HEART

A heart attack or myocardial infarction, attacks one million people in the United States, killing 400,000 of them each year. A heart attack is the sudden malfunctioning of a portion of the heart, and if there is a delay in treatment, the tissue may be dead and unable to be healed. This is one reason why it is important to be on the alert for heart attack symptoms, especially if one has a family history of heart problems or is at risk. The cause of a heart attack is a blood clot in the arteries which cuts off the blood supply and may cause pain and pressure in the arms. The clot may be caused by clogged arteries which may become blocked by fatty deposits.

Heart attack symptoms may be extreme, mild or may scarcely be felt at all. Symptomless heart attacks are called “silent heart attacks” and can be quite dangerous because it is essential that heart attacks be treated right away to prevent permanent heart damage, and without symptoms, it is difficult to get the needed treatment. Many heart attack symptoms may be confused with other problems such as heart burn or the flu. Common heart attack symptoms include a pain or a squeezing sensation in the chest. This may be mild or extreme. Jaw pain or a headache are other heart attack symptoms, but in isolation, it would be difficult to associate these with the onset of cardiac arrest. Shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting may occur. There may be a pain the back or the arm, usually the left and a vague feeling of illness or a general malaise. One fourth of all heart attacks are without symptoms and may go untreated for some time. Untreated heart attacks cause the most damage to the heart.

It was falsely believed for a long time that women were not vulnerable to heart attacks. While men are more likely than women to have heart attacks up to a certain age, after menopause when women undergo hormonal changes, they are more likely to suffer from heart attacks, and women have a much higher rate of mortality than men from a first heart attack. Therefore, it is essential that women who have a family history of heart disease, especially among women in the family to be have regularly checkups and be on the alert for heart attack symptoms. For women, heart attack symptoms are similar to those experienced by men, but the danger is that women may not be as alert to heart attacks symptoms because of the misconception that the emergency is more likely to happen to a man. Once women are aware that it could happen to them, they will be on the alert for heart attack symptoms.

Any one of the many heart attack symptoms may go ignored because it might not seem obviously connected to the heart, such as headaches and nausea. However, once a few heart attack symptoms are combined, it may seem more obvious that a cardiac arrest is occurring. It is essential to get help upon experiencing heart attack symptoms, and while it is not a good idea to be a hypochondriac, it is better to be more, rather than less, cautious.