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Heart Attack Specialist

CorCareTx

Cardiologists located in McKinney, TX

Over 525,000 residents in the United States suffer from their first heart attack each year. Whether you have already had a heart attack, or if you know your heart attack risk is high, you need to see a specialist. Leading cardiologist in McKinney, Texas, Brian Eades, MD, FACC, has extensive training in helping men and women improve their heart health and risk of a future heart attack. Call his practice of CorCareTX, or use the convenient online booking feature to schedule your appointment. You shouldn’t live another day worrying about your heart health.

Heart Attack Q & A

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack, or myocardial infarction, occurs when your heart doesn’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs to thrive.

Your coronary arteries are responsible for delivering a regular supply of oxygen-rich blood to your heart. Certain conditions, such as coronary artery disease, cause your arteries to stiffen up and become more narrow. When this happens, blood doesn’t flow easily.

Over time, plaque, calcium deposits, and inflammatory cells stick to arterial walls. Because blood already moves slowly, blood cells sometimes get “stuck” or stack up inside these hardened narrow arteries.

If this clot blocks blood flow, your heart doesn’t get the oxygen and nourishment it needs. Your heart muscle cells start to die, permanently damaging heart tissue. This is a heart attack.

Are there warning signs of a heart attack?

Sometimes. Having a heart attack doesn’t always leave you in severe pain passed out on the floor. Symptoms can range from mild to intense. Some warning signs include:

  • Feeling of indigestion or fullness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain or pressure
  • Sweating and nausea
  • Pain that radiates into your back and neck
  • Rapid or irregular heart rhythm

Heart attack symptoms can last for 30 minutes or more, although some men and women have no warning signs of a heart attack. This “silent” heart attack might not cause any specific symptoms and are usually most common in patients who have diabetes.

Which treatments are available for heart attacks?

Heart attack treatment options may include:

  • Blood clot dissolving drugs
  • Balloon angioplasty
  • Artificial heart valve replacement
  • Stent procedure
  • Percutaneous coronary intervention
  • Coronary artery bypass grafting
  • Transmyocardial revascularization

Because Dr. Eades has extensive training and experience with even the most complex types of heart attacks, he can get you just the right treatment quickly. He might even combine several different options, depending on what’s best for you.

The ideal time to get treatment for a heart attack is within two hours of the initial onset of symptoms. If you wait too long and hesitate to get help, the damage becomes more extensive.