In a video published on Instagram, Dr Alexandre Mensier, visceral and digestive surgeon, recalls the mechanism of a heart attack. The essential message: suggestive chest pain requires you to immediately call 15 or 112, without waiting to see if it goes away.
Signs that should alert you without delay
A myocardial infarction occurs when a coronary artery becomes blocked: part of the heart muscle is no longer properly oxygenated. In the video, Dr. Mensier explains that the coronary arteries can become blocked, for example due to atherosclerotic plaques and a clot, which interrupts the blood supply to the myocardium. This explanation helps explain why time matters.
The most evocative sign remains a sudden pain in the chest, often described as a feeling of vice behind the sternum. It can radiate towards the left arm or both arms, the jaw, the neck, the back. But we must not wait until all the signs are present to react.
Recognized symptoms that should suggest a heart attack include:
- Squeezing, unusual, persistent or very intense chest pain;
-
Pain that spreads to an arm, jaw, back or neck;
- Sudden shortness of breath or difficulty breathing;
-
Cold sweats, nausea, general malaise;
- Unexplained fatigue, digestive discomfort or atypical discomfort.
This last point is important: a heart attack does not always manifest itself with spectacular pain. It may present in a less typical manner, especially in women, the elderly, or people with diabetes. In practice, doubt is enough to call for help.
Why you should consult, even if you are hesitant
Faced with these signs, the reflex is not to move yourself or ask for advice from those around you: you must call 15 or 112. The medical regulation teams assess the situation, guide treatment and initiate appropriate assistance. For people who have difficulty hearing or speaking, 114 can alert emergency services by SMS.
The expert also recalls what happens next on the medical side: when a heart attack is suspected, doctors can confirm the diagnosis with an electrocardiogram, sometimes by measuring troponin in the blood, and resort to coronary angiography depending on the situation. These examinations should not be anticipated yourself: they are urgent care.
Coronary angiography allows you to visualize the coronary arteries and identify obstruction. Depending on the case, doctors can then unblock the artery by angioplasty with stent placement, or use thrombolysis if the angioplasty cannot be performed quickly enough. Coronary artery bypass grafting only concerns certain selected situations.
Heart attack, why every minute counts in the face of the first symptoms
A heart attack can also be complicated by rhythm disturbances and, in the most serious cases, cardiac arrest. But the objective for the general public is not to precisely identify the mechanism: it is to alert quickly.
In the event of vice-like chest pain, radiating pain, sudden shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea or unexplained discomfort, the right action remains the same: immediately dial 15 or 112.