Why Does a Heart Attack Radiate Pain in the Left

question 10

Multiple Choice

Why does a heart attack radiate pain in the left shoulder and arm?

• A) The left shoulder and arm are the first to lose their blood supply and begin to hurt.
• B) Sometimes, stimulation of internal pain receptors is felt as pain from the skin.
• C) The nerves that innervate the heart go through the left shoulder and arm before going to the spinal cord.
• D) Damage to the heart muscle results in a flood of inflammatory products carried by the blood stream to the left shoulder and arm first.
• E) The heart will close off the blood supply to the arteries that supply the left arm, leading to the pain.

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Definitions:

Synaptic Vesicle

A synaptic vesicle is a small, spherical vesicle that contains neurotransmitters and is found within the terminal of a nerve fiber.

Sensory Impulses

Electrical signals that are generated by sensory receptors and travel along sensory neurons to the brain, where they are interpreted as sensations like touch, taste, sound, and sight.

Visual Association Area

A region of the brain that processes complex visual information, integrating features such as color, motion, and shape to form a coherent visual perception.