New Delhi, October 20 (IANS). Every year lakhs of people lose their lives due to heart attack. Often this is because people do not recognize its initial symptoms or ignore them considering them minor. Whereas the truth is that heart attack does not come suddenly, rather the body already gives many signals.
Heart attack occurs when the coronary artery that supplies oxygen and nutrition to the heart gets closed due to some obstruction or blockage. This blockage is usually caused by cholesterol accumulation, blood clot, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking or excessive stress.
The most common symptom of a heart attack is pressure or pain in the chest, which sometimes feels like a burning sensation or heaviness. This pain may spread to the left shoulder, arm, jaw, or back and may be constant or intermittent.
Apart from this, difficulty in breathing is also a major sign. Shortness of breath even with light activity or difficulty breathing while sleeping. Sweating without heat or exertion, cold or clammy skin are also warning signs. Many people also experience nausea, vomiting, dizziness or fainting. Some patients experience symptoms such as extreme fatigue, weakness, and lethargy, which are different from normal fatigue and may indicate weakness of the heart muscle.
Heart attack symptoms in women are often different and less obvious than in men. Chest pain is less common, but they may experience extreme fatigue, nausea, body aches, stiffness, restlessness, and nervousness. Sometimes a feeling of stomach ache or indigestion in pregnant women can also be a hidden symptom of a heart attack. Therefore, women should not ignore such signs considering them as weakness or tiredness.
If a person experiences these symptoms for more than 5 minutes, an ambulance should be called immediately, the person should be made to sit in a comfortable position and tight clothes should be loosened.
–IANS
PIM/ABM