Leading Heart Attack Treatment in Southern California

A heart attack is also known as acute myocardial infarction. If you have a heart attack, some of your heart muscle dies, which can affect your quality of life significantly.

A heart attack can be both prevented and treated. The goal is to preserve the functioning of your heart and avoid a future heart attack.

The highly skilled doctors at Dignity Health Southern California know how to keep your heart healthy, while treating you with dignity as a partner in your own well-being. We provide exceptional heart attack treatment in Southern California at our convenient locations in Long Beach, Northridge, Downtown LA, Glendale, and San Bernardino. Find a Doctor using our easy online tool and make an appointment today.

Heart Attack Prevention

To help reduce your risk of heart attack:

  • Get treatment for heart conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
  • Maintain control of your blood sugar if you have Type 2 diabetes.
  • Learn effective ways to cope with stress.
  • Eat a diet low in sodium and rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Maintain a healthy body weight.
  • If you smoke, quit. It’s not easy, but support is available.

Heart Attack Treatment at Dignity Health Southern California

If you have a heart attack, immediate treatment can be lifesaving. If you are experiencing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, call 911. It’s a mistake to wait and see if the symptoms go away first.

Emergency treatments for heart attack include:

  • Nitroglycerine to help relieve chest pain and relax blood vessels so your heart doesn’t have to pump as hard
  • Aspirin to help prevent new blood clots from forming
  • Intravenous pain medication, such as morphine, to ease chest pain and anxiety
  • Oxygen to compensate for shortness of breath

Once your doctor diagnoses a heart attack, treatment options may include: 

  • Stent placement to hold arteries open after unblocking them
  • Coronary angioplasty to clear any blockages in the arteries supplying your heart muscle
  • Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, also called “bypass” or “heart bypass” surgery 

After initial recovery, follow-up treatments may include:

  • Cardiac rehabilitation to help keep your heart healthy
  • Medications to manage heart conditions such as high blood pressure
  • Lifestyle changes such as eating a heart-healthy diet and getting regular exercise
  • Quitting smoking to reduce your risk of another heart attack

Considering Your Heart Attack Treatment Options

Immediate heart attack treatment is life-saving, so you may not be able to make your own decisions in the moment. During recovery, there will be more time to talk with your doctor and consider next steps, including the advantages and disadvantages of different treatment options. 

At Dignity Health Southern California, we believe in the patient-doctor partnership. You will determine the best go-forward plan together based on the extent of damage to your heart, the severity of your condition, your overall health, and your lifestyle challenges.

Dignity Health doctors are committed to one-on-one heart attack treatment and prevention in Southern California.