Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States suffers a heart attack. Many times, a heart attack is ‘silent’, and a person won’t even realize they’re having it. But even if it’s not the clutch-your-chest-and-collapse kind you see in the movies — the “Big One” that lets Elizabeth know you’ll be joining her shortly — it will still cause damage to your heart. In some cases, it can be fatal.
What is a heart attack?
A heart attack, or myocardial infarction, happens when blood flow to any section of the heart is disrupted.
It’s All Greek to Me
Myo = muscle
Cardial = of the heart
Infarction = blockage
The human heart has four chambers or sections. The right atrium collects oxygen-depleted blood after it has travelled around the body and pumps it into the right ventricle. From there, blood goes to the lungs to be oxygenated. The oxygen-rich blood goes to the left atrium, is forwarded to the left ventricle, and then sent onwards around the circulatory system.
The heart itself needs blood to function. If the gateway to any one of the four chambers is blocked, that section will be starved of oxygen and the muscle tissue will begin to die. After 30 minutes, the tissue damage is irreversible.
Since all four chambers of the heart work in tandem, when one section stops, the other three cannot function for too long. Without prompt medical attention, the result can be deadly.
Note: A heart attack is not the same as cardiac arrest
When is it a heart attack and when it is just gas?
Heart attacks and trapped abdominal gas have so many similar symptoms that it’s sometimes difficult to be sure. In fact, it is surprisingly common to mistake one for the other.
Lookalike symptoms of heart attack and abdominal gas
- A heaviness or pressure on your chest
- A feeling of tightness, like your chest is being squeezed
- Sharp, stabbing pain around the breastbone, ribs, and sides
- Feeling nauseated
- Shortness of breath
- A ‘burning’ feeling between the throat and stomach
A heart attack may have several additional symptoms
If you experience only the above symptoms, there may be no need to worry. Give your body some time and attention and your troubles should soon be gone with the wind.
But if they are accompanied by any of the below symptoms, the possibility of a heart attack is higher, and you should seek medical attention:
- Sweating profusely yet feeling cold
- Clammy skin
- Palpitations (heart beating too fast, ‘fluttering’, or pounding uncontrollably)
- Crushing pain in the left arm radiating up towards the shoulder. In some cases, the pain can be in both arms
- Pain in the throat or jaw
- Sudden fatigue
- Feeling dizzy and disoriented
- Heightened anxiety
What to do if you’re having a heart attack
Don’t take any chances. Don’t assume it’s just gas and will pass. Call 911 immediately.
Loosen any tight clothing.
Your doctor should be monitoring your heart health regularly and may have prescribed emergency medication, such as nitroglycerin pills. Take as directed.
Sit on the floor, leaning against a wall, with your knees pulled up and your head down. If sitting on the floor is not possible, sit on an armchair or sofa that has back support and won’t let you topple off sideways. Put your feet up on a footrest or low table.
Have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Ready
Time and speed are essential when dealing with a heart attack, so make an emergency action plan (EAP). This lets your family, friends, or whoever is responding know how to quickly help you in the event of a heart attack.
Print out your EAP and put it in an easily accessible place, such as your refrigerator door. Also print out a wallet- or purse-sized version to carry on your person when outdoors.
Your EAP should have:
- The name and contact information of your healthcare provider.
- Instructions on how to use any prescribed emergency medication, such as nitroglycerin tablets. Write down where you keep your medication so it can be found quickly. It’s a good idea to store it in a portable pill container worn round your neck or on your keyring.
- A picture of you seated in the knees-up-head-down stance so your responder knows exactly how to position you while waiting for an ambulance.
Preventative Care for Heart Attacks
- Eat a low-fat diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains
- Switch to healthy fats, such as plant-based oils
- Exercise for at least 150 minutes each week
- Quit smoking
- Reduce your alcohol intake
- Keep your blood pressure within range
- Read what experts say about heart disease and follow their advice
What if it really is just gas?
If you don’t have the symptoms specific to a heart attack, you can either wait for the gas to expel in due course, or help it along by:
- Sipping warm ginger tea
- Massaging the abdominal area
- Lying down on your left side
- Using a heating pad or hot water bottle
- Bending and twisting to push it out
Ginger tea
Ginger is a carminative, meaning it helps expel gas. As a preventative measure, make ginger a regular ingredient in your daily meals. For quick, targeted relief, brew a cup of ginger tea.
Ginger Tea to Relieve Gas and Bloating
Bring 1 cup of water to a gentle boil. Add 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger. Simmer for a minute, turn off the stove, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes. Stir in a dash of lemon juice and your sweetener of choice. Drink warm.
Massage
Place your hands on your belly. Apply gentle yet firm pressure on your stomach muscles and massage in a clockwise direction for a few minutes, then counterclockwise. Continue until the discomfort subsides.
Lie on your left side
The layout of the human digestive system, and the large intestine (colon) in particular, is such that lying on the left side actually helps relieve heartburn and easily expel gas. Bring your knees up and hug them as tight as you can. This puts extra pressure on your colon and may force trapped gas out.
Heat therapy
A hot water bottle or heating pad on your abdomen will relax tense muscles. This may open up any blocked passageways in the digestive tract and nudge painful pockets of gas down and out.
Move, bend, and twist
Walk around if possible and try to bend from the waist as far as you can go. Do side stretches, twists, any kind of movement that will encourage the muscles to drive trapped abdominal gas out.
Manage Your Heart Health Better
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It is a progressive disease, meaning it grows worse with age. Seniors need to be aware that a heart attack is a very real possibility and preventative care is the best way to manage their heart health. Schedule a visit with your doctor and they can guide you on how to take better care of your heart.