Despite what you may believe, heart attacks
rarely happen “out of the blue.” In fact, your
body may be trying to warn you of an
impending heart attack for days, weeks,
perhaps even a month or two before it occurs.
Unfortunately, by the time you actually
recognise you’re suffering a heart attack, it
could be too late to prevent death or
debilitating heart damage.
Statistics show a clear link between a delay in
heart attack treatment and death or disability.
That’s why it’s essential to know exactly what
your heart is trying to tell you with warning
signs.
Not a male problem
Many people think that heart attacks are a
“man’s problem,” yet heart disease is actually
the number one killer of both men and women
in the United States. In men, the risk for heart
attack increases significantly after the age of
45. In women, heart attacks are more likely to
occur in the years after menopause (usually,
after the age of 50). However, younger men
and women can also have heart attacks.
Besides age, factors that increase the risk for
heart attack are:
•A previous heart attack or procedure to open
up the coronary arteries
•Family history of early heart disease:
–Father or brother diagnosed before age 55
–Mother or sister diagnosed before age 65
•Diabetes mellitus
•High blood cholesterol
•High blood pressure
•Cigarette smoking
•Overweight
•Physical inactivity
If you have one or more of these factors, see
your health care provider to find out how to
reduce your risk of having a heart attack.
What happens
During a heart attack, a clot in the heart’s
artery blocks the flow of blood to the heart.
Heart muscle begins to die. This is technically
called a “myocardial infarction,” meaning
“death of heart muscle.” The more time that
passes without treatment, the greater the
damage. The part of the heart that dies during
a heart attack cannot grow back or be
repaired.
Fortunately, clot-busting drugs and other
artery-opening treatments, such as
angioplasty, can stop a heart attack in its
tracks. Given soon after symptoms begin,
these treatments can prevent or limit damage
to the heart. The quicker they are started, the
more good they will do and the greater the
chances are of a full recovery. To be most
effective, these treatments should be given
within one hour of the start of heart attack
symptoms. The benefit of opening the blocked
artery decreases with each passing hour from
symptom onset until treatment.
Learn the signs
Many people think that a heart attack is
sudden and intense, like the “Hollywood” heart
attack depicted in the movies, where a person
clutches his or her chest and falls over. The
truth is that many heart attacks start as a mild
discomfort in the centre of the chest. Someone
who feels such a warning may not be sure
what is wrong. The discomfort (and other
symptoms) may even come and go.
Even people who have had a heart attack may
not recognise the signs, because the next one
can have entirely different symptoms.
However, the following signs are pointers…
•Chest discomfort: Most heart attacks involve
discomfort in the centre of the chest that lasts
for more than a few minutes or that goes away
and comes back. The discomfort can feel like
uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, or
fullness.
•Discomfort in other areas of the upper body:
Symptoms can include discomfort in one or
both arms or in the back, neck, jaw, or
stomach.
•Shortness of breath: This symptom often
accompanies chest discomfort. However, it
can also occur before the chest discomfort.
• Other signs: These may include breaking out
in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.
Some patients report a sense of impending
doom.
Timing is everything
People who experience the warning signs of a
heart attack often deny how serious the
situation is and take a wait-and-see
approach. But time is very important, and
anyone with these warning signs needs to get
medical evaluation and treatment right away.
Don’t wait more than a few minutes — five
minutes at most — to get to the doctor!
Remember: Don’t delay
The best way to find out if symptoms are due
to a heart attack is to get them checked at a
hospital emergency department. In a heart
attack, every minute that passes causes more
of the heart muscle to die. You can save a life
— your own or someone else’s — by getting to
the hospital right away.
Doctors and emergency personnel want
anyone who may be having a heart attack to
come to the emergency department without
delay, even if the symptoms turn out to be a
false alarm.
Plan ahead
Make a plan now for what you would do if a
heart attack should happen. It will save time
and could help save a life. To plan ahead:
•Learn the heart attack warning signs listed in
this article.
•Talk to your doctor about your heart attack
risk and what you can do to reduce it. Ask
specifically about aspirin and the use of
nitroglycerin.
•Talk with your doctor, family members,
friends, and co-workers about the heart attack
warning signs and the importance of acting
fast.
Knowing what to do if a heart attack occurs
could save your life or theirs.
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