Reports state that more than a million of Americans suffer a heart attack every year. Many of us are aware of the traditional symptoms of such an attack like extreme weakness, cold sweat, chest pressure or pain. But, there are some subtle signs that can tell that an individual is having or going to have a cardiac attack that can be easy to miss out. If any of the following signs are experienced, it is better to seek medical help as identifying the signs early and getting prompt treatment is something that can save your life:
Particularly, in women patients, this is the most common symptom. The patients or patients-to-be will not be in a position to do their day-to-day activities. The reason is that during this condition, blood flow to the heart is reduced, thereby adding extra stress on the muscles. This will make the patients feel exhausted. It is better not to hesitate to ask your doctor for an ECG examination. The reason is that doctors won’t immediately recommend an ECG for a patient coming with the complaint of lethargy.
Soreness in chest, back or arms:
Noticeable soreness or pain in the back, chest or arm is another common sign to notice. When the muscle cells in the heart starts to run out of oxygen during the cardiac attack due to blocked artery, they begin to send pain signals via the nervous system. When this happens, your brain may confuse those nerve signals to be coming from the upper back, neck, elbow, shoulder or jaw due to nerve proximity. People tend to ignore this sign because it is not generally associated with heaviness of chest. So, if you experience a sign that is something new, it is better to seek immediate medical help.
Shortness of breath:
When you are moving up stairs without any problem, it is fine, but suddenly if you find yourself gasping for air, it can be a sign of cardiac attack. If you feel shortness of breath right after getting up in the morning, it is another sign that something is going wrong. Generally, the heart plays an important role in the transportation of oxygen to the entire body by removing carbon dioxide from tissue. But, when the flow of blood to the heart is affected, you will experience breathing difficulties.
If you experience heartburn after having a heavy pizza for the lunch, there is not a problem. But, if it is something out of ordinary and if it is a kind of heartburn that you never experienced earlier, it is better to immediately call your doctor. There are chances that you might be experiencing a heart burn like chest pain, which is medically called as angina. This is caused because of the lack of blood flow to the heart.
The symptoms of cardiac arrest can sometime look similar to that of stomach problems like vomiting and nausea or overall stomach upset, particularly in women. Even though, it can be because of the heavy dinner, but it can also be a sign of cardiac attack. So, just visit your doctor to find whether everything is fine.