Dr. B S Bhatiya

With recent lifestyle changes, more and more people, younger in age, are falling prey to heart attacks. While some silently suffer the attack during their sleep and never wake up, others have symptoms which they dismiss as acidity or muscular pain and ignore them. There are multiple media programs that are trying to create awareness about how to identify a heart attack. If done at the right time, there is a good chance that the person can be saved.

What is a Heart Attack?

The blood vessels gradually narrow, reducing the blood flow to the target organs. This reduces the efficiency of the target organ, and if this happens to be the heart, it is known as a heart attack. The area that should ideally receive blood does not, leading to its “death.” If the damage is not severe, it can be reversed. However, if this attack happens in one of the critical areas of the heart, it can even be fatal.

Symptoms To Watch For: Very few attacks happen suddenly. Most start slowly and progress, and if identified on time, a life can be saved. The episode takes about an hour, and if you are well-versed with the symptoms, it could help identify the condition correctly and save a life. Most people use antacids and muscle relaxants to ease the situation, which does provide immediate relief, but not a proper cure.

1. Chest discomfort: There is a central pain which is constant, nagging, and has a squeezing like sensation. This causes discomfort and most often, this pain is in the center of the chest area, which lasts for just a few minutes. Sometimes the pain can go and come back. This pain radiates down into the arm, up into the neck area, and also into the jaw and is almost always indicative of a heart attack.

2. Short of breath: With chest pain, there is always shortness of breath which the person will experience. This is due to reduced oxygen levels in the body.

3. Associated symptoms include fatigue, exhaustion, nausea, dizziness, light-headedness.

4. There is almost always profused sweating where the person breaks into a cold sweat.

5. If the attack happens during sleep, the person may be snoring and may feel as if something is choking his airway.

6. Due to reduced return of blood from the peripheral organs, there could be swelling of the feet and ankles.

7. Irregular heart beat: If there is irregular heart beat (palpitations) very often, talk to your doctor about it.

When you suspect a person of having a heart attack, check for these signs. Very often, a heart attack is detectable and can be managed with timely intervention. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Cardiologist.