A heart attack illustration. [Photo/clevelandclinic.org]
Cases of heart attacks have become a common occurrence in our country in the last decade.
Experts have warned that the number of people facing heart attacks is likely to increase. The lower age brackets of between 20 and 30 years are also increasingly at a higher risk.
Nairobi based cardiologist, Dr Mohamed, is concerned that most people are not aware of simple symptoms and end up coming to the hospital too late.
This exposes them to worse effects of the condition, which he said if it does not kill you, makes the patient end up with a weak heart. This requires seven to eight types of medication to manage.
Cardiovascular diseases refer to conditions that involve narrowed or blocked vessels that can lead to heart attacks, chest pains or a stroke. A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood and oxygen to a section of the heart becomes blocked leading the heart muscle to die from lack of oxygen.
If medical intervention is not immediate the entire heart can die leading to death of the host. Here are some warning signs that indicate the possibility of a heart attack and can be seen six months before it occurs.
1. Extreme fatigue and feeling tired even after eating and resting well.
2. Sleep disturbances that are unexplained for instance extreme thirst, wanting to use the bathroom frequently during the night.
3. Shortness of breath as a result of lack of enough oxygen in the heart.
4. Indigestion characterized by a growling stomach especially after eating non spicy foods.
5. Increased anxiety that have no reasonable explanations.
6. Numbness in your arms as a result of the heart sending impulses to your spine due to insufficient oxygen.
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms kindly see a physician to run some tests on you.