If this symptom occurs in the arm, it may be a sign of a heart attack!

Mention of myocardial infarction

I believe many people have this impression:

There is no sign, it comes suddenly

Once hit, you will fall to the ground immediately

In fact, this is a stereotype

Most acute myocardial infarctions occur

There are some signals.

For example, pain in the left arm

Pay attention to these heart attack signs

Can help patients gain more time for treatment

Clinical practice has shown that pain in the left arm may be one of the manifestations of angina pectoris or even myocardial infarction . We generally call the pain in places other than the organs caused by acute diseases of internal organs radiating pain.

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Unlike the pain after a muscle strain or fatigue, arm pain during a heart attack is usually a dull pain, usually in the left shoulder and inner side of the left arm , and may be accompanied by a feeling of heaviness or burning.

This radiating pain may be the result of heart pain being transmitted to the arm through nerve pathways.

Of course, arm pain does not necessarily mean a heart attack. The arm pain caused by angina pectoris is often sudden and short-lived, lasting about 10 to 20 minutes at most. The arm pain caused by myocardial infarction may last longer, but is generally accompanied by other symptoms, such as chest tightness, shortness of breath , etc. In this case, you must call 120 for medical treatment in time.

If the pain lasts for several days and gets better after rubbing the area, and there are no other accompanying symptoms, then it probably has nothing to do with myocardial infarction, so there's no need to scare yourself.

Chest pain

Chest pain is the most typical symptom of acute myocardial infarction, often accompanied by profuse sweating.

When describing this type of chest pain, many patients often say that it feels like a large stone is pressing on their chest or like their chest is being strangled . A more precise description would be dull pain, bloating, or a squeezing feeling.

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The chest pain caused by a heart attack may last for more than 15 minutes or even several hours.

This type of chest pain is more common than arm pain and therefore needs to be taken more seriously.

Sore throat

Unlike the sore throat caused by a cold or fever, the sore throat caused by a heart attack gives a feeling of blocked throat and also involves symptoms of profuse sweating.

Toothache

If you have not been diagnosed with any dental disease before, but suddenly have severe toothache, which cannot be relieved by taking medicine or going to the dentist for a check-up, then the possibility of a heart attack cannot be ruled out.

Similar to the cause of arm pain, this type of toothache is caused by the pain of myocardial infarction being transmitted to the mouth by nerves. Therefore, the toothache may not be felt in a single tooth, but in several teeth.

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In addition to these symptoms, if you experience gastrointestinal reactions such as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or radiating pain in the neck and back for no apparent reason, you should also be careful as these may be signs of a heart attack.

The locations where these symptoms appear are easily overlooked. If you are a high-risk group such as smokers, overweight or obese, have dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, or a family history of premature coronary heart disease , you must be alert to these symptoms.

In addition to these traditional factors, there are other factors that may also induce myocardial infarction, such as work fatigue, excessive exercise, mental stress, staying up late, depression and anxiety , etc.

When a heart attack occurs, correct first aid measures are crucial:

Call 911 immediately: If you experience symptoms of a heart attack, seek professional medical help immediately and do not attempt to drive to the hospital on your own.

Inactivity: Keep the patient calm and avoid any form of activity to reduce the workload on the heart.

Nitroglycerin: If your doctor has prescribed nitroglycerin, you can take it sublingually as directed to help dilate blood vessels and improve blood supply to the heart.

CPR: If the person is unconscious and has no heartbeat, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately until medical professionals arrive.

A heart attack is a serious medical emergency, and knowing its signs and first aid measures is crucial to saving lives.

At the same time, by improving lifestyle and controlling risk factors, we can reduce the risk of myocardial infarction from the source.

Statement: This article is a medical-related educational popular science article. It does not involve specific treatment methods or medical behaviors and cannot replace hospital visits.

Experts who reviewed this article

References

[1] Huang Jing. Clinical analysis of acute myocardial infarction with atypical symptoms[J]. Medical Information (First Half of the Month), 2011, 24(03): 1309-1310.

[2] Huang Jing. Clinical analysis of acute myocardial infarction with atypical symptoms[J]. Medical Information (First Half of the Month), 2011, 24(03): 1309-1310.

[3] Wang Zhenjun. Clinical characteristics and treatment of acute myocardial infarction in the elderly[J]. World Latest Medical Information Abstracts, 2019, 19(39): 81+84. DOI: 10.19613/j.cnki.1671-3141.2019.39.047.

Content Production

Editor: Zhang Fuyao

Map: Eastern Zhou Dynasty