Ignoring Heart Attack Warning Signs Is Deadly Mistake

While driving down the road if a sign appeared informing you that the road ended ahead you would start looking for an alternate route before the street ended. Many people may be taking the wrong road when it comes to their health but by ignoring the heart attack warning signs, their trip through life may come to an end. Knowing what to look for and how to react can be a lifesaving experience while ignoring the heart attack warning signs can be deadly.

When a heart attack strikes, often with little warning, time is of the essence to minimize the damage it can do to the heart muscle. The most common cause of a heart attack is a blood clot blocking the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart. Restoring blood flow, if it happens within the first hour, often reduces the long-term damage done to the heart. Those at risk for heart attack should understand and be alert for the heart attack warning signs so proper emergency care can be rendered quickly.

Typically, the first symptom to appear will be chest pain, located in the upper chest, slightly off center to the patient s left. The pain may radiate into the left, or sometimes both arms and can even be felt into the neck and back. This is one of the most common heart attack warning signs and should not be ignored.

Some Signs Confused With Other Ailments

Some of the other heart attack warning signs, difficulty breathing and loss of balance, may be confused with signs of other ailments. Many times persons feeling chest discomfort may believe it is due to indigestion and by the time they realize it is a heart attack, too much time has passed. By waiting the extra time, the window for appropriate action may be closed, making the damage to the heart unrepairable.

If a person experiences muscle weakness or trouble breathing and they have not been involved in heavy exercise of physical activity, it is one of the heart attack warning signs that shouldn t be ignored. Many times a shortness of breath is attributed to a recent activity, but if it hasn t been experienced previously, it should not be ignored.

Many experiencing the heart attack warning signs are reluctant to go to the emergency room or call an ambulance for fear of being ridiculed for reacting to another problem. However, by not reacting to the heart attack warning signs they can leave themselves open to permanent heart damage, or worse.