The most common sign of acute myocardial infarction, or heart attack, is sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. However, some people do not experience these classical signs of a heart attack when experiencing one, reports the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing health care professional Kathleen Dracup, D.N.Sc. These people are therefore at a particular risk of complications from a heart attack that goes undiagnosed. However, most people have early warning signs of an impending heart attack, which can help them get help before it is too late.
Early Warning Signs
People often experience early warning signs of a heart attack, reports a research team in the November 2003 issue of "Circulation." The researchers looked at the medical records of 515 women over three years. 95 percent of the participants had reported unusual symptoms about a month before the heart attack occurred. 70 percent reported sudden fatigue, 48 percent reported sleep disturbance, 42 percent reported shortness of breath, 39 percent reported indigestion and 35 percent reported anxiety.
Heath Attack Myth
A common myth in the popular media is that women and men experience different signs of a heart attack, noted a Canadian research team to Science Daily in 2009. The team conducted a study of 305 individuals undergoing angioplasty, the mechanical widening of a constricted or obstructed blood vessel. This condition temporarily gives rise to symptoms similar to those of a heart attack. However, the researchers found almost no differences in the symptoms reported by men and women. The symptoms ranged from chest pain, shortness of breath and arm discomfort to indigestion and nausea. The main gender difference was that women more often had both the classic symptoms and neck, jaw and throat discomfort. Women also tended to describe their heart attack discomfort as "pressure" or "discomfort," whereas men more often reported it as "pain."
Sweating
Sweating without being involved in significant physical activity can be a sign of an impending heart attack, especially if it is accompanied with discomfort in the neck, jaw, arm or chest, according to studies reported by a Chicago research team at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Dallas, TX in November 2005. The researchers note that it is important to recognize unusual signs of a heart attack because it is possible to stop a heart attack that is in progress, thereby minimizing damage.
Ignorance of Warning Signs
Few people are familiar with the signs of a heart attack, reports a California research team in the May 2008 issue of "Archives of Internal Medicine." Among the signs that people tend to ignore are nervousness, dizziness, queasiness, squeamishness, irritation in the jaw or teeth and discomfort in the left arm. Even patients who have been diagnosed with a coronary heart disease will engage in confabulations, making up "excuses" for these symptoms and fail to get help before it is too late, say the researchers, who surveyed 3,522 individuals with a history of heart attack or surgical treatment for constricted arteries.
References
- "Circulation"; Women's Early Warning Symptoms of Acute Myocardial Infarction; McSweeney, et al.; November 2003
- Science Daily: Heart Attack Myth: Women Do Have Same The Heart Attack Symptoms As Men, Study Shows
- "American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Dallas, TX"; Symptom clusters as an influence in delay in seeking treatment; C. Ryan, et al.; November 2005
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Acute Coronary Syndrome: What Do Patients Know?; Dracup, et al.; May 2008
