Many heart attacks do not come by surprise at all they often give out warning signals one to two weeks beforehand repeated, brief episodes of chest pains, occasional sipped heart beats, shortness of breath, or dizziness. Some people may mistake these symptoms for indigestion, or heart burn, and ignore them. But if you pay attention to these warning signs and see your doctor promptly, you may be able to prevent the heart attack altogether.
Its likely that more than one million Americans will suffer a heart attack this year. Most victims will be over forty-five years old, and the number of women who will be affected is on the rise. Medical science has made tremendous advances in the control of heart disease, but, according to experts, the best treatment is prevention.
Not only do many people ignore early warning signals of a heart attack, but its quite common for many individuals to delay, sometimes as much as by three hours, or even a day, getting help when they are in the throes of a full-fledged attack.
The warning signals of a major heart attack are uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing, or pain in the middle of your chest, pain that spreads to your shoulders, neck, or arms; and dizziness, fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath.
