Various symptoms of a heart attack that need to be watched out for

Most people think that the main feature of a heart attack is chest pain. However, in recent decades, scientists have found that the symptoms of a heart attack are not clear and can occur in several ways. This depends on several factors such as: gender, type of heart attack experienced, and age. It is important to understand the variety of symptoms that indicate a heart attack, in order to get the right help for yourself and others.

Recognize the symptoms of a heart attack

The earlier or sooner you get help, the better chance of fully recovering from a heart attack. However, it is not uncommon for people who do not immediately seek first aid for a heart attack on their own. In fact, even though he had suspected that something was wrong with his heart.

You may be one of the people who feels lazy to do the examination. The reason is, you may think that the initial symptoms of a heart attack that you feel are just normal chest pain.

Doctors strongly recommend that you seek help immediately if you experience early symptoms of a heart attack. Even if your guess turns out to be wrong, for example, you cannot tell the difference between a heart attack and a panic attack until you suspect that what you are experiencing is a heart attack.

In fact, you may also be confused about the different symptoms of a heart attack and stroke. However, getting this help is much better than having long-term heart damage. Especially if the damage occurs just because you are lazy to go to a doctor.

Basically, the initial characteristics of this heart attack can vary from person to person. So, trust yourself, because no one knows your body better than anyone. If you feel something is wrong with your body, don't put it off. Immediately check with the doctor.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of a heart attack can include:

1. Mild pain or discomfort in the chest

Pain in the chest is one of the most common symptoms of a heart attack. This symptom is most often experienced when someone has a heart attack. Pain or pain experienced such as chest being pressed or squeezed hard.

The pain lasts for several minutes, before finally disappearing and coming back. In addition, pain often appears when you are resting. This pain arises because blood flow to the heart muscle is reduced.

When compared with women, this symptom is more often experienced by men. However, that does not mean that women do not experience these symptoms. Even so, when having a heart attack, women often experience symptoms other than chest pain.

Don't forget to always distinguish chest pain due to a heart attack with heartburn. Although quite different, there are still many people who misunderstand chest pain caused by these two conditions.

2. Pain in the shoulders, neck, and jaw

When the work of the heart is disturbed, the surrounding organs will be affected. Not just pain around the heart, heart attacks can also cause jaw pain. Why is that?

The nerves in the chest and heart can actually cause pain to the neck and jaw. When the nerves in the heart are disturbed, these nerves will trigger pain that radiates from the chest to the neck and jaw.

Jaw pain as a sign of a heart attack is usually felt in the lower left jaw. However, the severity can vary from person to person. There are those who experience severe jaw pain, others only feel an uncomfortable sensation in the jaw. However, this symptom is more often experienced by women than men.

3. Nausea and want to vomit

You may not think that feeling nauseous and wanting to vomit are also symptoms of a heart attack. Yes, the characteristics of this heart attack may be relatively rare, but it may happen. Nausea and vomiting usually appear when you experience itsilent heart attack, or silent heart attack.

When you experience it, you may even think that you are experiencing another condition. This often leads to misdiagnosis or mishandling. In fact, if not treated immediately, your heart attack can get worse.

Therefore, if this nausea is accompanied by other characteristics of a heart attack, it is better to immediately check with the nearest doctor or hospital. This is important to determine whether you are having a heart attack or not.

4. Shortness of breath and sweating

Not all shortness of breath and sweating are signs of a heart attack. However, you should be suspicious if you experience the following:

Sudden sweating or shortness of breath, even though you are not doing strenuous physical activity.
Can't breathe and gets worse over time, even though you don't do strenuous activities.
Shortness of breath becomes worse when lying down and gets better when getting up or in a sitting position.
Cold sweat and damp, even though you are not feeling stressed or depressed.
Sweating or shortness of breath which is also accompanied by symptoms such as excessive fatigue or chest pain.

If the shortness of breath and sweating that you feel is as mentioned above, you should be suspicious of heart health conditions. The reason is, these characteristics are symptoms of a heart attack that may arise.

Generally, those who experience this condition are women after turning 50 years of age and over. To prevent heart attacks, it is important that you are diligent in exercising and maintaining a diet so you can maintain a healthy weight. The reason is, obesity can cause heart attacks.

5. Excessive tiredness

If you are classified as a busy person with a myriad of activities, it is actually quite natural that you often feel tired. But remember, not all fatigue can be underestimated. Here are some signs of excessive tiredness that may be a symptom of a heart attack, for example:

Suddenly feeling overly tired even though you are just doing your daily activities as usual.
Not doing any activity but already feeling tired and chest feeling heavy.
Light activities like making the bed, walking to the bathroom, or shopping can make you feel very tired.
Even if you feel very tired, you still don't get a good night's sleep.

If you experience this condition, there is nothing wrong with contacting your doctor and consulting about your heart health condition.

Things to do when feeling symptoms of a heart attack

If you experience any of the symptoms of a heart attack mentioned above, immediately contact your doctor or Emergency Unit (UGD) from the nearest hospital, so you can be picked up by ambulance or get first aid for a heart attack.

You can also ask your family members to drive you to the hospital. The most important thing is not to go to the hospital alone. Even if you are at home alone, it is not appropriate to go to the hospital alone. Better to find out how to first aid yourself when having a heart attack to be better prepared for the situation.

Once in the hospital, you will receive treatment for a heart attack from a doctor or medical professional. The doctor will perform several tests to determine whether you are really having a heart attack. In addition, you will also be asked to take heart attack medication to relieve the symptoms you are experiencing.

Therefore, in order not to have a heart attack, you can take various precautions against heart attacks. One way to prevent heart attacks is to adopt a healthy lifestyle and diet.