Acute coronary syndrome is a term used to describe a heart attack and sometimes unstable chest pain. A heart attack happens when the blood flow to your heart is interrupted or restricted by a buildup of cholesterol in your coronary arteries. There are two types of heart attack and your length of stay and what happens while you are in the hospital will be determined by the type of heart attack you experience. They are:
- ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) – If your artery is completely blocked and blood flow stops, the whole heart muscle might be damaged. In this case, the doctor can see an ST elevation during an electrocardiogram (ECG) exam. For more information on what will happen if you've had a STEMI heart attack, please click here.
- Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI) – If your artery is partially blocked and some blood flow continues, only part of your heart muscle may be damaged. In this case, the doctor will not see an ST elevation during an electrocardiogram (ECG) exam. For more information on what will happen if you've had an NSTEMI heart attack, please click here.
Chest pain may be a warning sign that you have a buildup in your artery but you have not yet had damage to your heart muscle. If you have symptoms such as chest tightness or heaviness, pain in the upper stomach, jaw or arm, shortness of breath, sweating or nausea, and perhaps loss of consciousness, you may be having a heart attack. Call 9-1-1 immediately.
