Someone I know had a family member have a massive heart attack. They were saying how doctors said all four of his arteries were completely blocked.
From my understanding, when someone has all four heart arteries blocked, it takes time to get to that point. Meaning they couldn’t all have happened to clog at the same time. I could understand some gradual buildup in the arteries, but complete blockage in all four at the same time?? That just doesn’t sound right.
My question is wouldn’t they have had a heart attack when only one artery got blocked? Or can the heart continue to function when some arteries are blocked if there’s still one functioning? How were they even alive past the first blockage?
Maybe there was slight blood flow and partial blockage in the arteries so the heart was getting just enough flow to function until finally it got so blocked it couldn’t flow anymore. Do doctors just say the arteries were completely blocked as a general statement?
I’m just trying to understand how someone could even survive past a first single blockage. I’m sorry if it’s a stupid question, but I’m autistic so maybe I’m over analyzing a general statement that doctors might just say to people. I’m also going into nursing and I just am trying to understand because that statement just doesn’t make sense to me. I want to understand as completely as possible so I can be knowledgeable on it. Thank you 🙂
In: Biology
Its not a stupid question! This is an incredbily complex topic to ELI5 (also you asked many questions). I’ll try to be brief, but know, in doing so, I leave out 100 other possibilities.
>My question is wouldn’t they have had a heart attack when only one artery got blocked? Or can the heart continue to function when some arteries are blocked if there’s still one functioning? How were they even alive past the first blockage?
We have incredibly resiliant bodies with back ups built in. if one artery is clogged, another will try and supply its territory.
Some people can have a heart attack and the chest pain eventually subsides and so they just never get checked out. Then we find the dead areas of heart later after a bigger attack when they do finally get checked.
If the complete blockage happened at the very tip of the artery, which isnt as bad as a complete blockage of the beginning of the artery.
>Maybe there was slight blood flow and partial blockage in the arteries so the heart was getting just enough flow to function until finally it got so blocked it couldn’t flow anymore. Do doctors just say the arteries were completely blocked as a general statement?
Totally! Sometimes there could be a gradualy build up. Maybe all of them are at 50%, and slowly build up to 80 – 99%. Then slowly 1 by 1 they hit 100%.
Also, he could have had complete blockage of a few arteries and gotten those bypassed. Then more blockages develops (either of his native arteries, or of the bypasses themselves).
In any case, i hope your friend’s family member is doing okay now. And best of luck to you in your nursing endeavor!
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