Do You Know Heart Attack Signs?

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Q. Glen, What are the signs that you are having a heart attack?

A. We've all seen the Hollywood movie where the character clutches his or her chest in agony and drops to the ground. While this is our vision of a heart attack, the reality may be very different.

While some heart attacks are sudden and intensely painful, most start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort that lasts just a few minutes. As a result, people often wait hours to seek help, a delay that can be lethal. Some new research shows that many heart-attack victims don't experience chest pain or anything like the classic "Hollywood" heart attack.

One study showed that for as many as a third of sufferers, sudden excessive sweating is the symptom most likely to send them to the doctor. One reason excessive sweating might send a person to the doctor is that it's not as easily explained away as shortness of breath, nausea, chest pain and fatigue, which can be attributed to overdoing things, a bad night's sleep, a flu bug or any number of things.

WHAT'S A HEART ATTACK?
What exactly is a heart attack? When one of the arteries that supplies blood to a portion of the heart is blocked, this can cause injury to that part of the heart muscle. Irreversible injury to the heart muscle usually occurs if medical help is not received promptly. Unfortunately, it is common for people to dismiss heart-attack symptoms. Aside from the excess sweating, some of the more common signs of a heart attack include:

Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms. The pain can be mild or intense. The pain may feel like a heavy weight, tightness or burning; it can be located in the chest, upper abdomen, neck or jaw.

Paleness.

Anxiety, nervousness or sweaty skin.

Increased or irregular heartbeat.

Feeling of impending doom.

Chest discomfort, with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea and shortness of breath.

As with men, women's most common heart-attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

Not all of these signs occur in every heart attack. Sometimes they may go away and come back. If some occur, it's important that you get help. Call 911. If you are near someone and they go into cardiopulmonary arrest (they aren't breathing and have no pulse), start CPR right away if you know how.

So heart attacks can show themselves in many ways besides chest pain. And you need to be ready to recognize the symptoms, which may include sweating or just sudden confusion. Any delay in treatment can make the consequences of a heart attack much, much worse.

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !

Wishing You A Healthy Life Style!

Any questions?

Ask Glen!