How to know it's NOT a heart attack?

EileenG

Maybe I'm just getting paranoid here, but I seem to keep reading articles about apparently fit and healthy women who think they have indigestion but are actually having heart attacks.

The other day I was cycling into town, and I couldn't catch my breath and my chest hurt all the way. I seriously wondered if I was having a heart attack. It was only when I got there that I realised one of my brakes had jammed, and I was suffering major DOMS from a chest workout the day before.

Anyway, my point is that if you train hard, you are frequently going to have a lot of the symptoms of a heart attack. So is there anyway of knowing that you are NOT having a heart attack?

AlphaMale 3OO

EileenG wrote: »

Maybe I'm just getting paranoid here, but I seem to keep reading articles about apparently fit and healthy women who think they have indigestion but are actually having heart attacks.

The other day I was cycling into town, and I couldn't catch my breath and my chest hurt all the way. I seriously wondered if I was having a heart attack. It was only when I got there that I realised one of my brakes had jammed, and I was suffering major DOMS from a chest workout the day before.

Anyway, my point is that if you train hard, you are frequently going to have a lot of the symptoms of a heart attack. So is there anyway of knowing that you are NOT having a heart attack?

Yeah you wont die! Apparantly a heart attack feels like an elephant sitting on your chest so if not your probably grand.

Degsy

Its also a pin you've NEVER had before and i usually accompanied by a pain from the jaws radiating down into the arm.Basicly if you're having a heart attack you'll probbaly know all about it.

hunter164

Well my Dad said it was like having Ballymun flats being dropped on his chest so if you don't feel like that you should be alright!

Sangre

the fact you kept going is probably an indicator you weren't having a heart attack. Is there any point in knowing you are having one? Surely you'll just keel over and won't be able to do anything.

hunter164

Sangre wrote: »

Surely you'll just keel over and won't be able to do anything.

Usually takes round 10 mins for that to happen.Sure my Dad drove home and went to the jacks while waiting for an ambulance.

EileenG

From what I read, it seems that heart attacks often feel different for women, more like really bad indigestion with a feeling of doom, not necessarily a strong chest pain. And I believe that if you get to a hospital within an hour of a heart attack, they can reverse most of the damage to the heart muscle. After that, it's too late.

This is supposed to be one of the reasons that women are so likely to die of heart attacks, they often don't recognise them and don't get treated in time.

smellslikeshoes

I really don't think this is a question anyone is going to be able to answer you for definite.

EileenG wrote: »

This is supposed to be one of the reasons that women are so likely to die of heart attacks, they often don't recognise them and don't get treated in time.

I think if you are worried about this your Doctor would probably a better person to talk to about it.

c - 13

My general rule is that if i'm still standing up then its not a heart attack.

Hmm, never knew that you could still function perfectly for a while before hitting the floor. That theory may be out the window.

EileenG

I've a vague memory of reading that heart attacks were always accompanied by a cold sweat. So no cold sweat means no heart attack?

My local doctor is very good with the children and if you need some antibiotics, but I can't see him being very helpful with this sort of thing. He doesn't really approve of my lifestyle as it is. We already had words about extended breastfeeding.

entropi

EileenG wrote: »

I've a vague memory of reading that heart attacks were always accompanied by a cold sweat. So no cold sweat means no heart attack?

Not necessarily, but it is one of the symptoms yes, along with an ashen sort of hue to the skin, and the patient usually won't want to talk, so just sit em down with back to a flat surface and get help.

elbee

A sick stomach is an indication as well. That apparantly shows up for a lot of women even if they don't get the chest pain as badly.

I've also heard of some heart attack victims who feel really weak and tired.

Reyman

Have you had a check up? ECG etc? Might be the best way to put your mind at rest if you think you're a cardio problem candidate

EileenG

I'm not a candidate, excellent blood work, low blood pressure, good diet, generally fit and healthy, and no relatives with heart disease. I'm probably just scaring myself over nothing, but I keep reading all these articles about women who had lots of heart attacks and just ignored them.

davyjose

EileenG wrote: »

I'm not a candidate, excellent blood work, low blood pressure, good diet, generally fit and healthy, and no relatives with heart disease. I'm probably just scaring myself over nothing, but I keep reading all these articles about women who had lots of heart attacks and just ignored them.

Don't read them then. Seriously, given your history and test results, you're not going to have a heart attack, and if you did, you'd almost certainly know all about it.
You're really doing yourself more harm than good worrying about this.

Canis Lupus

My understanding is there are many different symptoms a person can feel if they are suffering from a heart attack. They can get all the symptoms, some of them or maybe only one mild twinge.

If you have concerns you really need to talk to your doctor rather than gaining reassurance from the interwebs.

Canis Lupus

Can't edit my post for some reason.

Read your above post about your health check.

You're being a hypochondriac. (sp?)

Jumpy

Was it not just a stitch?

EileenG

davyjose wrote: »

Don't read them then. Seriously, given your history and test results, you're not going to have a heart attack, and if you did, you'd almost certainly know all about it.
You're really doing yourself more harm than good worrying about this.

Yeah, you're right. When I was getting health insurance recently, I deliberately opted not to get much in the way of insurance for heart disease/cancer because I reckon my chances of getting those are very low, and instead loaded on the accident and injury premiums. I'm far more likely to get smashed up as I cycle than to have a heart attack.

EileenG

Jumpy wrote: »

Was it not just a stitch?

Nope, massive DOMS from bench pressing to failure, coupled with a jammed brake on my bike.

Mind you, if my husband has the same symptoms, in his case it probably would have been a heart attack.

snickerpuss

I get terrible chest pain but I'm an asthmatic. I'll probably never recognise a real one.