According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (a major public health monitoring body in the United States of America), approximately 735,000 people suffer a heart attack each year, of which an estimated 525,000 are new cases. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, but to prevent the risk of death or physical disability, it is essential to recognize the warning signs and symptoms of heart attack. About 47% of sudden heart attack deaths occur outside the hospital, so it is almost plausible to think that many people ignore the early warning signs the body sends. If you are able to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack and have the option to call an ambulance, you can prevent further complications and possibly save a life.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Identify the Common Symptoms of a Heart Attack
Step 1. Look out for pain or tightness in the chest
According to a survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 92% of people questioned know that chest pain is one of the signs of heart attack, but only 27% are aware of all the symptoms and know when to call. first aid. Although it is one of the most common symptoms, you may initially confuse it with epigastric pain or heartburn.
- The chest pain typical of a heart attack is similar to a squeeze, as if someone were exerting pressure on the chest or an elephant was sitting on it. It does not relieve itself by taking an antacid.
- However, in a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that 31 percent of male subjects and 42 percent of female heart attacked subjects felt no chest pain prior to the heart attack. Even those suffering from diabetes risk not showing the classic symptoms of this pathology.
Step 2. Look out for any type of pain in the upper body
The pain caused by a heart attack can radiate from the chest into the surrounding areas, reaching up to the shoulders, arms, back, neck, teeth and jaw. In fact, there is the possibility of not experiencing any chest pain. Toothache or chronic back pain can be the first signs of a heart attack.
Step 3. In the beginning, expect mild symptoms
In almost all cases, the heart attack is ushered in by mild symptoms such as those described below. However, don't suffer in silence. Rather, if they don't go away within five minutes, call an ambulance to get help immediately.
Step 4. Consider whether the pain is caused by angina pectoris (in case the patient has already suffered from heart attacks)
Ask the patient if angina disappears quickly after following the proper treatment. Some people with coronary artery disease suffer from angina, or chest pain from exertion. It occurs when the heart muscle cannot get enough oxygen to support the body's activity. People with angina can take a drug that can help open the coronary arteries and eliminate pain. If the problem does not go away quickly with rest or treatment, it can indicate an impending heart attack.
Step 5. Don't underestimate stomach pain, nausea and vomiting
The pain caused by a heart attack can be concentrated in the abdominal area. It resembles heartburn but is not relieved by taking an antacid. You may also have nausea and vomiting without chest pain or other signs of gastrointestinal problems.
Step 6. Call the ambulance if you suspect a heart attack
Do not do anything else. Don't hesitate to seek medical assistance. To recover without severe damage to your heart muscle, you need to get first treatment within an hour of symptoms onset.
Do not take aspirin without your doctor's advice. Only ambulance health workers and emergency room medical staff can decide if you can take it
Method 2 of 4: Recognizing the Less Frequent Symptoms of Heart Attack
Step 1. If the patient is a female, she may have rarer symptoms
Unlike men, women may have other uncommon symptoms more frequently. Some of these include:
- Sudden weakness
- Muscle aches;
- General feeling of malaise, similar to that of the common "flu";
- Sleep disorders.
Step 2. Watch out for sudden breathing difficulties
Wheezing is a symptom of heart attack that precedes chest pain. In these cases, you feel like you don't have enough oxygen in your lungs or like you've just finished a run.
Step 3. Notice the lightheadedness, anxiety and sweating
Symptoms of a heart attack can include a feeling of unmotivated anxiety. You may feel lightheaded or in a cold sweat, without experiencing chest pain or other symptoms.
Step 4. Notice if you feel like your heart is in your throat
Do you have a pounding heart? If you feel the heart is pounding and won't stop, you have palpitations, or you feel the rhythm has changed, be aware that these are rare but possible signs of a heart attack.
Method 3 of 4: Assess Risk Factors
Step 1. Be aware that there are various risk factors
On some you can intervene by changing your lifestyle, but on others you cannot act directly. However, you have a chance to make better decisions if you are aware that your choices increase or decrease the risk of heart attack and heart disease.
Step 2. Know the risk factors that you cannot change
When evaluating your overall risk of a heart attack, you should consider risk factors that you cannot change, including:
- The age. Men over 45 and women over 55 are at greater risk.
- Family history. If you have had an early heart attack in your family, you may be at high risk.
- Autoimmune Diseases. If you have an autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, your risk of heart attack is higher.
- Preeclampsia, a serious complication of pregnancy.
Step 3. Know the risk factors you can change
You can reduce their impact on the development of heart disease by changing your lifestyle, such as eliminating negative behaviors and adopting more positive ones. These factors include:
- Smoking, a known risk factor for sudden cardiac death in people with coronary heart disease (cigarettes increase the risk of developing these diseases);
- Hypertension;
- Physical inactivity;
- Diabetes;
- Obesity;
- High cholesterol
- Stress and drug use.
Step 4. Reduce the risk of heart attack by staying active every day
Take a brisk walk for 15 minutes after lunch and after dinner. Eat a healthy diet low in salt, fat and carbohydrates, but high in protein and unsaturated fat.
- Stop smoking.
- If you are at risk of a heart attack or are just recovering, follow your doctor's recommendations for treatment and medication.
Method 4 of 4: Find Out About Treatments Used in Case of Heart Attack
Step 1. Consider that once you arrive at the emergency room, you will be examined urgently
Since heart attack can be fatal, there is a risk that treatment will not be effective if it is not given quickly. If you are in the emergency room with symptoms of a heart attack, you will be rushed to hospital.
Step 2. Prepare for an EKG
This is a test that measures the electrical activity of the heart. Show the doctor how many muscles have possibly been injured or if the heart attack is still in progress. An injured heart does not conduct electricity as much as a healthy one. The electrical activity of the heart is detected through some electrodes placed on the chest and printed on paper for the doctor's evaluation.
Step 3. Expect blood tests
When a heart attack damages the heart muscle, certain chemicals are released into the bloodstream. Troponin is one that stays in your blood for up to two weeks, so it lets your doctor know if you've recently had an undiagnosed heart attack.
Step 4. Prepare for cardiac catheterization
Your doctor can do this test to get more information about the heart's condition. It consists of inserting a catheter into a blood vessel in order to reach the heart. Most of the time it is introduced into the body through an artery in the groin area, but it is quite a safe procedure. During the examination, the doctor can:
- Take a contrast radiograph that allows him to see if there are narrowed or blocked arteries;
- Check the pressure of the heart chambers;
- Taking blood samples which can be used to measure the oxygen content in the heart chambers;
- Carry out a biopsy;
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the heart pump.
Step 5. Expect echo stress once the heart attack is over
In the following weeks, you may be subjected to a stress test that allows you to assess how the blood vessels of the heart respond to exercise. You will be invited to get on a treadmill and connected to an electrocardiographic device that measures the electrical activity of the heart. This exam will help your doctor come up with a long-term treatment that suits your physical condition.
Advice
Tell friends and family about less common heart attack symptoms to prevent any episodes from going unnoticed or undiagnosed
Warnings
- If you are experiencing these or other symptoms that you do not know, do not hesitate and do not suffer in silence. Instead, call the ambulance so you can get immediate medical help. Prompt treatment will limit the risk of complications.
- If you think you are having a heart attack, don't move or strain or else you could further compromise your heart. Ask someone to call an ambulance.
