Heart attacks are one of the most common causes of death in the world. However, it is possible to effectively protect yourself from premature death from a heart attack by recognizing its signs and symptoms as early as possible, although there are several symptoms that most people may not be aware of.
A heart attack is an acute disruption of blood flow to the heart that lasts over a long period of time, resulting in the death of the heart muscle tissue. The heart attack is known by many different names, such as myocardial infarction, myocardial infarction, infarction, heart attack, heart attack, anterior wall infarction, posterior wall infarction or acute coronary syndrome.
How do you recognize an impending heart attack?
Fortunately, it is possible to identify an impending heart attack early based on various warning signs. For example, recurring pain in the chest area or in the legs, which occurs during physical activity or stress and then decreases later, indicates an approaching heart attack.
These warning signs can indicate a heart attack
Other warning signs include pressure or tightness in the chest, pain in the arm, jaw, neck or back, cold sweats, heartburn, indigestion, shortness of breath, fatigue and nausea and vomiting, reports cardiologist Dr. Jacqueline Tamis-Holland in a Cleveland Clinic post on the topic.
“If you have some of these subtle symptoms of a heart attack and don’t think you’re at risk of a heart attack, it’s easy to ignore these warning signs and dismiss them as something else,” warns the expert.
What are the symptoms of a heart attack?
If you feel a sudden and long-lasting pain in the left chest area, which often radiates to the neck, back, upper abdomen and arms, these are typical symptoms of a heart attack.
Accompanying symptoms can also occur, which usually include paleness, shortness of breath, cold sweat, feelings of tightness in the chest, nausea, restlessness and feelings of fear. In this case, you should not hesitate for a second and an emergency doctor must be contacted immediately!
What is a silent heart attack?
A special subtype of heart attack is not associated with its typical symptoms, which often means that such a silent heart attack is not diagnosed at all or is diagnosed very late. According to another article from the Cleveland Clinic in the United States, a silent heart attack has almost no symptoms.
Those affected by a silent heart attack often do not notice it occurring at all. This means that no necessary treatment can be initiated. It should be noted that even if a silent heart attack does not cause much pain, damage to the heart can still be caused, which makes a medical examination essential.
How do you recognize a silent heart attack?
Symptoms of a silent heart attack include shortness of breath and constant fatigue, a feeling of pressure in the chest, a feeling of discomfort in the chest or a feeling of tightness in the chest area.
Why heartburn can indicate a silent heart attack
If you suffer from heartburn, this can also indicate a silent heart attack, especially if other of the symptoms mentioned above occur, explains cardiologist Dr. Curtis Rimmerman from the Cleveland Clinic in the article.
This is because a heart attack is often associated with digestive disorders, which promote the reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus.
Prevent heart attack through a healthy lifestyle
A healthy and active lifestyle, which includes, for example, a healthy diet and sufficient exercise, can significantly reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack. To increase physical activity, you can, for example, exercise regularly and go for walks often.
On the other hand, you should make sure that you only eat a little meat in your diet, but that you eat more fish and as much fruit and vegetables as possible. In addition, the diet should also include healthy vegetable oils.
Future perspectives in the prediction of heart attacks
A study was also published this year that showed that with the help of machine learning it is possible to successfully predict heart attacks, which, according to the researchers, is a practical and very accurate and precise forecasting method.
It is therefore to be hoped that significantly more heart attacks can be predicted and prevented in the future, which could save many people’s lives. (as)
