2 Often-Dismissed Symptoms Of A Heart Attack You Should Never Ignore
Posted on: 10 May 2019
When you think about heart attack symptoms, you may picture what they show in the movies and on television, with the character clutching their chest and falling to the floor. While this does happen, there are also other subtler symptoms that are often dismissed by a person until it is too late. If you ever start having the following symptoms of a heart attack, do not ignore them, and get medical care right away.
1. Difficult Breathing That Starts Suddenly
One symptom of a heart attack that is often dismissed is when you suddenly have trouble breathing. At first, you may believe that you have simply overexerted yourself. However, sudden difficulty in breathing is often a sign of a heart attack, especially if you experience the symptom while either performing mild activities or simply sitting on the couch.
Since the heart muscles during a heart attack are damaged, the heart is unable to fully pump the necessary oxygenated blood throughout your body. As a defense against the low oxygen levels in your blood, your body reacts by trying to breathe harder. However, difficulty breathing is also a sign of other medical conditions, most of which need to be diagnosed as soon as possible.
2. Dull Ache in the Jaw or Neck
Another symptom that you may not associate with a heart attack is a dull ache in your jaw or neck. Unlike the crushing chest pains that radiate down the arm, this subtle discomfort is often dismissed as a strained neck or excessive chewing.
However, when a heart attack is happening, the brain can become confused due to a lack of oxygen and start sending pain signals to the wrong area. And since the heart, neck, and jaw are along the same neural pathway, the signals may stop in the upper region of your body.
If the achiness came on suddenly on the left side of your face and neck, you may be having a heart attack. This is especially true if you are also having trouble breathing at the same time.
Especially if you are experiencing either or both of the above symptoms above with other symptoms, such as sudden fatigue or dizziness, do not delay in having someone take you to the nearest emergency medical care service so that they can check you out as soon as possible. Even if you are not having a heart attack, there could still be something seriously wrong, and it is always better to be sure. Reach out to a clinic such as Advance ER to learn more.
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