What is myocardial infarction?

What is myocardial infarction?

Myocardial infarction is the medical name for heart attack. It is damage to a region of the heart muscle due to abrupt cessation of blood supply to that region. It could be due to sudden occlusion of a branch of a coronary artery supplying that region or abrupt spasm (contraction of the smooth muscle of the blood vessel wall) which persists long enough to produce damage to the heart muscle. It can also be due to lodgment of small clot arising elsewhere in a branch of the coronary artery. Myocardial infarction is a potentially life threatening condition unless prompt medical attention is obtained. It usually presents as severe chest pain, though occasionally it can be painless and present with atypical symptoms like breathlessness, sweating or fatigue.