On Friday, April 21, 2023, the conference "Identification of a heart attack", was held, given by Dr. Gustavo A. Paniagua Frausto.
“We must learn how to identify a heart attack’s typical and atypical symptoms so we can act fast and correctly," said Paniagua.
During the session, the expert detailed some of the main causes of heart attacks, including having uncontrolled hypertension, smoking, not having good control of diabetes, obesity, among others.
Dr. Gustavo also shared habits that help prevent this medical emergency, for example, performing annual laboratory tests from the age of 25, maintaining control of chronic diseases and an adequate weight, healthy eating habits, doing physical activities and avoid smoking.
He also mentioned the two types of symptoms associated with a heart attack: typical and atypical. The typical symptoms (usually shown in men) are chest pain radiating to the arm, jaw, back and shoulder (commonly on the left side), and general malaise.
On the other hand, Atypical symptoms, tend to appear more frequently in women and are manifested with shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, syncope, palpitations, epigastrium pain and generalized weakness.
During the conference Francisco Parra shared an incredibly valuable life experience he has presented heart attack symptoms on several occasions in the past. Luckily, he has always managed to consult a specialist and get treatment in time, as well as undergoing life-changing heart surgery.
"Take care and pay attention to your health", insisted Parra, stressing the importance of identifying the symptoms of a heart attack fast.
When facing an emergency cardiac situation, knowing how to proceed is key: locate the nearest health center; call medical emergencies or a close relative to transport the person; keep track of the time elapsed from the onset of symptoms; and provide the patient with an Aspirin tablet (160-300mg) to chew on until its complete dissolution.
If you witness someone having a heart attack, remain calm, call medical emergencies and, if possible, measure the patient’s vital signs. If the person does not have a pulse, first aid should be administrated.
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