What is a heart attack (myocardial
infarction)? A person experiences a
heart attack when the blood supply to the heart itself is blocked and
inadequate. Just as we have arteries and
veins carrying blood to all parts of our body, we have coronary arteries which
carry blood to the heart muscle and veins which carry blood away from the heart
muscle back into our body circulation. When the blood supply to the heart
muscle is inadequate, a heart attack occurs.
What are symptoms of a heart attack? Classic symptoms include
·
Chest
discomfort (discomfort like an elephant is sitting on your chest) which might
be described as pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. This discomfort can last awhile or it can go
away and come back.
·
Pain
that radiates up into the neck, arms (one or both), jaw, stomach, back.
·
Being
short of breath, whether you are exercising or not (especially if not
exercising)
· A cold sweat, nausea and being dizzy or lightheaded
Anyone can experience the classic
symptoms of a heart attack, but often women experience the more subtle symptoms
of a heart attack such as fatigue, being short of breath, nausea, jaw or back
pain. The American Heart Association
talks about women’s subtle symptoms of heart attack on their Go Red for Women
website at https://www.goredforwomen.org/about-heart-disease/symptoms_of_heart_disease_in_women/hard-to-recognize-heart-attack-symptoms/
What should you do if you experience any of these symptoms of heart attack. Call 9-1-1 for emergency care. Do not try to drive yourself to your doctor or local emergency room. If you should pass out from your symptoms, you might hurt yourself and others so be smart and call 9-1-1 for emergency services.
No comments:
Post a Comment