Like any other health problem, heart attack is related to certain factors. These factors are called risk factors. There are many types of risk factors. Among those that you can not change we might mention age, a genetic history of early heart disease or a personal history of CAD.
These unchangeable factors are independent and as we observed they are related to different conditions. These factors may be explained too. For example, the first mentioned factor, age, differs from women to men. This risk factor may occur in men over the age of 45 and in women after the age of 55.
A family history of early heart disease is also divided for men and women. An early heart disease is considered for men younger than 55 and for women younger than 65.
A personal history of CAD means an angina, a previous heart attack or a surgical procedure to increase the blood flow to the heart.
These were the unchangeable risk factors. Among the other type of risk factors, that a patient can change, we have to remember smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity or diabetes.
Along with the risk factors we also have to mention the warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
Chest discomfort is one of the most common warning signs. In most of the cases discomfort occurs for a few minutes but keeps on coming back. Patients feel an uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. In some cases the heart attack pain may feel like indigestion or heartburn.
Discomfort may occur in other areas of the body, not only in the chest. The pain may occur in the arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath is also a common warning sign. It may occur with the chest discomfort but sometimes can even occur before it.
Along with these common symptoms, a patient may develop symptoms that include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or dizziness too.
The sings and the symptoms are different from one person to another. It was noticed that for a second heart attack the symptoms are different from the first one. There are cases when people do not experience symptoms. Their problem is called silent heart attack.
A very important advice is to go to a hospital when you experience these symptoms.
The ways of diagnosing heart attack are the electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), blood tests, nuclear heart scan, cardiac catheterization and coronary angiography.
If you want to find out more resources about bextra heart attack or about heart attack please review this page http://www.heart-attack-guide.com
Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/risk-factors-and-symptoms-in-heart-attack-136562.html
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3 Responses to “Risk Factors and Symptoms in Heart Attack”
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Were these symptoms of a heart attack?
This past Sunday I suffered what seemed to be a heart attack. During an argument with my teenager I felt a heavy tight feeling on my chest which radiated up towards my neck til my jaw. My head felt full and I was a little dizzy. My fingers were bluish from the tips down to a little past the 2nd knuckle.
The bluish fingers came back to normal after about half an hour but the tightness of my chest, neck and jaw, dizziness, and feeling of a "full head" continued for a little over 3 hours. I was in complete denial that I was having any sort of heart related incident. I’m only 29!
After speaking with my best friend who is an R.N. and my doctor, I was finally convinced to visit the ER.
I was admitted immediately after an EKG. An x-ray was then done. The ER dr then said he wanted to keep me in observation overnight because of risk factors (overweight, family history of heart disease in young adults), an abnormal EKG, and that I had an enlarged heart (x-ray). During observation they drew blood numerous times.
Later on that very early morning during observation they said my enzymes were negative but that they wanted to keep me to do a stress test in the morning. Prior to doing that they then said they wanted to admit me. During my 3 day stay at the hospital I did a stress test, a nuclear ractive test (?), and an echocardiogram.
I was in the hospital for three days, was discharged by the nurse via doctor’s orders. I was astonished that I was being released from the hospital without any of my test results or a conversation with the doctor. The nurse called the doctor who refused to speak with me on the phone because he was in his private office.
What could this have been? Was it a heart attack? Could I have had a minor heart attack previously, and already damaged heart and that’s why the enzymes were negative? Would a coronary artery spasm, prinzmetals, vasospasm, variant angina all come up positive enzymes?
If it wasn’t a heart attack what would explain the tight heavy feeling? What would explain the blue fingers? If it was indeed nothing serious why did they keep me for 3 days? That’s the part that scares me most.
Some more info: No my fingers were not tingling. I’m latin so I talk with my hands. I stopped at mid sentence when I saw my fingers were blue.
Go for a very brisk long walk or run. Do this two or 3 times. If it happens again, it is angina or heart trouble.
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it definately isnt a heart attack cos a heart attack is much more severe with breathlessness, and pain so bad you think you might die. You just brushed it off. it doesnt sound to me like its angina either though… im not sure… ? It could be variant because variant angina is basically a sensitivity of your blood vessels to constriction: which would explain your blue fingers. However, if you smoke, are obese, have high cholesterol, have low exercise… then it could be angina. I know its unlikely because of your age, but i know someone your age who had a stroke. The tests shouldnt take too long to come back though. Bug them about it sounds like they are being lazy about it. In regard to your question, im geussing that cardiac enzymes do not exclude the fact that it could well be angina, let alone an MI: i dont believe any test is 100% sensitive or specific so…. also, it could have been something called hyperventilatory syndrome in which you blow off too much carbon dioxide when you are anxious and this causes a tingling sensation in the fingers. Did you have this?
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