W I N T E R 2 0 1 4
3
H E A L T H
B E A T
Is it a heart attack?
Know these signs
A heart attack can be a tricky thing—it’s
not always obvious, as it’s often depicted
on TV. In real life, a heart attack can hit
suddenly with severe pain. Or it can come
on slowly with only mild discomfort.
But when you’re having a heart attack,
you can’t afford to wait very long thinking
about what might be happening. The sooner
you seek emergency help, the sooner you
can receive treatment that may limit dam-
age to your heart and help you survive.
So if you notice any of these signs and
symptoms in yourself or someone else, call
911 right away:
Chest discomfort.
Most heart attacks
involve discomfort—perhaps pressure,
squeezing, fullness or pain—in the center
of the chest. The discomfort, which may be
mild or severe, can last longer than a few
minutes or go away and return.
Upper body discomfort.
This can be
felt as pain in one or both arms, the back,
neck, jaw, or upper stomach area.
Shortness of breath.
Some people hav-
ing a heart attack have trouble breathing
with or without chest pain or before their
chest pain starts.
Other symptoms.
You could feel sick
to your stomach or vomit during a heart
attack. Or you might break out in a cold
sweat, feel dizzy or become very tired.
Sources: American Heart Association; National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute
If you’re having symptoms
of a heart problem,
make an appointment
with one of our highly
experienced cardiologists.
Call 325-481-2281.
F e a t u r e
s your heart trying to tell you something and
you don’t know it?
✦
You may think that as
long as you’re not having chest pain, things
are just fine with your heart. But chest pain
isn’t the only sign of a troubled ticker.
✦
Here
are five potentially heart-related signs and
symptoms that might surprise you.
1
Your
heart skips a beat.
The sensation that your
heart flutters, skips a beat or beats too fast at
times is called having palpitations. It’s com-
mon and usually harmless. From stress and anxiety to too
much caffeine, there aremany possible causes. On the other
hand, palpitations can sometimes be a sign of
arrhythmia—an irregular heartbeat that’s triggered by a
problem with the heart’s electrical system.
2
You’re tired and swollen.
Swollen feet or ankles or
extreme tiredness (fatigue) can all be signs of heart fail-
ure. If you have this condition, you might also cough and
wheeze a lot. Heart failure doesn’t mean your heart is on
the verge of stopping. However, it does mean that your
heart isn’t pumping blood to your body as well as it should.
3
Exercise makes you ache.
Chest pain triggered by
physical exertion, such as climbing stairs, can signal an-
gina, which isn’t a disease itself but a common symptom
of coronary heart disease (CHD). Angina pain usually
goes away after a few minutes of rest. It typically occurs
because the heart can’t get enough blood and oxygen dur-
ing increased physical activity, often because of clogged or
narrowed arteries due to CHD. Having angina increases
the risk of having a heart attack.
4
You huff and puff.
Feeling short of breath can be a
heart attack warning—especially if it comes on suddenly
and persists. But trouble breathing during exercise could
suggest a problem with one of the valves in your heart.
Sometimes another cause of breathlessness is a heart
muscle disease called cardiomyopathy, which can weaken
the heart and lead to heart failure.
5
Walking is a pain.
If you feel pain or cramps in your
legs or hips when you walk, or if they feel tired, then you
may have peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Although
PAD involves poor circulation in the legs due to clogged
arteries—and that’s a serious problem on its own—there’s
also a heart connection: PAD can significantly increase
your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
FOLLOW YOUR HEART
You need to find out what your
heart and your body may be trying to tell you.
But also keep this in mind: Some of these symptoms,
such as chest discomfort or shortness of breath, could
mean you’re having a heart attack. Play it safe, and call
911 right away.
Sources: American Heart Association; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
FROM
YOUR
HEART
5 signals something could be wrong
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