Heart Attack! Do You Know the Warning Signs?
Heart Attack! Do You Know the Warning Signs?
Did you know that a person with heart disease has a five to seven times greater risk of having a heart attack compared with someone with a healthy heart? In light of those numbers, you'd think that someone with heart disease would be familiar with the signs of a heart attack…right?
Wrong. New research shows that nearly half of patients with a history of heart disease not only don't know the signs of heart attack, they don't see themselves as being at increased risk. The odds of surviving a heart attack improve if treatment begins within an hour of symptom onset, so it's crucial to seek treatment as soon as possible. But if patients don't know the signs, they might not realize they're having a heart attack. And if they don't know they're at greater risk, they might attribute their symptoms to something else.
So if your parent has heart disease, now's the time for you both to boost your heart attack IQ. If you don't think your parent can learn the symptoms by heart, print them out and post copies on the fridge, in the bathrooms, and next to the phone. Write "CALL 911!" at the top of each sheet in big, block letters.
You can find a complete list and and detailed descriptions of heart attack symptoms in this article. But if you don't feel like clicking, here's the list in a nutshell:
- Chest pain or discomfort (pressure, squeezing, or a feeling of "fullness") that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back.
- Pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body -- one or both arms, neck, back, jaw, or stomach.
- Shortness of breath (with or without chest pain or discomfort).
- "Flu-like" symptoms, such as nausea, lightheadedness, sweating, pallor, or clamminess.
- A general feeling of extreme weakness or fatigue.
The most common heart attack symptom for both men and women is chest pain or discomfort. But women are more likely to experience other symptoms, particularly jaw or back pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and fatigue. If your mom has heart disease, make sure you're both aware of these "less typical" symptoms.
Image by flickr user Jef Poskanzer used under the Creative Commons attribution license.
Great post. A very informative post detailing about all the consequences of heart attack. This is the most serious issue that can save lot of lives during the heart attack of cardiac arrest. In the cases of heart attack and cardiac arrest, or any other heart shocks, time sets to be the most crucial factor for the survival of the patient. Keith Churchwell has extraordinarily explained the pros and cons while handling patient suffering immediate heart attack or cardiac arrest in www.wellsphere.com/complementary-alternative-medicine-article/heart-attack-or-cardiac-arrest/610913. The response a person takes to treat a victim decides the probability of his/her survival. It’s been my personal experience fighting to survive against a heart attack. A quick recognization of your bodily responses may increase your chances of survival. Because of having many heart problems, I was enrolled in a concierge Healthcare program from elite health. I was attacked by a severe heart attack in a party, luckily surrounded by many people. Some of the sudden changes in my body was recognized by me and anticipated immediately. I got a very severe chest pain which was almost unbearable for more than a minute. I got the suspicion that I might be having heart attack, and immediately called my physician on the phone, and explained my condition and its severity. Because of the immediate guidance, I was directed immediately to have an aspirin which I used to carry with me as prescribed by my physician. It was quite a frightening experience for me to face such a heart attack, but somehow I managed to be calm until 911 arrived. I was immediately taken to the nearest hospital, where already my physician were present and have got everything setup according to my medical history. And it was in some matter of seconds that everything was in control. A doctor, who already have the complete knowledge of the medical history and fitness of the person, extra ordinarily ameliorate your recovery process. Hence such a concierge level program from Elite health, helped me a save my life, like many others.
im a 37 y/o male im still having breathing problems, 2 hours ago at work i passed out threw up fluid and had convultions for an hour. My heart beats fast and beats hard at times and makes me catch my breath, did i have a heart attack tonight what should i do? butchnreadyforu@yahoo.com
You're so right, DKT. Women may not think they're having heart attacks -- or perhaps even worse, they aren't taken seriously when they seek help. That's why it's important to get the word out.
The other BIG problem is denial. It's one thing to know and recognize the symptoms... quite another to act on them. This seems to be especially true for women... and the more a woman is in the role of caregiver (i.e., mom, wife) the more she is likely to put herself last. The stats for women are not encouraging: http://www.smart-heart-living.com/women_and_heart.html