What does a heart attack feel like?
Every person’s heart attack symptoms are different. Women’s symptoms are even more likely to be atypical. Traditional symptoms can include:
- tightness or pain in the chest, neck, back or arms
- with or without fatigue
- lightheadedness
- abnormal heartbeat
- anxiety
- pain between your shoulder blades, Left or Right arm, chest, jaw, or belly
- dizziness, fatigue, or lightheadedness
- clammy skin, cold sweat or sweating
- heartburn, indigestion, nausea, or vomiting
- arm / neck discomfort or tightness
- chest pressure
- anxiety, feeling of impending doom
- shortness of breath
*Heart attacks can happen at rest.
Maybe the list should be what symptoms you don’t feel… (Guess what is often the last search found on the phone of a deceased heart attack victim – “What are the symptoms of a heart attack?” So read the above list, again)
The simple act of taking that aspirin (with your doctor’s clearance) is so important, because when you start feeling any of these symptoms, you’re not in the best mental state to assess your condition and help yourself. We have all heard the stories of heart attack survivors assuming that the symptoms were something else. That wrong guess and delayed action may have caused more preventable heart attack deaths.
Why you should have aspirin in your medicine cabinet!
The value of Aspirin gets overlooked. Old fashion aspirin has been replaced, in many households, as we have other options (and a lot of American’s are taking daily or more frequent over-the-counter medicines to masking issues that should be addressed more functionally).
Warnings: Aspirin can irritate your stomach lining and trigger ulcers and bleeding. It should not be given to a children or teens, because it is associated with a risk of Reye’s syndrome. It also thins your blood which can be dangerous for people who are at high risk of bleeding. Yet, it is the blood thinning that we need to help with the heart attack issues. So bottom line is that aspirin may not be in your house, but most adult health risks are associated with long-term or improper aspirin use, not just one dose.
In a heart attack, a one-time dose of 325mg of aspirin can save your life. So, ask your doctor, if there is a more life-threatening reason not to take it, if you’re having a heart attack (which may include taking steroids, already taking blood thinners, or drink more than 3 alcoholic drinks per day).
Don’t forget to chew the aspirin for heart attack symptoms. And go back and read the heart attack symptom list, again.