Heart Attack Signs You Definitely Should Pay Attention To!

People often expect a heart attack to be a dramatic and sudden event, like what is portrayed in movies. However, the reality is typically more nuanced and can sometimes go unnoticed. It's crucial to understand that heart attacks often start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. The symptoms can be subtle and confusing, so they can be easily overlooked or dismissed as less serious issues. Let's look at them together now.  

 

What happens during a heart attack?

During a heart attack, the blood flow to the heart muscle is either reduced or completely stops. This typically happens because of a blood clot that is blocking an artery. When the heart muscle does not get oxygen-rich blood, it ceases to work. 

 

Some common heart attack symptoms  

 

• A heart attack often causes chest pain. 

 

• There is a feeling of fullness or a clasping pain in the center of the chest. Most victims describe the pain as akin to an elephant standing on the chest (extreme pain). It usually lasts for about 15 minutes. 

 

• One also experiences shooting pain in the shoulders, neck, arm, back and sometimes even the teeth and jaw. 

 

• One undergoes increasing episodes of chest pain. 

 

• Prolonged pain in the upper abdomen. 

 

• Shortness of breath. 

 

• The victim might experience heavy sweating. 

 

• Since the heart’s pumping action is severely impaired during a severe heart attack, the victim might lose his/her consciousness. 

 

* In rare cases, as in patients who are diabetic, the heart attack may not be very painful, and sometimes can even be entirely painless.

Some symptoms that may also appear include: 

 

• Pain in the abdomen 

 

• Heart burn 

 

• Unusual tiredness 

 

• Nausea 

 

• Tightness or pain in the neck, shoulders or upper back 

 

Heart attack symptoms are not the same for everyone 

 

Not all heart attacks are the same, and they don't all have the same symptoms. Some heart attacks strike suddenly, but many start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Paying attention to your body and recognizing the signs can save your life. Many think heart attacks are sudden attacks of intense, unmistakable pain, but in truth, many miss heart attacks thinking it might be mere abdominal discomfort due to gas pains or indigestion. It's better to seek medical attention and be told it's not a heart attack than to ignore the symptoms and find out too late that it was. Don't let embarrassment, or fear you're wrong, hold you back from seeking medical attention. 

 

Also, women may experience symptoms differently from men. They're more likely to have:

Shortness of breath 

 

Nausea/vomiting 

 

 Back or jaw pain. ​

 

Sometimes heart disease may be silent and not diagnosed until a woman experiences signs or symptoms of a heart attack, heart failure, an arrhythmia, or stroke.

Not everyone who has a heart attack has the same symptoms. Many a time, we also tend to ignore a heart attack thinking it might be mere abdominal discomfort due to gas pains or indigestion. If you have more than a few of the symptoms listed above, then you are likely to be having one. Get emergency help immediately. 

 

What to do in case of a heart attack? 

• Rush to a hospital, immediately. If you recognize that you or someone around you is having a heart attack, get immediate medical help.

 

 • Take Aspirin: As soon as you recognize it is an attack, crush an aspirin, dissolve it in water and make the person drink it. 

 

• Emergency numbers: Every office and home must keep a list of emergency numbers like that of an ambulance service and hospital. 

 

A heart attack is different from cardiac arrest 

 

Do not confuse a heart attack with cardiac arrest. In the case of cardiac arrest, the heart suddenly stops. It occurs due to an electrical disturbance that obstructs the heart’s pumping function, which results in stopping blood flow to the rest of the body. Below are two fact files detailing the differences between a heart attack and cardiac arrest:

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Fact File  

 

SCA is a chaotic electrical condition of the heart resulting in the loss of blood flow to the brain and body. The most common form of SCA is ventricular fibrillation. 

 

Causes  

Electrical impulses of the heart become chaotic due to a blow to the chest or other (sometimes-unknown) health-related issues. As a result, the heart stops beating regularly and begins to flutter rapidly. 

 

Symptoms  

Typically, there are no symptoms of SCA. Usually, the first indication of SCA is when the victim faints. The second sign is breathing cessation.

Victim's Response 

A sudden cardiac arrest victim always loses consciousness from lack of oxygen.

 

 Risk of Death

A victim of SCA will die unless treated. If left untreated, the chances of survival decrease by 10% per minute. Typically, permanent brain damage occurs within 5-7 minutes.

Treatment 

The only treatment for SCA is defibrillation from an automated external defibrillator (AED). A shock from the AED stops the chaotic electrical activity and allows the heart's sinus node to resume a normal electrical impulse. 

 

Heart Attack Fact File 

The medical term for a heart attack is myocardial infarction: a blockage of the coronary arteries leading to a decrease in blood flow. When this happens, the heart muscles die or become permanently damaged. 

 

Causes 

Plaque made of cholesterol and other cells builds up in the walls of the heart’s arteries. When the build-up is great enough, the plaque creates a blockage, known as an occlusion, which restricts the blood supply to the heart muscle. 

 

Symptoms 

Warning signs of a heart attack include a tightening feeling in the chest, a sore or numb left arm, lower back, neck, and/or jaw. Other signs include bad indigestion, a feeling that something heavy is sitting on your chest, and shortness of breath. 

 

Victim's Response 

The victim of a heart attack is usually conscious and alert. 

