Signs of a Heart Attack Include Denial - - Health - Diseases and Conditions

In Canada more than 70,000 heart attacks occur annually. More than 19,000 people die every year as a result.

Cardiovascular disease is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Canada so learning more about heart health and how to manage heart health emergencies should be on everyone's agenda.What is a Heart Attack?

The technical term is a myocardial infarct. Myocardial refers to the cardiac muscle (yes the heart is a muscle) and infarct refers to tissue death. As a result of the lack of blood to the heart, part of the heart muscle dies from lack of oxygen.

Like every muscle in the body, the heart muscle must receive oxygen. The harder it works the more oxygen it requires. It should come as no surprise to anyone that lack of oxygen will lead to tissue death. When the blood vessels that supply the heart cannot deliver enough oxygen to meet the demand of the myocardial muscle it will die.Heart attack symptoms include:

Denial is one of the major signs of a heart attack and is such a significant problem that a recent Canadian study of 487 heart attack patients found that more than one-third of them got to the hospital by themselves including driving their own car and taking the bus.

Don't let denial be the heart attack symptom that prevents you or your loved one from receiving timely medical care for this potentially fatal medical condition. Life saving treatments are possible and the best outcomes are achieved when they are administered promptly before complications make the treatment less effective.

If you are experiencing chest pain it could be one of the signs of a heart attack and you should take it seriously. If it is accompanied by any other heart attack symptoms listed here, call 911.

Better yet get serious about heart health before you get chest pain and get started on a heart healthy program of diet and exercise. The research on the contribution of exercise to heart health is astounding and it is never too late to get started. Even if you have already had a heart attack you can improve your health and the quality of your life with a medically supervised exercise program.

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