by Jennifer Kirkman

Created on: November 06, 2009

When someone is having Acute Coronary Syndrome, it means that there is a sudden lack of blood flow that is reaching the heart. This syndrome type actually resembles a heart attack since it does cause angina, (chest pains,) while it is taking place. Other immediate symptoms of Acute Coronary Syndrome are:

You feel very lightheaded since there is a lack of blood reaching the heart and as a result the brain is lacking there too in oxygen supply.

An upset stomach which also goes with a heart attack, also comes with Acute Coronary Syndrome. Nausea is a very commonplace symptom in both emergency situations here.

You vomit. A lot of people will also react to either event by throwing up what is left in their stomach.

Shortness of breath is really common. This is only natural when there is not enough of a blood flow getting into the heart where it is supposed to.

You will also probably sweat quite heavily too. This happens in either Acute Coronary Syndrome or heart attack events.

The difference in a heart attack event is that a lot of people with have heartburn reflux which won't go away along with the other symptoms I described here.

The most common cause of Acute Coronary Syndrome is plaque build-up on your arteries. Plaque build-up on arteries only gets worse if not treated, and little by little, they block up these vital arteries so that blood flow cannot make it through properly. I urge you if your cholesterol is high, please get it into an acceptable healthy range to avoid this from happening.

Smoking also places a person at a very high risk for a coronary event of any kind. If you are smoking, you should consider stopping to avoid heart related problems as well as others.

Other risk factors are having diabetes, so if you do have diabetes, you need to control your blood sugar levels tightly. Inactive people that never do any type of herat stimulating activity are also placing themselves at higher risk.

After testing has diagnosed the fact that you have Acute Coronary Syndrome, treatments will be needed for sure. Some cardiologists, might recommend aspirin therapy along with drugs that break clots known as Coumadin or Heparin.

Nitroglycerin might be given to reduce chest pains since this drug opens your blood vessels allowing for free blood flow.

If your arteries are really blocked, then most cardiologists will do a procedure called angioplasty where they thread a catheter through the groin into the blocked arteries to open them up. A stent is often placed to hold the area open so it doesn't close back up again.

Bypass surgery for the heart may be needed if angioplasty isn't enough. This procedure is more invasive, requiring them to take a vein from another part of your body, and creating a channel for blood to flow through the heart.

After being treated for this coronary condition, it is important to reduce your weight and keep it down since excess weight can harm the heart. Quitting smoking is ultimately important too, right along with getting some exercise every day for 30 minutes. Regular cholesterol checks are also vital.

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