Arm pain can be a sign of a myocardial infarction… What to do in case of doubt? Explanations.
- About 80,000 people have a myocardial infarction per year in France according to the Health Insurance.
- One in ten people die within an hour of a myocardial infarction.
In France, about 15,000 people die from a myocardial infarction each year, according to Public Health France. The myocardium is the heart muscle that pumps blood from the heart to all the rest of the body. It is the coronary arteries that deliver the oxygen it needs to function.
A blood clot in the coronary artery
Myocardial infarction occurs when a blood clot forms in these coronary arteries. Thus, the blood no longer circulates properly in the arteries and the heart has no more oxygen, which causes destruction of the myocardium. This is manifested by cardiac arrhythmias up to total heart failure.
Among the symptoms that can announce a myocardial infarction, there is pain in the left arm, or sometimes the right. But it can also be due to a muscle problem or a fracture. So, how to recognize pain in the arm announcing a heart attack? If the pain in the arm is triggered suddenly during physical exertion, it irradiates it and it does not disappear at rest, then you must consult a doctor urgently. The same should be done when it spreads to the shoulder, jaw, chest and is accompanied by discomfort or the patient is out of breath. The healthcare professional will then do all the examinations necessary to confirm or refute the probability of a heart attack, such as blood tests or an electrocardiogram.
Many risk factors
Myocardial infarction is one of the cardiovascular diseases. Thus, as with other pathologies, certain factors can increase the risk of being a victim. First of all, age and sex: after 50 years in men and 60 years in women, the probability of having a cardiovascular accident increases. According to’Health Insurance“women are four times less likely to have a heart attack than men before menopause. After menopause, the risks are equivalent for both sexes”. Nevertheless, for several years, more and more young women have myocardial infarctions. This is due to other risk factors that can favor it, such as smoking, overweight, physical inactivity, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, alcohol, smoking, stress, etc.
Finally, among the main risk factors, there is also family history. “If a close relative (father, mother, brother or sister) has had cardiovascular disease at an early age (stroke before age 45, myocardial infarction or sudden death of father or brother before age 55, mother or sister before age 65), the cardiovascular risk is increased”, according to Health Insurance. To protect yourself from this health problem, the best advice is to eat a balanced diet, watch your weight, play sports regularly and avoid risky behaviors such as tobacco and alcohol.
