Having a heart attack is no laughing matter. Millions of people suffer heart attacks every year. Thousands of the people who have heart attacks die from them. For those who have survived a heart attack in the past, they know the importance of early detection and proper treatment to minimize the damage. If you fear you are suffering from a heart attack, you should have someone take you to the nearest emergency room immediately or call for an ambulance. Don’t try to drive yourself to the hospital. If you have a tendency to suffer with other chest problems, it is important to know the warming signs of a heart attack so that you can avoid a misdiagnosis.
Warning Signs
There are some warning signs that a heart attack is the eminent condition you are experiencing and not some other minor discomfort such as heartburn or acid reflux. When you are not sure about whether or not your chest pains are the result of a heart attack, you should check for these warning signs as well:
- Chest pain that radiates to upper body extremities
- Shortness of breathe
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
- Pallor
- Dilated pupils
- Neck and jaw pain
- Neck and jaw pain
- Stomach pain
Avoiding Misdiagnosis
When you are having a heart attack, the last thing you need is a misdiagnosis. But, this is exactly what happens in many cases. The symptoms of a heart attack, when left untreated, can lead to a stroke or permanent paralysis and even death. Every year, thousands of people end up suing medical practitioners such as doctors and nurses who misdiagnose the conditions of their loved ones and friends as a heart attack and those people end up dying from lack of proper medical treatment for the heart attack conditions they were suffering.
One of the ways that you can avoid misdiagnosing a heart attack is to be familiar with the systems of other conditions you may have experienced in the past. For example, heartburn is similar but usually can be treated with some form of heartburn pills or liquid that makes the symptoms of heartburn go away, even if only temporarily. If you suffer from other chest related conditions, make sure you know how to recognize the symptoms precisely for what they should be so that you do not misdiagnose a heart attack.
Even medical professional can make a mistake. If you go to the emergency room for chest pains that you believe to be a heart attack, it is better to be safe than sorry. Don’t let a doctor or nurse dismiss the symptoms easily as you have the right to receive the treatment you need, treatment that could save your life if, in fact, you are having a heart attack. Don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion if you are not satisfied with what the doctor tells you. Be sure to ask for an explanation of your symptoms that you are satisfied with. As for laymen’s terms explanation when medical talk is too technical. Let someone you trust accompany you while the doctor or nurse explains things to have a second set of fresh ears listening out for anything that doesn’t sound quite right.
