Heart Attack: Know the warning signs

Heart Attack: Know the warning signs
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Most instances, a cardiac arrest happens when you are alone. The sudden heart attack is unpredictable, shocking and leaves no time to recover on the onset.

Most instances, a cardiac arrest happens when you are alone. The sudden heart attack is unpredictable, shocking and leaves no time to recover on the onset. With stressful lifestyle and hectic schedule, people fail to follow a healthy routine. This proves to be the primary cause for most men and women in the age bracket of 30 to 40 falling prey to a sudden cardiac arrest. Hyderabad alone reports daily heart attacks with an increasing number of casualties every month. Just as power goes out and lights get knocked out during a natural disaster, the heart sustains a sudden impulse and stops beating. A person recovering from a sudden heart attack is very rare. There have been more deaths in the emergency room due to the simple reason of people not being able to identify the warning signs well in advance.

Know the symptoms of a heart attack
While most of us may see it unlikely to fall prey to a heart attack out of the blue, the chances are not completely impossible. It is always better to know the warning signs and identify the red flags before you land yourself in danger. Given that these symptoms may occur while you are alone, experts say that rushing to the hospital at the onset of the symptoms can save life.
Here are some of the signals that your brain will most likely give out to indicate the failure of your heart.
1. Discomfort or pain in the chest
Most of us tend to write this off as a cause of indigestion or gas. Any pain or discomfort in the left side or the middle of the chest area should not be plainly overlooked. Check for a discomfort that comes and goes at the interval of every half a minute to one minute. The feeling can start from being mild to getting severe. Rush to the nearby hospital even if the signs look temporary.

2. Upper body pain
Check for the sudden onset of pain in the arms, back, shoulders, neck, jaw or even the upper part of the stomach. If the feeling of pain or discomfort persists without any other underlying condition, it is time to act.
3. Short breath
A sudden shortness of breath no matter what the situation is, cannot be ignored. Check for the recurrence of the same and consider an emergency here. There is a chance that this could be due to an oncoming cardiac arrest.
4. Cold sweat
This is a clear indication of things going wrong. Consult a doctor once an unexplained cold sweat breaks out. Your body might be sending the direct message of a heart malfunction.
5. Fatigue
Feeling tired is natural after a hectic day. But feeling tired for no reason – this is not a very good sign. Women tend to ignore this the most and then fall prey to danger. Check the condition with an expert to rule out a possible cardiac arrest.
Things to do while under heart attack
Ambulance
It is crucial that you do not panic. Call an ambulance to take you to the nearest emergency center. Keep the ambulance number on your speed dial always.
Shout for help
Walk out of your house or yell for help if the situation has peaked beyond your control or if you are unable to move.
Manage the crisis
If you have any doubt that you have a cardiac arrest, gulp a tablet of aspirin. This is said to buy sometime for you to sustain till the help arrives
Breathe
Regardless of the panic, keep breathing.
Talk to your health care expert or a family doctor to understand how to tackle the situation. Being informed is everything to manage a heart attack.
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