What happens in a heart attack?
The heart muscle regularly expands and contracts, pushing blood through the body – this is the heart beat. When the muscle expands, blood flows into the heart; when the muscle contracts, blood is pushed out of the heart. This muscle is ordinarily very flexible, but as the muscle ages, it loses its flexibility. Additionally, a film of plaque may build up along the inside of the arteries, decreasing muscle flexibility. As the muscle loses flexibility, the heart can no longer take in and push out an adequate supply of blood, causing low blood oxygen levels and poor circulation throughout the body. This inability to adequately pump blood through the body leads to the common form of a heart attack. Most people experience pain with a heart attack, usually behind the sternum, radiating through the left shoulder and arm. This type of pain is felt in terms of a burning, pressing, aching, or strong pressure, similar to the pains of gas or indigestion. Duration of a heart attack can vary from a f
