Getting straight to the heart of the attack

Getting straight to the heart of the attack

Heart problems are growing by the day is a given, but the low awareness about symptoms of a heart attack, and what instant action should be taken, are often key causes that aggravate the problem. Experts say about 40-50% patients remain unaware that they are experiencing a heart attack, which thereby leads to delayed visit to the hospital and availing treatment.

Cardiologists in the Bangalore have joined hands to start a campaign to increase awareness levels not just amongst patients, but the public in general, by introducing a booklet on understanding symptoms of heart attack, what should be done, risk factors, treatment options and case studies. Dr Vivek Jawali, member of the Journal of Indian Association of Cardiothoracic Surgeons, says the first hour post the heart attack is the golden hour. 'Treatment started within the golden hour is key towards restoring health of the patient. Facilities are available in each neighbourhood in Bangalore. But people should start brushing up their knowledge on symptoms of an attack and what should be done immediately.' Often many people having a heart attack wait for more than three to four hours before getting help, say doctors.

'Early recognition, awareness of heart attack and reaching hospital on time are key factors responsible for surviving a heart attack. Even when the situation seems completely out of control, expert medical care at the right time can turn things around,' says Dr Venketesh S, interventional cardiologist, Fortis Hospital.

hypertensionExperts say heart attacks are becoming increasingly common among those below 40 years of age, owing to the , diabetes, cholesterol, obesity, smoking and sedentary lifestyle.

Nip it in the bud

Heart Attack and the Hidden Secret of Survival, a booklet on understanding symptoms of heart attack, what should be done, risk factors, treatment options and case studies, can be downloaded from www.attacktheattack.com.

At the core of the problem

India has 45 million patients suffering from heart ailments. The country sees 28.6 lakh heart attack incidents every year.
Almost 50% of deaths following a heart attack are due to dearth of immediate care within first hour of a cardiac emergency.
About 25% of deaths in the 25-69 years age group are attributed to heart diseases by doctors.

Symptoms of the onset

If a person is experiencing either pain, discomfort or heaviness in either the chest, neck, jaw, back, abdomen, arms or shoulders for 20 minutes or more, it could be a heart attack. Patients can also experience breathlessness or nausea, sweating and numbness.
Chest pain is not always a sign of heart attack. A patient could instead be experiencing sweating, vomiting, breathlessness, etc.

First aid in case of an attack

Dr Venketesh S, interventional cardiologist, Fortis Hospital, says as a first aid measure, aspirin (325 mg) that is easily soluble or chewable should be given to the patient. Reach out for a cardiac ambulance so that treatment can be started within the ambulance. And then reach out to the nearest hospital having facilities like ICU and ECG. Relatives of patients should educate themselves on the necessary forms of treatment to avoid delays in decision making.

Dr Vijay Surase, interventional cardiologist at Jupiter Hospital, Thane tells us about some classic symptoms of a heart attack that we should watch out for:

Common signs of a heart attack:

Discomfort or pain arising at the centre of chest.
Feeling of suffocation with chest pain
Difficulty in breathing
Some women and people with diabetes do not have classic symptoms. Women usually have no severe chest pain, but a general weakness and discomfort. This leads to women ignoring the problem until late. Mostdiabetics develop atypical symptoms like profuse sweating or loss of consciousness during a heart attack which may be misinterpreted as symptoms of low sugar in the body. Sometimes heart attack is diagnosed during investigations like ECG or echocardiography even though you may not have had any history of chest pain. Such silent heart problems are a major challenge because they progress rapidly towards heart failure.

Other signs and symptoms of a heart attack include:

Anxiety
Cough
Fainting
Light-headedness, dizziness
Nausea or vomiting
Palpitations (feeling like your heart is beating too fast or irregularly)
Shortness of breath
Sweating, which may be very heavy
Women too have to be on the watch out because they don't experience the 'classic' symptoms of a heart attack. Some common symptoms in women are: 

Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the centre of your chest. These pains are infrequent and come and go.
Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or light-headedness.
As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

 With inputs from DNA