Heart Attack

At Sentara, our heart specialists quickly diagnose and treat all types of heart attacks. Whether it's major or minor, a heart attack requires careful, expert care.

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What is a Heart Attack?

Heart attacks occur when blood vessels that lead to your heart (coronary arteries) become blocked. The blockages prevent your heart from receiving oxygen. Over time, blockages happen because of plaque buildup (atherosclerosis).

You might experience two types of heart attacks:

ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI): This type of heart attack happens if you have a completely blocked artery that stops blood flow to a large portion of your heart. Some of your heart muscle tissue can die.
Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI): With this type of heart attack, you have a partially blocked artery, and your blood flow decreases to your heart.

Heart Attack Symptoms

Heart attack symptoms vary greatly. Your symptoms may also be mild, even if you're experiencing a STEMI heart attack.

Common heart attack symptoms include:

Chest pain, pressure or tightness
Pain in your arms
Pain in your back, jaw, neck or stomach
Shortness of breath

Heart attack symptoms in women

When having a heart attack, individuals assigned female at birth sometimes do not have chest pain. They may also experience less-common symptoms, including:

Anxiety
Cold sweats
Dizziness
Extreme fatigue
Heartburn
Pain in the back, jaw, shoulder blade, throat and upper abdomen

Learn more about women's heart disease.

Heart Attack Risk Factors

Certain lifestyle habits and conditions can increase your risk of having an NSTEMI or STEMI, including:

Diabetes
Diet high in sodium, sugar, fat and processed ingredients
Excess weight
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Smoking
Stress
Too much alcohol

You can successfully manage these conditions and live a healthier life. Learn about Sentara's heart disease prevention and screening.

Heart Attack Diagnosis

Heart Attack Treatment

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