Stomach and elbows hurt. How to recognize atypical signs of a heart attack
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Myocardial infarction is a damage to the heart muscle caused by a violation of its blood supply. In Ukraine, the number of patients with this disease increases every year. Death statistics from cardiovascular disease have been at a decade high. It is accepted that the main symptoms of a heart attack are: pain behind the sternum; high pressure; accelerated or slowed pulse; discomfort in the area of the heart; dyspnea. However, in addition to them, there are still atypical signs of a heart attack. In particular, this is a piercing toothache or jaw pain, gastrointestinal disorders and a number of others. Photo: belchonock/Depositphotos “Ukrainian Truth. Life” spoke with interventional cardiologist of the St. Panteleimon Hospital of the First Territorial Medical Association of Lviv and the Ukrainian-Polish Heart Center “Lviv” Yury Melen and cardiologist and assistant of the Department of Radiology Diagnostics of the Lviv National Medical University Anastasia Aker and from I found out: who is prone to heart attacks; what are the atypical signs of the disease; how and in whom they usually manifest; how not to confuse a heart attack with other ailments; what is the prevention of a heart attack. What are the symptoms and signs of an acute heart attack Cardiologist Yuriy Melen said that a heart attack is an acute condition that occurs as a result of the closing of a blood vessel that supplies blood to the heart. According to him, the first symptom is a pressing pain behind the sternum. Cardiologist Yuriy Melen. Medical doctor Anastasia Aker emphasized that an acute heart attack is often accompanied by the following symptoms: discomfort, heaviness in the area of the heart; feeling of compression; According to the cardiologist, if you feel a sudden intense pain in the heart that does not go away within 20 minutes, then call a doctor or undergo a medical examination. This is one of the signs of an acute heart attack. She adds that sometimes the pain is not sudden. Very often, patients do not come on time, because they think that they can tolerate discomfort, and it is not something dangerous. This pain can also radiate somewhere: in the arm, neck, jaw, back. It is often accompanied by a feeling of lack of air, shortness of breath. Also, a person feels dizzy, sweat appears, but not as during sports. In a state of rest, a person’s body can be covered with a cold, sticky sweat. The patient becomes pale, feels nauseous. “People have an association that the symptoms of a heart attack are when it hurts a lot. Sometimes this is not the case,” says the cardiologist. Who is most prone to a heart attack According to Anastasia Aker, a heart attack can happen to anyone, but there are risk groups more prone to a heart attack. Anastasia Aker “If the average person has a 5% chance of getting a heart attack, then those who belong to the risk group have a 30-40% chance,” – notes Yurii Melen. Risk groups: people who have problems with pressure; patients with diabetes; those suffering from kidney failure; overweight men and women; persons with high cholesterol; those who do not eat properly, i.e. eat salty, fatty food; smokers; people who are in stressful situations; those who drink excessive amounts of alcohol. Older people, men and those with reduced physical activity are more prone to heart attacks, Anastasia Aker added. In men, heart attacks can occur more often at the age of about 40 years and older, and in women closer to 60, the doctor added. Anastasia Aker emphasizes that people in the risk group need to be examined on time and follow the doctor’s recommendations. According to her, the history of heart attacks in the family is also important. If one of the relatives was prone to heart attacks, then this is already an alarming beacon. What are the atypical signs of a heart attack? Atypical signs of a heart attack do not occur often, in 10-15% of patients, noted Yuriy Melen. In particular, people with diabetes can complain about them. They may not be in pain, they suffer a myocardial infarction on their feet, which is revealed later on the cardiogram. Also, atypical symptoms can appear in young people. Doctors call the following atypical signs of a heart attack: isolated pain between the shoulder blades; pain in the jaw and teeth; nausea and stomach pain; appearance of heaviness when walking and physical exertion; pain between shoulder blades; dizziness; headache; pains, weakness, tremors in hands and spine. The last symptoms are indisputable by the fact that the patient attributes his condition to the fact that he lifted something heavy or hypothermic and may not even suspect heart problems. Patients, according to