If the artery becomes completely blocked, damage becomes so extensive that cell death, or a heart attack, occurs. Coronary heart disease is a leading cause of serious disability. Approximately 5 million people come into the emergency room each year with complaints of chest pain. Now, doctors are using a new method that works much faster and is less expensive. The key is to detect where the blockage is so it can be opened before there is permanent damage.
Doctors inject the patient's vein with microbubbles the size of red blood cells.
The microbubbles then appear as contrast to see how blood is flowing through an artery and in the heart. If the bubbles do not light up, then part of the heart is not getting enough blood, which signals an emergency. If there is no flow, we know there is blockage in the coronary arteries. Most people who die from heart attack have clogged arteries. The warning signs to look for and pay attention to include uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest lasting more than a few minutes, pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms, chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath.