Heart Attack Warning Signs

A heart attack, clinically termed as, 'acute myocardial infarction' (AMI), is a common disorder of the heart. It occurs due to the inactivity or damage of the heart muscle (completely or partially), because of the lack of oxygen being supplied to the heart.

In most cases, this attack is caused by blockage in the arteries that carry oxygen to the heart. This blockage of blood vessels of heart is known as 'coronary thrombosis'. A major repercussion of a heart attack is that the heart may actually stop functioning and this is referred to as 'cardiac arrest'. Most common heart attack warning signs surface in the form of mild chest pain or chest discomfort, and as mentioned, people remain uncertain if they are actually suffering a heart attack. So when in doubt, call for immediate medical help.

Mild and Severe Heart Attack Warning Signs and Symptoms

Most heart attacks are also asymptomatic in nature and are known as silent heart attacks. Such attacks are common in patients suffering from diabetes mellitus.

The most common warning signs of a heart attack are related to chest discomfort. This discomfort if accompanied with or without breathing difficulty, demands emergency medical attention. This may include crushing pain due to extreme force on and squeezing of the chest. The person may have a feeling of fullness in his chest and this is accompanied by a chest pain or heart burn.

Before a heart attack, certain kinds of discomforts arise in the upper part of the body. The person may feel the pain extending into the jaw and to the left arm or shoulder. There will be pain in the back and feeling of uneasiness in one or both the arms and also in the neck area and stomach.

Severe heart attack warning signs include loss of consciousness and absence of pulse. The pupils of the person may get dilated; and cyanosis ( a bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes. It a sign that oxygen in the blood is critically diminished ) or pallor (Unnatural lack of color in the skin) may also occur. These symptoms are usually 'not-to-be-avoided' alerts for a full cardiac arrest.

Other than the above mentioned heart attack symptoms, the affected person may feel shortness of breath and feeling of light-headedness and nausea or vomiting. It is also common to suffer from general epigastric (upper middle abdomen) discomfort and a vague feeling of illness called malaise. Sweating, fainting, tiredness, lack of energy, anxiety and palpitations also indicate that a heart attack is close.

If symptoms like dyspnea (difficult or labored respiration ), diaphoresis ( the process of the sweat glands of the skin secreting a salty fluid) occurs along with paleness and panic, then the patient must not hesitate to ask for a medical personnel or dial 911.

After having described the most common heart attack warning signs, let's try and understand about people who are at a higher risk of heart attacks.

Diabetic patients and people aged 65 or more than that are prone to suffering from a heart attack. Smoking has also been among the main culprits that causes heart attacks. This is basically imposed by the patient upon himself. People having increased cholesterol level and blood pressure in the body are also vulnerable to heart attacks. AMI also occurs in people who avoid exercises and refrain from developing a healthy diet and hence develop obesity. Family history is also somewhat associated with this disorder and the number of males suffering from heart attacks is more than that of women.

The only and the best method of preventing or avoiding heart attacks is to eliminate the factors that create the chances of developing this acute disorder. For those who have had faced heart attacks in the past, should always be alert regarding the smallest and mildest of heart attack warning signs. Heart attacks have resulted in severe repercussions in most people; sometimes even deaths. So, take care of your health by eating healthy and inculcating effective exercises in your daily living. Most importantly, being aware of all the symptoms as described above will help you being less anxious and more lively and stronger!