A myocardial infarction, also called a heart attack, happens when blood flow to part of the heart gets blocked, and the heart muscle starts to get damaged. It often causes chest pain or pressure that can spread to the arm, jaw, or neck, and may come with shortness of breath, sweating, or nausea. Some heart attacks need emergency treatment right away to open the blocked artery, either with a procedure or medicine that dissolves the clot. After recovery, patients usually take medicines like aspirin and cholesterol-lowering drugs and make lifestyle changes to keep the heart healthy and prevent another heart attack.