Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

Heart diseases are the leading cause of death and heart attack is one of the manifestations of heart diseases. A heart attack can develop over a period of time in some conditions while sudden and un-alarmed in others. Where it develops over some time if you're careful enough you can read through the warning signs and take adequate precautions.

Given below are some of the signs of heart attack which can be read easily and thus help in foiling a serious threat:

1.Chest discomfort- The earliest and most common warning sign of heart attack is heaviness or discomfort in the chest. Sometimes people might confuse a burning sensation from acid reflux as heart attack or heart attack as acid reflux, latter leading to a perilous situation. It is important not to take the sign for granted and rush to the doctor if it occurs more than once. If someone else is complaining of the chest pain, you may not know for certain if it's first or the second time, hence rush them to the doctor for a quick check up no matter what.

2.Shortness of breath- Feeling short of breath or like you are gasping for air is a common symptom of a heart attack. Shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing, is medically known as dyspnea. Shortness of breath may occur before or during the chest pain of a heart attack, and in some cases, it may be associated with other heart attack symptoms without any chest pain.

 

3.Sweating- Sweating, or perspiration, can accompany a heart attack. Some people have described feeling like they are breaking out in a cold sweat.

Nausea: A continuous nauseating feeling might warn towards the commencement of a heart attack. It shouldn't be overlooked especially when nausea has been there for a while without any obvious reason. It could be a result of an arterial block.

4.Heartburn and/or indigestion- As mentioned above, some people experiencing a heart attack can have belching and burping and describe a feeling of indigestion. Likewise, the pain and pressure of a heart attack may occur in the epigastric or upper middle abdominal area, similar to the pain of heartburn.

5.Arms numbness- Sometimes you might experience numbness in your arms or they might even seem to be drifting towards a side, it might mean a heart attack is on its way.

6.Motor/sensory insensitivity- If one or more parts of the body stop responding, you cannot ignore the sign. It's certainly hinting towards a serious situation. Commonly arms, shoulders and back of the neck might be affected.

7.Slurring of speech: Well, if you're finding it difficult to speak out your words properly be cautioned. Difficulty in speaking coherently is another sign of heart attack, a serious one in fact. Check with people around yourself to see if they are able to understand your speech. If they find you slurring it means you need to visit the doctor.

If you read the warning signs correctly and in time a heart attack could be avoided. Immediately seek medical attention as soon as you've identified one or more of the signs mentioned above. Even if it wasn't a heart attack and just a minor issue, a visit to doctor is warranted. Always remember prevention is better than cure.