What Does a Heart Attack Look Like?

Blog  |  February 18, 2020

Senior Heart Attacks | Most of us have a specific idea of what a heart attack looks like: someone feels an abrupt, strong pain that causes them to stop in their tracks and clutch their chest. While some heart attacks do happen suddenly, many start slowly, with pain or discomfort. A person can have symptoms for hours before they even realize they’re having a heart attack.

Simple lifestyle changes can improve heart health. A number of enjoyable activities, like sharing healthy meals with loved ones, regular exercise, and maintaining positive mental health can help those recovering from heart attack or trying to reduce the risk of developing issues.

Knowing what signs to look for can save critical time, and it’s important to be aware of the signs:

• Chest discomfort – The chest pain associated with a heart attack doesn’t feel the same for everyone. Some people experience squeezing, discomfort, or a feeling of fullness.
• Pain or discomfort throughout the body – Heart attack pain isn’t limited to the chest area. Heart attack symptoms can include soreness in the neck, arms, jaw, or back, or a combination of these. Women are more likely than men to experience jaw and back pain when suffering from a heart attack.
• Shortness of breath – Shortness of breath is a heart attack symptom that is not usually recognized as one. However, those vulnerable to heart problems should be aware of any sudden breathing problems, especially if combined with other symptoms
• Nausea – Lightheadedness, vomiting, cold sweats, and nausea are also symptoms that are not often associated with a heart attack but can signal the onset of one.

Types of senior heart attacks:

• NSTEMI – NSTEMI heart attacks happen when blood flow to the heart through a coronary artery is severely restricted but not entirely blocked.
• Demand Ischemia: Demand ischemia is another type of heart attack where blockages in the arteries may not be present. It happens when a patient’s heart needs more oxygen than is available in the body’s supply.
• Silent Heart Attacks: A heart attack does not always have obvious symptoms. In fact, a heart attack can happen without a person knowing it. These are often referred to as silent heart attacks.
• Coronary Artery Spasm: A coronary artery spasm is when the artery wall tightens and blood flow through the artery is restricted.
• Cardiac Arrest: Cardiac arrest is not a heart attack, but a term used when a person’s heart stops beating. It can be due to a heart attack or occur as a primary event.

Early detection of a heart attack can help prevent damage to the heart, brain, and body. If you witness someone having these symptoms, or you feel them yourself, it’s important to call 911 and seek medical attention immediately.

Comfort Keepers® Georgian Triangle Can Help with Senior Heart Attacks

Heart health becomes more important as we get older, and the trusted care team at Comfort Keepers can help.

If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones we can help. Comfort Keepers®’s trained caregivers help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible to keep them happy and healthy at home. Our Interactive Caregiving™ provides a system of care that addresses safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs).

What’s more, our trained caregivers are selected with one specific quality in mind: empathy. Care that is empathetic is care that starts in the heart, and it allows us to meet our client’s exact needs. Learn more about our unique service offering Dementia Care and Palliative Care by contacting the Comfort Keepers Georgian Triangle office.

Comfort Keepers Georgian Triangle, is pleased to announce that we are a recipient of Accreditation Canada’s, Accreditation Primer Award. Accreditation is an intensive process in which an organization’s processes, policies, and procedures are examined by industry experts against a set of quality standards. To achieve accredited status, Comfort Keepers offices met or exceeded the rigorous standards for Home Care companies, as defined by Accreditation Canada. 

If you live in the Collingwood, Midland, Owen Sound area, contact Comfort Keepers at (705) 293-5553, or email us at georgiantriangle@comfortkeepers.ca. Comfort Keepers Georgian Triangle is here to help you and your loved ones get the best care possible.

If you liked this article; Nutrition & Alzheimer’s Disease, here are a couple more suggestions:

Identifying and Treating Seasonal Depression In Seniors

Making Sure Seniors Are Getting Enough Vitamin C

References

American Heart Association. “About Heart Attacks.” Web. 2016.

WebMD. “Heart Attacks and Heart Disease.” Web.

Unity Point Health. “10 Surprising Facts About Heart Attacks (Infographic).” Web. 2014.

Government of Canada. “Heart disease in Canada: Highlights from the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System” Web. 2017.

Share This Post: