February is National Heart Month. According to Bruce Foster, D.O., Medical Chief in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Waynesboro Hospital, an affiliate of Summit Health, much progress has been made in the treatment of heart disease in the last 25 years, but heart attacks are still serious business.

Foster said heart attacks are related to the growth of fatty deposits in one of the coronary arteries that supply our heart muscle with fresh oxygenated blood.  "It's a lot like lime deposits in the water pipes of a house with hard water," Foster explained. "Over time, the water may slow to a trickle, and may be insufficient to meet our needs." 

If a coronary artery suddenly becomes completely blocked or obstructed, the part of the heart muscle that is supplied by that artery actually dies.  This is what happens in a heart attack, technically known as a myocardial infarction, according to Foster.

"But it usually takes more than just the growth of fatty deposits to produce a heart attack," Foster said. "Usually a clot forms where the blood flow is sluggish through an artery. The clot produces a sudden complete blockage of the artery."

According to Foster, the heart muscle starts dying as soon as the artery gets blocked. So, doctors must be quick to open blocked arteries. Patients can help doctors by recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack and seeking medical help immediately. 

"The most common symptom is sudden onset of pain in the center of the chest," Foster explained. "Most people describe this pain as a squeezing tightness or pressure. Sometimes, they also feel pain in their arms or their neck and jaws.  Often, heart attack patients will also break out in a sweat or feel nauseated and vomit." 

Once the symptoms are recognized, according to Foster, the first thing a patient should do is pick up the phone and dial 911.  Paramedics are often able to diagnose a heart attack in the field before you get to the hospital.  They can give you initial treatment and radio ahead to the hospital to make things happen much faster.

The second step Foster explained was to go to your medicine cabinet and take a plain aspirin - not Tylenol or ibuprofen. "You can take four baby aspirin or one adult aspirin, and you should chew them so that the tablet gets absorbed into your blood stream faster," Foster said. "This will help prevent the clot from growing.  Of course, if you are allergic to aspirin, you should not take it."

Foster continued, "If you are already a heart patient that has angina (periodic mild chest pain) that you take nitroglycerin for, go ahead and take two nitroglycerines five minutes apart.  If you do not get relief with the second nitroglycerin, call 911."

Foster's final tip is to talk with your doctor about the symptoms of a heart attack and what to do if you have them. Your doctor can also explain how to prevent fatty deposits from forming so you can avoid a heart attack.

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Waynesboro Hospital, an affiliate of Summit Health, is a non-profit community hospital dedicated to building a healthier community through leading-edge medical technology, skilled physicians, caring staff, and convenient locations.

For more information about Waynesboro Hospital, call (717) 765-4000 or visit www.SummitHealth.org.