Heart attack

What is it?

Heart attack is a serious medical emergency and happens when there is a sudden loss of blood flow to part of the heart muscle. Without enough blood and oxygen the heart can be seriously damaged.

Symptoms of a heart attack can include:

Chest pain: the pain is usually located in the centre of the chest and can feel like a sensation of pressure, tightness or squeezing

Pain in other parts of the body: it can feel as if the pain is travelling from the chest to the arms (usually the left arm is affected but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and abdomen

Shortness of breath

Nausea

An overwhelming sense of anxiety (similar to having a panic attack)

Feeling lightheaded

Coughing

Vomiting

Wheezing

If someone has some or all the above symptoms, then an emergency ambulance should be called by dialling 999.

There are no differences in key heart attack symptoms between men and women.

Recovery from a heart attack can take several months and the rate of recovery will depend on the severity of the heart attack, the treatment given and the fitness of the individual before their illness. Initially the employee is likely to feel tired, will need to get plenty of rest and will only be able to undertake light activities. This will be gradually increased over a period of weeks or months as part of their cardiac rehabilitation programme.

How is it treated?

Quick treatment to get the blood flowing to the heart muscle again is important and can reduce the amount of permanent damage to the heart.
Treatment may include:

– ‘Clot busting medication’
– Putting stents into the narrowed or blocked arteries
– Coronary bypass surgery

How might it affect work?

Most people can return to work after having a heart attack, but how quickly will depend on their health, the state of their heart and the kind of work that they do.

What do I need to do as the Manager?

You can make a referral to your Occupational Health provider for further advice and support. It may be necessary to make some adjustments to their work to minimise the risk to themselves and others.