Symptoms of Heart Attacks in Men & Women

Symptoms of a Heart Attack, if identified early, can help save the life of a person. That is why knowledge of these symptoms is necessary for everyone. Some common symptoms include sudden chest pain, upper body pain, left arm pain, sweating even in cold temperatures. If 2-3 such symptoms are observed in a person, you should seek immediate medical assistance. Read this entire article for understanding the overview and symptoms of a heart attack.

Overview

The heart and brain are major organs of the human body. The heart is the main reason for the human body to function endlessly. It pumps blood, sends oxygen and nutrients to all cells of the body, and performs many other major functionalities keeping us alive. The human heart is divided into four chambers: left auricle, right auricle, left ventricle, and right ventricle. The heart is the major organ that sustains life in the human body. The heart is a central part and vital part of the circulatory system being connected with almost all of the arteries and veins of the human body. Averagely, the human heart weighs about 310 grams. It is equivalent to the size of a clenched fist. The heart is located near the breast bone on the left side, between the lungs.

Heart attack is the commonly found disorder of the circulatory system which is being suffered by a large population of the world these days. It is a medical emergency that occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is interrupted by a blood clot or any other reason. Tissues and cells of the heart stop functioning due to lack of oxygen and the person eventually dies. Simply saying, a heart attack occurs when there is a blockage in the artery which is carrying blood to the heart, and heart muscle gets blocked by a blood clot. The scientific name for Heart Attack is coronary thrombosis. 

Heart Attack Symptoms

Depending upon the position and situation of a blood clot, there are many symptoms of heart attack and the most common is chest pain. Some of them are:

1. Sudden chest pain: It is a sudden feeling of pain in the central part of the chest which may end for a few minutes. There is a feeling of pressure, discomfort, squeezing, heaviness, pain, or fullness.
2. Upper Body Pain: Some people experience discomfort in the upper part of the body such as the arm, neck, back, jaw, or stomach.
3. Sweating: Unusual sweating can occur due to discomfort in breathing and feeling of extreme pain
4. Nausea: A sensation or urge to vomit may also occur during a heart attack
5. Fatigue: Feeling extremely tired may be a symptom of an upcoming heart attack
6. Difficulty in breathing or breathlessness is the commonly found symptom of a heart attack. A person may not be able to breathe due to chest discomfort and lack of oxygen in the tissues.
7. Shooting Pain in the left hand: This symptom is not so common but some people may experience extreme pain in the left hand.

Heart Attack Symptoms in women

Symptoms of Heart attack for both men and women are identical but these are some symptoms that women specifically suffer from:

1. Anxiety: Strong feeling of anxiety before a heart attack.
2. Chest Pain: This symptom is the most common and found in both men and women. The sensation of squeezing or heaviness in the chest.
3. Jaw and arm pain may be experienced which is emerging from the chest.
4. Discomfort in the stomach may also be felt that is stemming from the chest.

Facts about heart attack symptoms

Some facts about heart attack symptoms are:

• Pain in the arm, shoulder blades, chest, jaw, or upper abdomen
• Squeezing or clench feeling of pain in the heart
• Pain can also occur in the rest condition of the body
• Different changes in the body like fatigue, sweating may be experienced
• Some gastrointestinal symptoms such as heartburn, ingestion, nausea, vomiting, etc
• Discomfort or tightness in arms or other parts of the body

Causes of Heart Attack

There can be many causes of a heart attack in the human body but the major cause is a plaque build-up in arteries. And the medical term given to this condition is atherosclerosis due to which blood cannot enter the heart. Another major cause is clotting or blockage of blood to the heart which is also called torn blood vessels. And the least known cause can be blood vessel spasm which is because of the building up of fatty deposits, and cholesterol in the arteries narrowing them and lastly causing the heart attack. That is why people should be health-conscious in their daily lives, avoid junk foods, and have routine exercises to avoid such complexities. Keeping control over the food habits may result in reduced chances of a heart attack.

Treatment of Heart Attack

Medication, Cardiac Rehabilitations, bypass surgery, and stents are the treatments of heart attack available. Angioplasty, artificial valve surgery, cardiomyoplasty, atherectomy, heart transplant, and TMR- trans myocardial revascularization are some other treatments available.

Things to Remember

• Heart attack is usually caused by a plaque build up in the arteries
• Major symptoms of a heart attack include sudden chest pain, upper body pain, left arm pain, sweating even in cold temperatures
• Symptoms of heart attack in women include anxiety, jaw and arm pain, discomfort in stomach
• Heart attacks are usually treated by Cardiac Rehabilitations, bypass surgery, and stents.