A heart attack causes chest pain due to the heart muscle not getting enough blood supply. Like any muscle, the heart requires blood to work effectively and pump blood around the body. The blood is supplied to the heart by vessels called coronary arteries.

For various reasons, coronary arteries sometimes narrow and can block off completely. When this happens, the heart muscle doesn’t get enough blood supply to function properly and becomes strained. This usually causes chest pain. You may have chest pain only when you exercise, as the heart needs to work harder to pump blood around the body or when your body is resting.

If you think that you or someone around you is having a heart attack, you must call for an ambulance immediately (999).

When the ambulance arrives, they will immediately perform heart tracing (ECG). Depending on what this shows, they will take you to your local hospital or the nearest Cardiac Unit. Learn more about cardiac diagnostic tests.

Time is of the essence. The faster it is treated, the less damage the heart will sustain.

Treatment depends on the type of heart attack you are having. If you have a STEMI (severe heart attack), an ambulance will likely take you to a specialist cardiac unit. At the cardiac unit, they will immediately perform a procedure called PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention).

During a PCI, a tube is put into the artery in your wrist or groin and passed up to the heart. The cardiologists will also take pictures of the heart’s arteries by injecting dye into the veins and taking X-rays. If they identify a blockage, they can open it up with stents. Stents are like special springs that hold the artery open from the inside.

If you are not having a STEMI, you may go to your local hospital, where they will initially treat you with blood thinning drugs. You will likely have an angiogram and PCI during your hospital admission, but it does not need to be done straight away. If you have any blockages, the hospital can treat these with stents to ensure adequate blood supply to the heart.

Sometimes, they cannot treat the artery blockages with stents. In this case, your team will discuss your options with you. One option is coronary artery bypass graft surgery (open heart surgery). The surgeons will use bits of blood vessels taken from the leg or the wall of the chest and “bypass” the blockages, ensuring that blood reaches the heart muscle

Certain things can help prevent another heart attack. If you are a smoker, stopping smoking can dramatically reduce the risk. Taking your medications as prescribed can help, as can modifying your diet and lifestyle to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. Exercise is also a great way to help prevent another heart attack.