Did you know February is American Heart Month? This has become much more important to me recently because a little over a year ago my mother suffered a heart attack. Luckily she is okay. But many people that have a heart attack do not end up ‘okay.’ According to the CDC, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Part of the problem is many do not recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and fail to get help early. This can be especially true of woman who can have milder or atypical symptoms of a heart attack. I would like to go over some of these signs and symptoms so that you can know and maybe help save a life by recognizing and getting immediate help to someone who needs it.
What Is A Heart Attack?
First, off what is a heart attack? Well another name for heart attack is myocardial infarction—myo means muscle, cardio refers to the heart, and an infarct is when tissue dies because blood supply to it has been compromised. So myocardial infarction is when the heart muscle, or part of it, is dead or dying because the blood supply to that area has been stopped or reduced significantly. This most often happens because of a clot getting stuck in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. While blood may be circulating through the heart, this does not directly supply to the heart itself. Blood has to leave the heart and then goes through arteries (the coronary artery being a major one) to supply the heart itself.
Major Signs/Symptoms Of A Heart Attack
Contrary to what you may see on TV or in the movies, a heart attack does not have to be a dramatic event. Not everyone experiences a heart attack by grabbing their chest or left arm and falling down. So what are the major signs and symptoms of a heart attack?
- Chest pain, tightness, squeezing, and/or fullness – People may not have what they would describe as pain in the chest but a feeling of tightness or squeezing. Many say it feels like an elephant is sitting on their chest. If pain is experienced, it can be felt in several ways–as a dull ache, sharp pain, or anywhere in between.
- Pain in the arm, shoulder, neck, and/or jaw – Pain or discomfort can also happen in the arm, shoulder, neck, and/or jaw. This may be in addition to chest symptoms or possibly without chest pain/discomfort. Most often it is located on the left side of the body, but it can occasionally be on the right side as well.
- Shortness of breath – Someone experiencing a heart attack often will have difficulty breathing or be easily ‘winded.’ It may feel like they just did heavy exercise without doing anything strenuous.
- Nausea – Feeling sick to the stomach may also accompany other symptoms. This may even cause some vomiting.
- Unusual sweating – A person experiencing a heart attack can sweat profusely even when they are not hot or doing strenuous work.
This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of signs or symptoms of a heart attack but they are the most common ones.
Differences in Women
So the previous signs and symptoms are the major things experienced during a heart attack. However, women have a greater tendency to experience heart attacks differently that the ‘classic’ symptoms. In general, women may have signs and symptoms that are more mild or subtle.
- Chest pain or discomfort – still is the most frequent symptom but it may be quite mild.
- Pain in arm, neck, jaw, upper back, or even abdomen – women have a tendency to experience pain different areas in addition to the classic spots, including the upper back or the abdomen. This pain or discomfort may be mistaken as indigestion.
- Weakness – a feeling of fatigue or weakness may be another subtle sign of heart attack.
- Dizziness or light-headedness – A feeling of dizziness or light-headedness is a more common symptom in women than men.
Women may still have ‘classic’ signs and symptoms of a heart attack but closer attention needs to be paid to other symptoms as well. In general, if you suspect you may be having a heart attack (call it intuition or whatever) have it checked out.
Chiropractic & Heart Health
As a chiropractor I know the importance of prevention. Heart disease which can lead to a heart attack is largely a lifestyle disease. So how you live has a very large impact on your chances of having a heart attack. Some things you can do to decrease your risk for heart disease include not smoking, eating more fruits & vegetables, and getting regular, moderate exercise. Regular chiropractic care also helps to keep the body functioning at its best. While I am not aware of any studies that look directly at the link between chiropractic care and heart attacks, there have been some studies that show chiropractic helps improve high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart attack. I believe regular chiropractic care can help keep you and your heart healthy. Chiropractic seeks to keep proper communication from the brain to the body by removing nerve interference. And when you have clear messages going between the brain and body, things work better. Call today. I work with people just like you to reduce their stress, relieve their pain, and improve their quality of life for years to come.
