, one of which is morphine. But remember, you should only use these drugs as directed by your doctor.

2. Stops the formation of blood clots

The formation of blood clots is one reason for a mild heart attack. For that, its formation must be stopped by using drugs such as Aspirin, Plavix, and other drugs used to thin the blood.

3. Eliminate acute ischemia

Acute ischemia is a condition in which the heart doesn't get the amount of oxygen something it needs. To end the condition, patients who have mild heart attacks will be given class drugs beta blockers. The goal is to prevent heart damage caused by excessive production of the hormone adrenaline.

In addition, the doctor will also provide statin drugs to stabilize plaque that has ruptured and reduce inflammation in the arteries. The use of these drugs will reduce acute ischemia in just a few minutes.

Not only that, the patient will also be given oxygen and morphine, respectively to help with breathing and reduce pain.

4. Performing a heart ring

One way to deal with a minor heart attack can also be done by placing a heart ring or stent. In this procedure, your doctor will insert a long catheter into an artery in your inner thigh or wrist leading to a blocked artery in your heart.

If you have a mild heart attack, this procedure will usually be performed immediately after cardiac catheterization, which is another procedure used to locate the blockage. The catheter that is inserted into this artery is accompanied by a special balloon. Once you find the location of the blocked artery, a metal heart ring or stent will be inserted into the artery.

The goal is to keep the arteries open, so that blood flow to the heart can return smoothly. Depending on your condition, the heart ring that is inserted into the artery may also be accompanied by a drug that is slowly released into the blood. This drug is to help maximize its function in keeping the vessels open.

5. Have heart bypass surgery

You can also do heart bypass surgery to treat minor heart attacks. This surgery is performed by suturing the arteries with the veins that are located above or below the narrowed blood vessels.

The goal is that the flow of blood that is no longer able to pass through the blocked blood vessels can get a "shortcut" to the heart. That way, blood flow does not need to go through blocked vessels but through new shortcuts to the heart.