I think everyone has heard of the dangers of eating high fat foods, being overweight and under exercised and how all those things can increase the risk of heart attack. What many may not know is that there are signs of empending heart attack that begin days of even weeks before the actual cardiac event in at least 50% of the cases. If these signs are noticed when they occur, treatment can be given to avoid permanent damage to the heart.
Early Signs of Heart Attack
mild chest discomfort/pain
radiation of that discomfort going down one or both arms
Jaw pain
Heartburn
Unusual fatigue
Shortness of breath
Back pain
Restlessness
Anxiety
Jaw pain in women
More Typical/Well Known Signs (usually during the actual event)
Intense substernal pressure
Perfuse sweating
Nausea and/or Vomiting
You could have any combination of these. You may also find that these symptoms come and go suddenly. You may be inclined to explain these signs away as simple stress, indigestion or a pulled muscle. The only way to know for sure is to immediately see a licensed medical professional that can perform blood work and other diagnostic tests to rule out any cardiac event. Remember this: Minutes wasted=Heart muscle death! The more time that goes by the more damage that can occur to the heart and the greater risk of death!
To further lessen your chances of heart attack, take inventory of your lifestyle as well as family history of disease. This 'inventory' is actually a list of what is know as risk factors. Some are modifiable, meaning you can work to change them, while others are not. Below is a list of risk factors.
Modifiable Risk Factors
Diet high in fat
Being Overweight
Stress
Tobacco use
High cholesterol levels
Excessive alcohol consumption
High blood pressure
Uncontrolled Diabetes Type II
Non-modifiable Risk Factors
Age
Gender
Race
Family history
Your best defense against heart disease/heart attack is to know and recognize the signs and do what you can to lessen your risk. Remember, denial is the first response but time is crucial and the quicker you act the less damage there will be to your heart!
During a Cardiac Event-
Time wasted=Heart muscle lost!
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-disease/DS01120/DSECTION=risk-factors
Related articles
New Therapy For Heart Attacks (ljpersonalhealth.com)
Heart disease No. 1 killer of women (thegazette.com)
