Baseline Medical

Heart Attacke With No Warning Signs

Why didn't I have any warning?

Atherosclerosis has no symptoms. One reason there may be no warning signs is that sometimes when a coronary artery becomes narrowed, other nearby vessels that also bring blood to the heart sometimes expand to help compensate. The network of expanded vessels is called collateral circulation and helps protect some people from heart attacks by getting needed blood to the heart. Collateral circulation can also develop after a heart attack to help the heart muscle recover.

Is my heart permanently damaged?

When a heart attack occurs, the heart muscle that has lost blood supply begins to suffer injury. The amount of damage to the heart muscle depends on the size of the area supplied by the blocked artery and the time between injury and treatment. Damage to the heart muscle from a heart attack heals by forming scar tissue. It usually takes several weeks for your heart muscle to heal. The length of time depends on the extent of your injury and your own rate of healing. The heart is a very tough organ. Even though a part of it may have been severely injured, the rest keeps working. But because your heart has been damaged, it may be weaker and can't pump as much blood as usual. However, with proper treatment after a heart attack and lifestyle changes, further damage can be limited or prevented. Learn more about heart damage detection.

Baseline Medical offers Carotid Artery Screenings to detect blocked arteries before causing a heart attack.