how do they check if you are having a heart attack?
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['Electrocardiogram (ECG). This first test done to diagnose a heart attack records electrical signals as they travel through your heart. ... ', 'Blood tests. Certain heart proteins slowly leak into your blood after heart damage from a heart attack.']
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Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center or left side of the chest. The discomfort usually lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. It can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. It also can feel like heartburn or indigestion.
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Chest pain. Most chest pain isn't a sign of anything serious but you should get medical advice just in case. Get immediate medical help if you think you're having a heart attack.
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An ECG may reveal abnormalities in heart rhythm, damage from a previous heart attack, or an enlarged heart. If fatty deposits have narrowed one or more of your coronary arteries enough to interfere with the flow of blood to the heart, an ECG can detect that.
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Timing/duration: Heart attack pain can be intermittent or continuous. Heart attack symptoms can last for a few minutes to a few hours. If you have had chest pain continuously for several days, weeks or months, then it is unlikely to be caused by a heart attack.
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['Angiogram. Coronary angiogram. ... ', 'Blood tests. ... ', 'Blood pressure monitoring. ... ', 'Chest X-ray. ... ', 'Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) ... ', 'Electrocardiogram (ECG) ... ', 'Electrophysiology studies. ... ', 'MRI.']
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EKGs and stress tests are tests that can help your doctor see how well your heart is working. An EKG, or electrocardiogram, measures your heart's activity. In an exercise stress test, you have an EKG while you walk or jog on a treadmill. you have a high risk for heart disease.
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The test might also check for an enzyme called creatine kinase (CK). Low levels of these proteins and enzymes are normally found in your blood, but if your heart muscle is injured, such as from a heart attack, the proteins and enzymes leak out of damaged heart muscle cells, and their levels in the bloodstream rise.
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['chest pain lasting longer than a few minutes.', 'difficulty breathing.', 'fainting.']
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Heart attacks can start slowly and cause only mild pain or discomfort. Symptoms can be mild or more intense and sudden. Symptoms also may come and go over several hours.
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The cardiac enzymes that doctors measure to see if a person is having a heart attack include troponin T (TnT) and troponin I (TnI). Both troponin types are commonly checked because they are the most specific enzymes to a heart attack.
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Every 20 seconds a heart attack occurs and a heart attack fatality occurs about every minute. 2. Almost 14 million Americans have a history of heart attack or angina. Like a heart attack, angina occurs when the vessels that supply blood to the heart narrow and prevent oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart.
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When it could be serious At the same time, you may have pressure, squeezing, heaviness or tightness in your chest, shortness of breath, nausea and sweating. If you have these, [if in the UK] call 999 immediately." Some people's description of a heart attack is that it was "like an elephant sitting on my chest".
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If your doctor thinks you may have had one, he or she may order imaging tests. These could include an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), which is a special ultrasound, or a CT scan or MRI of your heart. These tests can show if your heart muscle has been damaged, signaling that you've had a heart attack.
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['Check for a response – Shout “Are you okay?!” Do not be afraid to yell. ... ', 'Call for help – Yell for help, telling others to call 911 and to bring an AED. ... ', 'Check circulation – In adults, the best place to check for a pulse is the carotid artery. ... ', 'Check rhythm – This step requires an AED.']
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If you go to your doctor or the emergency room with chest pain, a chest injury or shortness of breath, you will typically get a chest X-ray. The image helps your doctor determine whether you have heart problems, a collapsed lung, pneumonia, broken ribs, emphysema, cancer or any of several other conditions.
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The doctor may suggest you get some tests to find the cause of your heart failure and see how severe it is. Blood tests. They look at your kidney and thyroid gland health and measure your cholesterol levels. They also check if you have anemia, which happens when you don't have enough healthy red blood cells.