Do You Know The Signs of a Heart Attack?

Once you know the signs of a heart attack, you may be able to save a life because of your quick recognition and resulting action in the emergency. The signs of a heart attack may be different for men and women although the effects of a heart attack for both genders are serious.

Typical Heart Attack Symptoms

You may feel a squeezing or gripping pain in your chest or you could feel a pressure or sense of fullness in your chest that is extremely uncomfortable or painful for you. You may experience this pain or discomfort for a few minutes and it can return once it has stopped.

Shortness of breath may occur before a heart attack or it can happen during the heart attack. Nausea, sweating, dizziness and vomiting are symptoms that are suffered during a heart attack event that are considered atypical symptoms.

Atypical Heart Attack Symptoms

Many times, women may be having a heart attack yet they do not feel the pain that men typically suffer during a heart attack. Women will experience the atypical symptoms of a heart attack that are subtler and may not be recognized as heart attack symptoms.

These atypical symptoms include nausea, weakness, faintness, feeling of exhaustion and indigestion in addition to nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms that women may experience include in their back, jaw or neck and light-headedness.

A heart attack should be treated in the first hour after the attack has occurred because this can reduce further damage to the heart. The faster the time in which a person can receive medical help, the higher their chances will be of surviving the heart attack and preventing further damage to their heart. A heart attack can kill a person within the first hour after the first signs of a heart attack are noticed and reaching medical services is essential to raising your chances of survival from a heart attack.

At the first signs of a heart attack, call 911 or your emergency number. Do not wait longer than five minutes before making the emergency call for help. If you go in your own car, you may not be seen right away so use an emergency vehicle for your arrival at the hospital although it may not always be possible to receive a ride in an ambulance to the hospital.

Even if the symptoms have stopped after a few minutes, you must notify your doctor. Take whatever type of medication that your doctor has prescribed for you in the case of a heart attack. You may place an aspirin under your tongue as a measure for thinning your blood in the case of a blood clot.

Time is valuable and it should not be wasted after the signs of a heart attack are recognized. Seeking medical help quickly and arriving at the hospital through the services of an ambulance will be your best bet at receiving medical attention in a timely way.