First, off what is a heart attack? Well another name for heart attack is myocardial infarction—myo means muscle, cardio refers to the heart, and an infarct is when tissue dies because blood supply to it has been compromised. So myocardial infarction is when the heart muscle, or part of it, is dead or dying because the blood supply to that area has been stopped or reduced significantly. This most often happens because of a clot getting stuck in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. While blood may be circulating through the heart, this does not directly supply to the heart itself. Blood has to leave the heart and then goes through arteries (the coronary artery being a major one) to supply the heart itself.

Contrary to what you may see on TV or in the movies, a heart attack does not have to be a dramatic event. Not everyone experiences a heart attack by grabbing their chest or left arm and falling down. So what are the major signs and symptoms of a heart attack?

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of signs or symptoms of a heart attack but they are the most common ones.

So the previous signs and symptoms are the major things experienced during a heart attack. However, women have a greater tendency to experience heart attacks differently that the ‘classic’ symptoms. In general, women may have signs and symptoms that are more mild or subtle.

Women may still have ‘classic’ signs and symptoms of a heart attack but closer attention needs to be paid to other symptoms as well. In general, if you suspect you may be having a heart attack (call it intuition or whatever) have it checked out.

As a chiropractor I know the importance of prevention. Heart disease which can lead to a heart attack is largely a lifestyle disease. So how you live has a very large impact on your chances of having a heart attack. Some things you can do to decrease your risk for heart disease include not smoking, eating more fruits & vegetables, and getting regular, moderate exercise. Regular chiropractic care also helps to keep the body functioning at its best. While I am not aware of any studies that look directly at the link between chiropractic care and heart attacks, there have been some studies that show chiropractic helps improve high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart attack. I believe regular chiropractic care can help keep you and your heart healthy. Chiropractic seeks to keep proper communication from the brain to the body by removing nerve interference. And when you have clear messages going between the brain and body, things work better. Call today. I work with people just like you to reduce their stress, relieve their pain, and improve their quality of life for years to come.