 Win over heart attack
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Know your enemy - heart attack warning
signs:
Every one of us should be aware of the myriad ways that heart attack presents itself. There are some common signs and some uncommon but equally dangerous signs that warn of an impending heart attack. It behooves us to know each one of those signs as if our lives depended on it – and in fact it does.
While the typical chest grabbing and emotional collapse from heart attack, as seen at the movies, do happen occasionally, the majority of heart attacks are not so dramatic. Some people may feel an aching discomfort in the middle of the chest that gradually increases in severity over the next 15 – 20 minutes and if these symptoms are allowed to last for about 20 –30 min without medical help, a heart attack can result.
Some people feel a sense of pressure over the chest (like somebody is sitting on their chest). Some people may feel the chestpain or pressure move to the arms, neck and jaw. Others might feel difficulty in breathing – People with asthma and emphysema should not ignore difficulty in breathing that is different when compared to their usual breathing difficulty.
People sometimes suffer heart attack when they confuse their chest discomfort with acid reflux (indigestion). Although the difficulty in breathing usually accompanies chestpain, diabetics have to be particularly careful, as the shortness of breath can be the only symptom in them. The chest pain may or may not be associated with vomiting, sweating, lightheadedness and sometimes have a sense of ‘racing heart beat’.
A sudden onset of just numbness of the arm and neck along with sweating may sometimes be the only indication of a heart attack.
Women have an almost equal risk of suffering heart attack as men and they are more likely to have sweating and vomiting sensation as presenting symptoms. Typical chest pain may be slightly less common in women.
Know yourself - Your risk for heart attack:
Each one of us needs to have an assessment of our own risk for a heart attack. It is well known that diabetic people have a two- to four-fold increase in the risk for heart attacks. People with high blood pressure have a two-fold increase in heart attack. If you have high cholesterol, then your risk for heart attack increases two- to three-folds. Smoking cigarettes or cigars also doubles your risk for heart attack. If you are not physically active – your risk for heart attack increases. It is ironic that people who go to the gym for exercise will spend several minutes trying to get the closest parking spot, instead of having to walk from a distance. If you are overweight, your heart attack risk increases.
All the above mentioned risk factors are modifiable. Taking corrective measures by quitting smoking, exercising, watching the diet and managing the bloodpressure and blood glucose can effectively lower the risk for heart attack. Assessing yourself with respect to the modifiable risk factors present in you, will help you seek necessary interventions to lower that risk.
When you combine the knowledge of your own risk for a heart attack with the knowledge of the warning signs of heart attack, you will emerge the winner.
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Dr G Balachander
Cardiologist
Illinois, USA
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