Signs of Heart Attack: Need to know about it

Signs of Heart Attack: Need to know about it

Not all heart problems come with clear warning signs. Maybe it starts with the vague sense that you’re just not feeling well: Stomach pain, nausea, shortness of breath, an uncomfortable feeling in your chest. You’re tempted to dismiss these symptoms. Maybe it’s just the flu. You’ll deal with it later — after work, dinner, and the other tasks on your list of to-dos. These symptoms should not be ignored. They are warning signs of a heart attack.

A heart attack is the death of a segment of heart muscle caused by a loss of blood supply. The blood is usually cut off when an artery supplying the heart muscle is blocked by a blood clot. Some heart attacks are sudden and intense. But most start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort.

Signs of a heart attack range from the most classic sign of feeling liken an elephant is sitting on your chest with sweating and arm and jaw pain to less classical signs of a heart attack such as back pain, jaw pain, neck pain, nausea, shortness of breath, palpitations, indigestion, dizziness, and passing out.

Let’s discuss about signs of heart attack in more depth from typical to atypical with the aim to educate readers about signs of heart attack with a hope to save some lives!

Signs of A Heart Attack May Differ in Women

It’s critical to recognize that signs of a heart attack may differ in women. Chest pain is the most common sign of a heart attack in both men and women. But, in some cases, that is where the similarities end. Women are more likely than men to experience shortness of breath, back or jaw pain, nausea, and vomiting. This may be why some women who have a heart attack initially dismiss their symptoms as signs of the flu or some other less scary illnesses. Complicating matters further is the fact that women are more likely than men to have what are known as silent heart attacks.

Signs of a Heart Attack – Chest Pain That May Radiate

Chest pain is the most common and classic sign of a heart attack. It is often poorly localized, but is classically in the area behind the breastbone and associated with a pressure like sensation. The pain may radiate to the neck and jaw and the arms, the left arm most classically with a squeezing like sensation.

Signs of a Heart Attack : Pain that Spreads to the Arm

Another classic heart attack symptom is pain that radiates down the left side of the body.

"It almost always starts from the chest and moves outward," Chambers says. "But I have had some patients who have mainly arm pain that turned out to be heart attacks."

Signs of a Heart Attack – Sweating

Diaphoresis medical term for sweating is a well-known sign of a heart attack. This occurs due to activation of a defense mechanism known as the sympathetic nervous system, a kind of fight or flight response. Sweating day and night Sweating more than usual — especially if you aren’t exercising or being active — could be an early warning sign of heart problems. Pumping blood through clogged arteries takes more effort from your heart, so your body sweats more to try to keep your body temperature down during the extra exertion. If you experience cold sweats or clammy skin, then you should consult your doctor. Night sweats are also a common symptom for women experiencing heart troubles. Women may mistake this symptom for an effect of menopause. However, if you wake up and your sheets are soaked or you cannot sleep due to your sweating, this could be a sign of a heart attack, especially in women.

Signs of a Heart Attack – Shortness of Breath

Shortness of breath is well recognized when it comes to signs of a heart attack. This occurs as a manifestation of heart failure caused by heart muscle dysfunction from the heart attack. Your breathing and your heart pumping blood effectively are very closely related. Your heart pumps blood so it can circulate to your tissues as well as get oxygen from your lungs. If your heart can’t pump blood well (as is the case with a heart attack), you can feel short of breath.Shortness of breath can sometimes be an accompanying symptom to unusual fatigue in women. For example, some women report they would get unusually short of breath and tired for the activity they were performing. Going to the mailbox could leave them exhausted and unable to catch their breath. This can be a common sign of heart attack in women.

What to Do If Experiencing Signs of a Heart Attack?

The term time is muscle is very relevant here. In the setting of a heart attack, with each minute that passes there is a chance of increasing and often irreversible heart damage. With quick action heart muscle and lives can be saved. If a heart attack is suspected then an ambulance must be called without delay. The patient needs to be taken to a hospital capable of dealing with a heart attack immediately and action taken. On immediate encounter with a healthcare provider, if a heart attack is suspected then medicine such as aspirin will be given without delay.

Signs of A Heart Attack – A Summary

Although the classic presentation of a heart attack is chest pain and pressure, radiating to the neck and jaw and left arm with shortness of breath, its important to recognize many patients will have alternative signs and symptoms, especially women. These include back pain, jaw pain, neck pain, nausea, and shortness of breath, palpitations, indigestion, dizziness, and passing out as signs of a heart attack. The most important move if suspecting signs of a heart attack is to call an ambulance without delay as this may well save the life of the person experiencing the heart attack.