Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a term that describes a range of conditions related to sudden, reduced blood flow to the heart. ACS is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention, and prompt treatment is important to ease symptoms and prevent complications. ACS involves three types of coronary artery disease that damage or destroy heart tissue, and the specific type depends on where blood flow to the heart is blocked, how long the blockage lasts, and the amount of damage it causes. The three types of ACS are:
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Unstable angina: This involves sudden, unexpected chest pain or pressure, even while resting. It’s a warning sign of a heart attack and occurs when stable angina worsens.
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Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI): This occurs when there is a partial or temporary blockage of blood flow to the heart, which can cause damage to the heart muscle.
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ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI): This occurs when there is a complete blockage of blood flow to the heart, which can cause significant damage to the heart muscle.
ACS is always symptomatic, and the most common symptom is chest pain, which may come on quickly, come and go, or get worse with exercise or rest. Other symptoms can include pain in the shoulder, arm, neck, jaw, back, or belly area, discomfort that feels like tightness, squeezing, crushing, burning, choking, or aching, shortness of breath, anxiety, nausea, sweating, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, abnormal heart rhythms, death, heart attack, heart failure, and rupture of the heart muscle.