 

Risk of Death  

Most victims can recover fully and lead normal lives, but about a third of heart attacks are deadly. A heart attack can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.  

 

Treatment

One treatment of a heart attack can be angioplasty, which opens up the blocked vessels with a medical balloon. Afterwards, a stent can be placed in the artery to help keep it open. Other treatments include clot-busting drugs called thrombolytics or nitroglycerin to reduce chest pain. 

 

So, remember this information, and most of all, remember the ABCs of heart care: Avoiding Tobacco, stress and fatty foods, being more active and choosing the right nutrition and lifestyle that will keep your heart healthy!

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women over 40

Menopause normally occurs around 50-55 years or earlier and is preceded by the perimenopause stage. Reduced estrogen production, puts women at higher risk for heart attacks. Greater awareness of disparities is a critical first step to improving cardiovascular outcomes for women. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women over 40, especially those who have attained menopause. Over 56 per cent of women in the age group of 30-69 yrs in rural areas of India fall prey to heart-disease related mortality. Menopause normally occurs around 50-55 years or earlier and is preceded by the perimenopause stage, wherein women experience hormonal changes and declining estrogen levels. Reduced estrogen production as well as the amount of estrogen produced by the ovaries, puts women at higher risk for heart attacks.

https://www.news9live.com/health/covid-19/international-womens-day-heart-disease-is-the-leading-cause-of-death-in-women-over-40-157782

Menopause normally occurs around 50-55 years or earlier and is preceded by the perimenopause stage.

Reduced estrogen production, puts women at higher risk for heart attacks.

Greater awareness of disparities is a critical first step to improving cardiovascular outcomes for women.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women over 40, especially those who have attained menopause. Over 56 per cent of women in the age group of 30-69 yrs in rural areas of India fall prey to heart-disease related mortality. Menopause normally occurs around 50-55 years or earlier and is preceded by the perimenopause stage, wherein women experience hormonal changes and declining estrogen levels. Reduced estrogen production as well as the amount of estrogen produced by the ovaries, puts women at higher risk for heart attacks.

Moreover, in many areas of cardiovascular disease, even when they are diagnosed women are under-treated compared with men. For example, women are less likely to receive statins for dyslipidemia and less likely to receive anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation (AFib). Further, even after a heart attack (acute coronary syndrome), they are less likely to be prescribed guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), less likely to receive appropriate treatment in a timely fashion, and less likely to undergo angioplasty/surgery. Women also need more help with prevention: among other issues, they are less likely to get an adequate amount of physical activity, more likely to be obese, and less likely to quit smoking compared with men. Greater awareness of these disparities is a critical first step to improving cardiovascular outcomes for women.

Heart attack symptoms for women

While the most common heart attack symptom in women is the same as in men (some type of chest pain, pressure or discomfort that lasts more than a few minutes or comes and goes). The difference lies that in women, in many cases chest pain may not be severe and might even not be noticed (in women it's possible to have a heart attack without chest pain). Rather women may have other heart attack symptoms but not chest pain like neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or upper belly (abdomen) discomfort, shortness of breath, pain in one or both arms, nausea or vomiting, sweating, lightheadedness or dizziness, unusual fatigue or even acidity (indigestion).

Moreover, even these symptoms may be vague and not as noticeable as the crushing chest pain often associated with heart attacks in men. The reason could be that often women have blockages not only in their main arteries but also in the smaller ones that supply blood to the heart (aka coronary microvascular disease). In women, emotional stress can play a major role in triggering heart attack and women tend to have symptoms more often when resting, or even when asleep.

This is the reason that women might be diagnosed less often with heart disease than are men but on the other hand, women are more likely than men to have a heart attack with no severe blockage in an artery (non-obstructive coronary artery disease).

Tips for women that can help in preventing cardiovascular disease

1. Manage stress: Stress is an important cause of not only heart disease but also increases the risk of heart attack (rupture of vulnerable plaque). Reducing stress by exercising, yoga and dhyan (practising mindfulness), listening to soothing music, art and increasing friend circle are some ways to reduce stress.

2. Exercise and maintain a healthy weight: If overweight, losing even a few kilos can lower heart disease risks.

3. Follow treatment plan religiously: Take medications as prescribed, such as blood pressure medications, blood thinners and aspirin.

4. Quit smoking: Don't smoke, don't start, quit smoking and even avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.

5. Eat a healthy diet: Opt for whole grains, raw fruits and vegetables, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and white meats. Avoid saturated or trans fats, added sugars, and high amounts of salt.

6. Avoid or limit alcohol: Drink in moderation or avoid completely. Limit to 1 drink per day.

7. Manage risk factors: High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes increase the risk of heart disease.

Exercise and heart health

Women are especially susceptible to physical inactivity. Regular activity helps keep the heart-healthy. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercises, such as walking at a brisk pace, on most days of the week. If that's more than you can do, start slowly and build up. Even five minutes a day of exercise has health benefits.

If unable to do at a stretch, break up your workouts into several 10-

minute sessions during a day. Another option is interval training: 

alternate short bursts of intense activity with intervals of lighter 

activity. Moderate exercise can maintain a healthy weight, improve 

blood pressure and thus reduce the risk of heart diseases.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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