the doctor, may also not feel pain in the chest, but only in the stomach. Most often, in such cases, they turn to surgeons or engage in self-medication, attributing everything to disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. As Yuriy Melen noted, although toothache is one of the atypical signs of a heart attack, not everyone who has it should run and get a cardiogram. As a rule, the pain is felt in the lower jaw and in the left hand. These are the signs of a myocardial infarction. According to Anastasia Aker, there were cases of atypical heart attacks in her practice. One such patient was admitted to the emergency room with suspicion of acute poisoning. Despite the fact that he was taken to the infectious disease hospital, the ambulance team decided to take him to the cardiology department first, because the patient was sweating profusely. She notes that there were no clear criteria for a heart attack on the cardiogram, but she saw the initial manifestations. She reported this to the patient and the ambulance crew. Despite the nausea, he was very bothered by the pain in both elbows. “I learned from the patient’s history that he is a man over 60, a smoker, he is sweaty and his elbows hurt. And this is a high probability of a heart attack,” Anastasia Aker said. The doctor recalls that the patient was on drips for two hours, he got much better and the cardiogram did not change. When the patient’s well-being returned to normal, he wanted to go home, began to assure that he was simply poisoned by meat. Still, he was persuaded to do another cardiogram, where it was clear that the heart attack was beginning to progress. “The most dramatic thing is that he didn’t listen to me, I wrote in all the documents that I wasn’t letting him go and that he had a heart attack. A few hours later, the patient returned by ambulance to our department again,” the doctor added. Heart attacks are often initially confused with other conditions. “In practice, there were also cases when people were brought in with abdominal pain and, accordingly, suspected appendicitis. In the reception department, a cardiogram was performed, and signs of a heart attack were detected. The patients were immediately given the necessary treatment,” added Yuriy Melen. Basic heart attack prevention Cardiologist Yurii Melen said that considering the current situation in the country, everyone has a high risk of heart attacks. “People live under stress that has a negative impact on their health. The worst thing is that they wait for something, they don’t immediately seek help, they think it will pass. When a heart attack occurs, many people simply think that their spine hurts or something else, so they often sometimes it’s too late,” says the doctor. Recently, doctors are more often observing cases of heart attack in young women, aged 38-40. First of all, heart attack prevention is a lifestyle change, says the doctor. It is also worth following the following recommendations: walk more; move more actively; normalize body weight; follow a proper diet; limit the consumption of fats and salty food; give up smoking; normalize cholesterol level; regularly take pills for hypertension. If you have high blood pressure, you should take the medication constantly. Do not allow pressure spikes over 140, because they also provoke a heart attack. “It is very important to take blood thinners when prescribed by a doctor and follow a diet. It is equally important to control cholesterol and body weight, sugar if you have diabetes,” says Yuriy Melen. Importantly! Medicines can be used only after consultation with a doctor. According to the doctor, no European or American Association of Cardiologists, or the Ministry of Health has recommendations on the use of dietary supplements (food supplements) for the prevention of heart attacks, because they do not have an evidence base for preventing the development of the disease. “Of course, there is no 100% prevention of the disease, but the advice reduces the risk of the disease,” the doctor emphasizes. He adds, if you feel at least some symptoms characteristic of a heart attack, you should consult a doctor. Even if you are not sure of the diagnosis, you should not wait for it to get worse. Doctors assure that the first hours are of great importance, because it is then that a heart attack can be prevented. With the help of coronary artery stenting, doctors can open the diseased vessel immediately and thus save lives. We remind you that the National Health Service of Ukraine fully covers all instruments and treatment for heart attack. Read also: insomnia increases the risk of a heart attack – scientists Tetiana Denisenko, “Ukrainian Pravda. Life” Cover photo: belchonock/Depositphotos
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