Recognising Heart Attack Symptoms

The media and movies have often given us an image of man clutching his chest and collapsing as typical of heart attack symptoms. While this can happen immediately before a heart attack, there are other signs or symptoms, which are not quite so obvious.

Governments and health organisations have launched campaigns to help people identify all types of heart attack symptoms, including silent heart attack symptoms. For example, Heart Foundation in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, has launched an advertising campaign in 2010 telling people about the necessity of getting medical help for people with symptoms indicating a heart attack as soon as possible.

In another example of public education campaign on heart attack symptoms, the British Heart foundation has launched a website featuring a 2-minute film on the signs of a heart attack. The aim is to give people an idea of what they might experience in the event of a heart attack, so that they can get prompt medical help.

The American Heart Association also has an extensive website on the symptoms of heart attack and advice what to do if you see some one with these symptoms. Call 911 within 5 minutes of seeing a person with heart attack signs, it exhorts the public.

Importance of Recognising Heart Attack Symptoms

Treatment should start within one hour from the time symptoms of heart attack appear, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), US. The NHLBI goes on to report that fifty percent of the people who die because of a heart attack already lost the battle within an hour of the beginning of the symptoms. That's why it's crucial to know when a person or you are suffering from a heart attack so that you can rush to get medical help.

In a heart attack, the blood supply to the heart is blocked or severely impaired. Getting to the hospital emergency room fast in such a scenario can save lives. It can prevent extensive damage to the heart muscles that can result from delayed treatment. The longer you wait, the longer your heart or that of another person waits to receive blood supply. In the process, there can be death or long-term damage. Quick action in the form of medical help is the need of the hour in case of heart attacks.

Silent Heart Attack Symptoms

Silent heart attacks are those where the patient experiences none of the typical heart attack symptoms such as chest pain. The symptoms may be absolutely negligible or may be minor and unusual in the case of a heart attack.

Silent heart attack symptoms can be overlooked as being temporary indisposition. Silent symptoms are not obvious and therefore may be ignored. You may not even notice them or connect them to a heart attack. This can lead to undetected heart attacks.

Although not all symptoms may point to a heart attack, it is still important to watch out for these symptoms and get an immediate check up or medical care

Some silent heart attack symptoms can be:

• Shortness of breath - Some people experience periodic episodes of shortness of breath. They may think that it may due to lack of exercise, being physically unfit or just part of the aging process. It may be good idea to consult a doctor as a precautionary measure.
• Fatigue - Being just plain tired and fatigued can be one of silent early heart attack symptoms.
• Nausea and Vomitting - Many people may just feel nauseous or have vomiting. While this may be dismissed as a case of indigestion, it could also indicate a heart attack.
• A sense of unease or anxiety - Anxiety attacks or sudden sense of foreboding may also be indicative of a heart attack.

According to doctors, a third of heart attack symptoms can consist of these early heart attack signs without any pain in the chest area. Recognising these silent and early heart attack symptoms that are commonly ignored can be an important step in getting timely medical help to protect your heart.

More Pronounced Symptoms of Heart Attack

Apart from silent or early heart attack symptoms, let us review more typical and emphatic symptoms.

• Chest pain - There may be discomfort in the chest area, in the form of increased pressure or a constricting pain in the chest. Chest pain or discomfort is the most pronounced symptom of heart attack.
• Pain spreading through arms, neck and shoulders - Most people with typical heart attack symptoms experience a progressive pain in their left arm. The pain may also be in other areas of the upper body such as neck and jaw.
• Sudden sweating without reason - If some one suddenly breaks out in sweat, even if he or she hasn't exercised and it isn't a hot weather; it may be a heart attack sign.
• Increased heart rate - Sudden increase in heart rate or an irregular heart rate can be symptomatic of a heart attack.