Know the Symptoms of a Heart Attack

 

Heart Attack Symptoms

Most people believe a heart attack entails massive pain and collapsing to the floor like they see on television. The fact is the vast majority of heart attacks look and feel nothing like this and the minor symptoms are often ignored. In my case my heart attack felt like indigestion, I had just gotten off a plane from a 10 hour flight and thought the airline food was the culprit. Every now and then I would burp and the indigestion was relieved somewhat so I thought nothing of it, I certainly didn’t think I was having a heart attack.

When I arrived home the indigestion seemed to have passed completely when I experienced a sharp pain in my jaw, a clear sign of a heart attack. Still in denial I had my brother drive me to the hospital, by the time we reached the hospital I had no symptoms at all and felt fine, in fact I never had a symptom again. The doctors ran an EKG and saw what they thought was a minor blip but they thought the test might be bad so they ordered another. Just then my blood work came back and showed enzymes in the blood, a clear signal of a heart event. I had a heart attack.

Every day people experience these symptoms and disregard them to there own peril. Just because you seem healthy and there is no family history doesn’t mean you aren’t at risk. Symptoms such as nausea, back pain, pains in your left arm or side, sharp or dull jaw pains and what seems like indigestion are all subtle hints that you could be having a heart attack and should be taken very seriously. Don’t be embarrassed, call an ambulance, if the heart event gets worse on the way to the hospital they have the necessary means to help you.

Every second you wait you risk further damage to your heart, damage that can never be repaired. Sure, you may experience similar symptoms and it may not be a heart attack but the worst that can happen is you may feel a little silly, but if it is a heart attack there is nothing silly about saving your life. Everyone is familiar with movie heart attacks and sometimes they do manifest in a similar way but most times they are like I have described here. The symptoms can be subtle but if you know what to look for then you are ahead of the game.

When I had my heart attack almost 2 years ago now I was lucky that I had known about a shooting pain in the jaw as a heart attack symptom, if I hadn’t I might not be here now to relate my story.
We all want to think that this is what happens to other people not me and we ignore such symptoms because we don’t want to believe it is real…it is real and you need to understand this because it could very well save your life and give you many more years with your loved ones. Know the signs of a heart attack.