Heart Attack: 8 Early Signs To Catch

Did you know that India accounts for 20 per cent of all deaths due to heart diseases in the world? Indians seem to be particularly prone to developing heart disease, especially at a younger age. Of particular concern is the early age of onset, rapid progression and high mortality associated with cardiovascular disease in India. Besides being genetically predisposed to heart disease, there are certain unique habits of Indians which are not healthy for the heart and which make us more susceptible to heart attacks.Also Read – Gynaecological Cancers And Fertility: Early Detection to Treatment, Know it All

Dr Tilak Suvarna, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai says, “Sedentary lifestyle is a common and an important risk factor for heart disease. Every second individual in India is physically inactive. Exercise has never been our culture. We prefer to drive or be driven rather than walk, even if it is a short distance. It is only recently that we are encouragingly seeing an increasing number of individuals going for regular walks.” Also Read – Desi Ghee Side Effects: Stop Eating Ghee Right Away if You Have These Health Conditions

Here, know the signs and symptoms of a Heart Attack that you should not ignore:

• Chest pain or discomfort in the center of the chest that continues for more than several minutes or that goes away and comes back
• Pain, discomfort or numbness in areas of the upper body such as the arms, back, neck, jaw and stomach
• Shortness of breath that can occur with or without chest discomfort
• Breaking into a cold sweat
• Nausea, lack of appetite and/or vomiting
• Dizziness and/or lightheadedness
• Rapid or irregular pulse
• Severe and unexplained weakness or fatigue in the days leading up to a heart attack

Dr Suvarna points out, “The typical Indian diet is not heart-healthy, consisting of predominantly carbohydrates and being high in dairy fats and ghee and low in fruits and vegetable intake. Even though more than 50% of our population is vegetarian, the prevalence of heart disease is higher than in the predominantly non-vegetarian Western population. Reusing oil for cooking is common in our culture, and it increases trans fatty acids. The typical Indian dietary habit is to have a light breakfast and a heavy dinner, which leads to improper or poor digestion leading to weight gain and increased risk of diabetes mellitus.” Also Read – Lung Cancer: Know it’s Causes, Symptoms, Prevention And Who is At Risk

If you believe you are experiencing any combination of the symptoms of a heart attack it is imperative to get help right away.