How Do I Know If I Am Having A Heart Attack?

People who survive heart attacks often describe pains in their chest, neck, shoulders, arms or jaw. Sometimes the chest pains are the least noticeable of all discomfort and sometimes not present at all. Those who do experience chest pain sometimes describe it as a crushing pain, as if the chest was being squashed by a tight belt. Others say it is like a heavy weight pressing intotheir chest. If this type of pain is accompanied by dizziness, shortness of breath, sweating, faintness or an irregular pulse this makes heart attack the most likely cause. However, chest pain can be caused by other conditions. Indigestion is one of the more common complaints often misinterpreted as the signs of a heart attack. A sudden bout of exercise can cause pains in the upper body if the person is normally sedentary nad not all that fit. Don't ignore any symptoms.  Because heart disease is often undiagnosed until that first heart attack.

Heart attack can occur due to a number of factors related with the blood circulation and interruption in oxygen supply to the heart muscles. The heart being metabolically active organ constantly needs adequate energy and a good continuous supply of blood to carry out its activities.

If an area of the heart musculate receives insufficiently supply of blood, the oxygen supply to this area becomes deficient. Due to deficient supply of oxygen, the cardiac muscles, which are extremely sensitive, will die and this will result in a heart attack. Heart attack may also be caused due to insufficient supply of blood to the cardiac muscles (not to the level that would cause the death of the heart muscles) due to the narrowing of the blood vessels.

The symptoms of the heart attack are same as those of angina pectoris i.e. chest pain (in the center of chest), and moving pain in the left arm and shoulder. Recovery from a heart attack depends upon the extent of damage to the heart tissue. If the blood vessels of the heart can enhance their capacity to provide sufficient supplies of blood to the tissue, this can bring about recovery from heart attack. The interference of blood supply to the brain, which may be due to a blood clot in the blood vessels or bursting of a blood vessel in the brain, causes brain stroke.

The signs of a heart attack are as follows:
1 Pain in the chest
2 Shortness of breath
3 Pain moving to the arm or shoulder blade.

BP of 153/88, 2 weeks earlier-146/72,
no unusual habits, walk 3 miles -3 to 4 times per week. Do not eat many fatty foods, taking ALtace (20mg) and 25mg of another BP med., no change- weight 189 @ 5'9

The first thing you will experience is chest pain radiating down your arm. It may make it feel numb ot throbbing. You will become sweaty, possibly have skin color turn bluish around the mouth or nail beds. You could also have nausea and vomiting.

Warning signs of a heart attack (aka myocardial infarction)
can be the classic signs of pressure or a squeezing sensation in the
chest under the breastbone. With angina, this occurs with exertion, and
is relieved by rest; this is usually a warning sign of poor circulation to the heart (a pre-MI). Sometimes, this can be accompanied by shortness of breath.
Sometimes this pain radiates to the left jaw or arm. The signs can be
as subtle as a heartburn-like sensation or a toothache. The subtle
signs are more likely in women and diabetics, as the nerve conduction patterns may be altered. If you have the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, you should be particularly concerned and should have this evaluated, and get a baseline EKG and/or
stress test before an MI occurs. On rare occasion, an MI can be the first and only sign of CV disease, and can be fatal.

"HealthYes! Medical Advisory Board"

Preventive health screening is definitely a great way get more information on your risk for a heart attack.

Warning signs of a heart attack (aka myocardial infarction) can be the classic signs of pressure or a squeezing sensation in the chest under the breastbone. With angina, this occurs with exertion, and

is relieved by rest; this is usually a warning sign of poor circulation to the heart (a pre-MI). Sometimes, this can be accompanied by shortness of breath. Sometimes this pain radiates to the left jaw or arm. The signs can be as subtle as a heartburn-like sensation or a toothache. The subtle signs are more likely in women and diabetics, as the nerve conduction patterns may be altered. If you have the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, you should be particularly concerned and should have this evaluated, and get a baseline EKG and/or stress test before an MI occurs. On rare occasion, an MI can be the first and only sign of CV disease, and can be fatal.

"HealthYes! Medical Advisory Board"

Preventive health screening is definitely a great way get more information on your risk for a heart attack.