heart attack
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heart attack
A life-threatening medical emergency in which the blood supply to the heart is blocked by a blood clot, leading to the death of heart muscle tissue.
Nach einem schweren Herzinfarkt musste er mehrere Wochen im Krankenhaus bleiben.
After a severe heart attack, he had to stay in the hospital for several weeks.
The word is a clear compound of 'Herz' (heart) and 'Infarkt' (infarction). 'Infarkt' is the medical term for the blockage of a blood vessel that leads to the death of tissue.
Risikofaktoren für einen Herzinfarkt sind Rauchen und Bluthochdruck.
Risk factors for a heart attack include smoking and high blood pressure.
In connection with a heart attack, the verbs 'haben' (to have), 'bekommen' (to get), or 'erleiden' (to suffer) are usually used. The most formal and dramatic variant is 'einen Herzinfarkt erleiden' (to suffer a heart attack).
Mein Großvater hatte letztes Jahr einen leichten Herzinfarkt.
My grandfather had a mild heart attack last year.
In everyday language, the phrase 'einen Herzinfarkt bekommen/kriegen' (to get/have a heart attack) is often used as an exaggeration. It then expresses extreme fright, stress, or great excitement, without there being a medical emergency.
Als ich die Rechnung sah, habe ich fast einen Herzinfarkt bekommen!
When I saw the bill, I almost had a heart attack!
stroke
'der Herzinfarkt' and 'der Schlaganfall' are both serious medical emergencies and can occur suddenly. That is why they are easy to confuse. The important difference is the part of the body affected: a heart attack involves the heart, because the blood supply to the heart muscle is blocked. A stroke involves the brain, because blood flow there is disrupted. Both situations are life-threatening, but they affect different organs.
Nach starken Schmerzen in der Brust brachte der Notarzt den Mann mit Verdacht auf Herzinfarkt ins Krankenhaus.
After severe chest pain, the emergency doctor took the man to the hospital on suspicion of a heart attack.
Als Frau Becker plötzlich nicht mehr deutlich sprechen konnte, dachten alle sofort an einen Schlaganfall.
When Ms. Becker suddenly could no longer speak clearly, everyone immediately thought of a stroke.