A heart attack is a grave health condition. Often people worry about being too “hyper” and overreacting to what may be a gastric acidity condition. Or as the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has recently warned — feeling that the “sudden feeling of anxiety” is only a panic attack. BHF warns that THIS could be a sign that the heart is starved of oxygen and that it is in THE THROES of a heart attack.

BHF report (as confirmed and reported by British daily Express.co.uk) does agree as to why patients feel the trepidations. It states that “Panic attacks can feel a lot like heart attacks, which can add to the anxiety, especially if you already have a heart problem. They can share the same physical symptoms, including:

1. Shortness of breath,
2. Feeling sick,
3. Light-headed or weak,
4. Chest pain or
5. A sensation of your heart racing.
6. Trembling,
7. Feeling hot or cold,
8. Blurred vision,
9. Tingling fingers 
10. ringing in your ears

Symptoms appear suddenly or build up over a few days:

“Heart attack symptoms can persist over days, or they can come on suddenly and unexpectedly,” experts at the BHF state, while also alerting us to another significant symptom of heart attacks: 

Excessive coughing or wheezing (which is caused by a build-up of fluids in the lungs).

All the above are the less common but not-to-be-missed symptoms of a heart attack. According to the Mayo Clinic, the classic symptoms that a heart attack victim routinely presents with are:

1. Pressure, tightness, pain, or a squeezing or aching sensation in your chest or arms that may spread to your neck, jaw or back
2. Nausea, indigestion, heartburn or abdominal pain
3. Shortness of breath
4. Cold sweat
5. Fatigue
6. Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness

Doctors say whatever the symptoms, one must not delay in getting the patient to the hospital or any emergency case which has systems in place to treat people for heart attacks. According to the BHF, “If you delay, you are more likely to suffer serious heart damage and more likely to need intensive care and to spend longer in hospital.”

Steps to take when a heart attack occurs:

• Send out an emergency alert/call for a cardiac ambulance.
• Convey the symptoms and the special situation if any to the arriving unit.
• If you suspect a heart attack, the affected person is best sitting down and resting.
• Chew and swallow an aspirin while waiting for emergency help, advises Mayo Clinic. Aspirin helps keep your blood from clotting. When taken during a heart attack, it could reduce heart damage. But it also warns you to not take aspirin if you are allergic to it or have been told by your doctor never to take aspirin.
• Begin CPR if the person is unconscious. If the person isn’t breathing or you don’t find a pulse, begin CPR to keep blood flowing after you call for emergency medical help. Mayo Clinic describes it thus: Push hard and fast on the centre of the person’s chest in a fairly rapid rhythm — about 100 to 120 compressions a minute.

The BHF says that a heart attack can manifest itself in various forms. It is a myth that a heart attack is only going to be an extremely painful event that results in a person lying on the floor, unconscious. Anybody falling unconscious, and not breathing, are likely having a cardiac arrest, the Express.co.uk cites medical experts.

“A cardiac arrest happens when someone’s heart stops.” Anybody attending to a cardiac arrest until paramedics arrived is likely to be instructed by the operator (on the phone) how to do CPR. The life-saving technique can be taught in a less stressful First Aid Course.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.