Heart Attack Symptoms and Early Warning Signs.

By: Blogger of Nepal on 1:04 AM

Heart Attack Symptoms and Early Warning Signs.

Heart attack is killer for both men and women. Each year,more than 11 million suffer a heart attack, and most of them are fatal. Those who reach the emergency room have an excellent prognosis; survival from a heart attack with modern treatment should exceed 90%. The 1% to 10% of heart attack victims who die later include those victims who suffer major damage to the heart muscle initially or who suffer additional damage at a later time. Fortunately, procedures such as coronary angiogram and PTCA (coronary balloon angioplasty), and clot dissolving drugs are available that can quickly open blocked arteries in order to restore circulation to the heart and limit heart muscle damage.

Knowing the early warning signs of heart attack is critical for prompt recognition and treatment. Many heart attacks start slowly, unlike the dramatic portrayal often seen in the movies.  A person experiencing a heart attack may not even be sure of what is happening. Although chest pain or pressure is the most common symptom of a heart attack, heart attack victims may experience a diversity of symptoms that include:

Pain, fullness, and/or squeezing sensation of the chest;

Jaw pain, toothache, headache;

Shortness of breath;

Nausea, vomiting, and/or general epigastric (upper middle abdomen) discomfort;

Sweating;

Heartburn and/or indigestion;

Arm pain (more commonly the left arm, but may be either arm);

Upper back pain;

General malaise (vague feeling of illness); and

No symptoms (approximately one quarter of all heart attacks are silent, without chest pain or new symptoms and silent heart attacks are especially common among patients with diabetes mellitus).

Even though the symptoms of a heart attack at times can be vague and mild, it is important to remember that heart attacks producing no symptoms or only mild symptoms can be just as serious and life-threatening as heart attacks that cause severe chest pain. One cannot overemphasize the importance of seeking prompt medical attention in the presence of symptoms that suggest a heart attack. A delay in treatment can lead to permanently reduced function of the heart due to more extensive damage to the heart muscle.