Heart Attack Pain. What can we say of the pain in the “heart attack?” We know now that all heart pain is due to a lack of blood supply to the heart muscle. In the heart attack, a blood clot has plugged one of the heart coronary arteries to reduce the blood supply. For this reason the heart attack is sometimes called a “coronary” or “coronary thrombosis.” If most of the plugged


Fig. 70. Pain of Heart Attack. Pain is felt in the heart muscle when it is deprived of its blood supply. The supply is reduced or blocked by a clot in the heart (coronary) artery. “Coronary thrombosis”-or “coronary” for short-means a heart artery is blocked by a blood clot. Almost invariably, pain is felt behind the breast bone. From there it may appear to travel into the arms or neck. Heart attack also has other symptoms, such as difficulty in getting the breath (dyspnea), a feeling of pressure on the chest (orthopnea), and perhaps nausea and vomiting.

heart artery is still functioning well, with the blood clot plug out near its end, then only a small portion of heart muscle will be deprived of its blood supply, and the pain will not be very severe. A new pathway of small arteries called a collateral circulation, usually will build up about this area in approximately six weeks to two months. Thus, a mild coronary goes on to recovery. We may remember national figures or personal friends who have gone through such an experience.

The other side of the picture in heart attack is more foreboding. If one of the heart arteries is plugged with a blood clot near its beginning, a large portion of heart muscle will be deprived of blood. In this case a major portion of the heart cannot go on, and the patient will die. In such cases, the frequent story is that “he dropped dead on the spot.”

Suppose, however, a heart artery is plugged with a blood clot somewhere between its beginning and end, approximately in its middle. In this case, everything depends upon how much heart muscle is put out of function by lack of blood supply. If the remaining, well-nourished heart can do the whole job, and will also lend some of its blood supply to the deprived heart region, the patient probably will go on to recovery. Otherwise, this patient’s outlook is poor.

The pain in a heart attack is obviously present only while the patient is still conscious, but in heart victims who recover, severe pain in the chest may last for a day or more, accompanied by other symptoms as well. Modern medicine can do much to save the heart attack patient, but obviously, very little when his future is measured in minutes. Probably the best thing the patient with a severe heart attack can have is a clear conscience as he is about to meet the Master Physician very shortly.

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