Early Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack
Chest...
- Discomfort
- Pressure
- Ache
- Burning
- Fullness
***It is especially important to seek help if discomfort is recurring and occurs with activity and subsides with rest.***
Some of the less obvious symptoms include:
- Weakness
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Pain or discomfort in the throat, jaw, upper back or inside of the left arm
- Burning feeling in the throat and chin that can be confused with heartburn or indigestion
The presence of these mild symptoms may indicate the onset of a heart attack. Early recognition and response when observing these symptoms can save lives. Don't wait until the chest pain becomes severe. At the first signs of chest discomfort, it is important to seek medical attention!
What is a Heart Attack?
Heart attack is America's #1 killer, claiming the lives of more than 800,000 each year.
The heart is a large, muscular pump. There are three major blood vessels that feed the heart with the oxygen and nutrients it needs to pump. A heart attack is a blockage in any of these blood vessels that restricts the flow of blood to the heart. Without blood or the oxygen and nutrients it carries, muscle in this part of the heart will die and could cause death or disability.
What causes the blockage in the heart?
Heart disease is a result of plaque buildup in your coronary arteries -- a condition called atherosclerosis -- that leads to blockages. The arteries, which start out smooth and elastic, become narrow and rigid, restricting blood flow to the heart. The heart becomes starved of oxygen and the vital nutrients it needs to pump properly and within six hours total damage can be done to the heart muscle.
How can you reduce the risk for heart attack?
Reducing risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure can help prevent blockages of the blood vessels. Understanding the stages leading up to a heart attack can help you to better understand the importance of knowing the early signs of a heart attack.
Chest discomfort comes first as a blood vessel is beginning to be blocked.
Chest pain follows and can lead to damage to the muscle and even sudden death. This early stage of chest discomfort can come and go, and may be present for hours or even days. Treated at this stage a heart attack can be stopped.
What different ways are heart attacks experienced?
Knowing and recognizing the different ways that a heart attack can be experienced is important. If you are a bystander, or a first responder, your job can be different for each type of heart attack experience. Here are some different ways a heart attack can be experienced and what you can do to help:
- Type 1: You witness a person go down with a heart attack or cardiac arrest in front of you. Your job is to call 9-1-1, know Hands-Only CPR and perform it to the best of your ability.
- Type 2: You are with someone who is experiencing severe chest pain because their heart is being damaged as each minute goes by. Your job is to call 9-1-1 immediately.
- Type 3: You are with someone experiencing the early signs of chest discomfort (pressure, ache or burning). This is when there is time to prevent the heart attack, but it is the hardest time to get someone to agree to go to the hospital. No one wants to believe this could happen, and most will think their symptoms are from anything but a heart attack. Your job as a first respoder is to argue for the patient to go the Emergency Department to be checked out. This could save their life.
How Can I Help?
The best way to help someone experiencing early signs of a heart attack is for you to fully understand the risk of doing nothing, and then do everything you can to get that person to go to the Emergency Department. You need to be an Early Heart Attack Care (EHAC) provider and assure a prompt response to the earliest signs and symptoms.
Understanding Why People Don't Seek Immediate Medical Attention
- One may think that mild symptoms are not important.
- They are too busy and think the pain will go away.
- They are embarrassed to go to the ER or call 911.
- First responders may be convinced by a person who is in denial that they are fine.
- Some people don't understand why it is important to get quick medical help.
- They may think they are having indigestion, not a heart attack.
- The heart must be seen as an amazing muscle that needs to be exercised and cared for just as the rest of the muscles in your body. To help convince a person experiencing signs and symptoms of an early heart attack, you can tell them that 85% of heart damage occurs in the first 2 hours of a blockage. And, if they have a blockage in their heart, they are wasting time and muscle.
Recognizing the early signs of a heart attack can save up to 400,000 people a year!
How to Overcome a Person's Reluctance
ACT WISELY:
- Acknowledge the problem.
- Calm is what you should be.
- Tenacity is important - do not give in!
- Willing to give your time.
- Influence them to seek help.
- Simple is always best. Put the situation's importance in simple terms for them.
- Empathy will help you gain their trust.
- Link the patient with early heart attack symptoms to the hospital.
- Yes - I will do it! Stay positive and persistant.
What is Early Heart Attack Care (EHAC)?
Part 1 - Recognition
Knowing and then recognizing the very subtle early warning signs is critical. Whenever a person has chest discomfort or pressure, take note:
- Is the discomfort, tightness, pressure or pain located in the center of the chest?
- Are the symptoms present in the chest, throat, jaw, upper back or inside the left arm?
- Did these symptoms come on with exertion and do they go away with rest?
Part 2 - Response
You need to act quickly and not be persuaded to delay seeking medical treatment. Many times, a person will deny what they are experiencing and try to convince you that it is not important to seek help. Make a quick and firm decision that you will ensure that they get help immediately. By doing this you can get them the care that they need to stop the progression of a heart attack. In order to make sure you know that they need help, it is important that you know the early signs of a heart attack well.
Why a Fast Response is Critical
REMEMBER: 85% of the damage to the heart takes place in the first two hours of a heart attack. Heart attacks have beginnings, they don't always hit a person quickly with severe chest pain. Knowing that when a person complains of or experiences more subtle symptoms such as shortness of breath or mild chest pressure, it is important to have them seen by a medical professional - it can save their life!
To reiterate, these early symptoms include:
Chest...
discomfort
pressure
ache
burning
fullness
***it is especially important to seek help if discomfort is recurring and occurs with activity and subsides with rest.***
Some of the less obvious symptoms include:
- Weakness
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Pain or discomfort in the throat, jaw, upper back or inside of the left arm
- Burning feeling in the throat and chin that can be confused with heartburn or indigestion
Now that you have read through the course material and learned about EHAC, click the link below to take a short quiz and vow to be an EHAC Deputy.