subject: Survive a Heart Attack! [print this page] Recent studies have shown that men and women perceive pain differently and this may help explain why men and women report different heart attack symptoms.
Many lifesaving heart attack treatments, such as clot busting drugs and balloon angioplasty, work best if given within the first hour after a heart attack begins. n. Learning to recognize the wide variety of symptoms that may be experienced before and during a heart attack will help you get the treatment you need fast - and may even save your life.
What are pre-heart attack symptoms?
Pre-heart attack or prodromal symptoms are symptoms that occur before a heart attack, generally from about 4 to 6 months to 1 week before .
Common pre-heart attack symptoms include :
* Unusual fatigue
* Sleep disturbance
* Shortness of breath
* Chest pain
* Indigestion
* Anxiety
* Pain in shoulder blade or upper back
Common symptoms of a heart attack:
Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack in both men and women. When chest pain occurs, it usually feels like discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes; this pain may come and go.
Although you may not consider what you are feeling to be pain, chest sensations may indicate heart disease or a heart attack.
Other common heart attack symptoms include shortness of breath, sweating, and pain in one or both arms. Shortness of breath may occur at the same time as the chest pain or it may occur before it. Shortness of breath has been found to be more common in women, whereas sweating is more common in men
How to Survive a Heart Attack?:
Act Quickly
Call 9-1-1 immediately. The longer you wait to get medical treatment, the greater the likelihood you will have severe, permanent damage to your heart. The earlier you are treated, the more likely it is that damage to your heart will be kept to a minimum. Many treatments are most effective if given within 1 to 2 hours of when the heart attack begins.
Chew an Aspirin
After calling for help, you should chew an aspirin.A chewed aspirin gets into the bloodstream more quickly than one swallowed whole.
Nitroglycerin
If you've already had a heart attack, ask your physician about having nitroglycerin available in the event of a subsequent attack. If you experience chest pain that does not go away 5 minutes after taking one nitroglycerin tablet, call 9-1-1.You may take up to 3 nitroglycerin tablets (1 every 5 minutes) while waiting for the ambulance.
Another important thing is to always be prepeaed for heart attack.
Find out the location of the nearest hospital that offers 24-hour emergency cardiac care and keep the address handy.Make a list of medications you are taking and/or are allergic to. This will help ensure that you receive the appropriate treatments.
