ORLANDO, Fla (Ivanhoe Newswire) — For thousands of us, the body sends off subtle signs, but sometimes it’s tough to tell if it’s minor, or a pending heath crisis. Is it indigestion, or a heart attack? Exhaustion, or something else? No one wants to be a hypochondriac, imagining the very worst; but on the flip side, you don’t want to ignore a potentially dangerous condition. In fact, every year 750 thousand Americans suffer a heart attack. For many the first signs of trouble are very subtle.
“I noticed an irregularity; I would feel tired, sometimes faint,” Mary Rademacher shared.
Timothy Hendrix, M.D., is an emergency medicine specialist at Centra Care, Florida Hospital in Orlando, Florida. He says what most people think of as the classic sign of a heart attack may really be something else.
“There are a lot of things that can cause chest pain, acid reflux, heart burn, muscle strain.” Dr. Hendrix said.
So how can you tell if it is a real emergency?
Dr. Hendrix told Ivanhoe, “If you’re having any chest discomfort, radiating pain into an arm or the jaw, difficulty breathing, accompanying with sweats and nausea; all those things are symptoms that would go along with the chest pain, would be a good reason to get that checked right away.”
Dr. Hendrix also said excessive daytime sleepiness is another health red flag for a condition that is becoming more common.
Brenda Lepuschitz expressed, “I knew something was going on for years, but I didn’t really know. I thought I was just getting old. So tired now.”
“It’s not about just feeling tired and fatigued, that can be a number of other things. But those nap attacks, that sleepiness that you just can’t keep your eyes open, those heavy eyelids in the afternoon.” Dr. Hendrix added.
Sleep apnea can raise your risk for high blood pressure and diabetes. It can also put you in danger when driving.
Furthermore, does that itchy rash from an allergic reaction deserve an ER trip? Dr. Hendrix said to try Benadryl first; but if the reaction becomes severe, to act quickly.
Dr. Hendrix explained, “They’ll get that tickle in their throat and pretty soon if they’re finding it hard to talk or hard to breathe you need to call 911 immediately.”
Lastly, what do headaches tell you? Dr. Hendrix said when the headache is accompanied with fever, vomiting, neck pain or it’s the worst headache in your life it could be a tumor, or a serious infection like meningitis and it needs immediate attention.
Contributors to this news report include: Cyndy McGrath, Field Producer; Roque Correa, Editor.
RED FLAGS FROM YOUR BODY REPORT #2393a
(Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5472108&page=1)BACKGROUND: There are always things we are told to avoid in order to be healthier: don’t smoke… avoid sugars… reduce stress; but, skipping the hospital is not one of them. Let’s face it, most of the time we skip going to the doctor because the symptoms we’re experiencing don’t seem worrying enough, we’re fearful of missing prior obligations, the high hospital bills, or inconveniencing others. Whatever may be the case, it is important to know that the earlier a problem is diagnosed and treated, the less damage will occur in the long run. For this reason, it is important to be aware of those health red flags.
RED FLAGS: Crushing chest pain is a symptom hard to ignore, and it’s always associated with a heart attack; but sometimes this may not be the case. Other times, some symptoms are very subtle but the problem that is occurring is not, so here are some health red flags you should never ignore:
- Chest pain or pain and pressure that gets worse with exertion and improves with rest
- Shortness of breath
- Symptoms of stroke or TIA, like weakness or numbness in any part of the body, changes in vision, difficulty speaking, confusion, dizziness, loss of balance or a seizure
- Abdominal and gastrointestinal symptoms, like bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, vomiting blood, lack of appetite
- Loss of consciousness or significant lightheadedness
- Severe headache
- Visual changes, like blurry vision, double vision or loss of vision
- Allergic reaction after eating or being bitten, leading to difficulty breathing, hoarseness, swelling of lips, face, tongue or throat; rashes all over the body
- Depression
- Back pain associated with fever, painful urination, or persistent pain when there’s no history of falls or trauma.
(Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5472108&page=1)
PRIMARY CARE: ‘Atypical’ symptoms are symptoms that are not normally under the ‘textbook’ diagnosis, and there is also the misconception of ‘Hollywood heart attacks’. We think we know what a heart attack or a seizure looks like because we’ve seen it on TV or in movies; but symptoms may vary. Your best option is visiting your primary care physician if you’re noticing some strange symptoms that don’t go away, especially if you have a history with other diseases. If the symptoms are severe, go to the ER at the closest hospital instead.
(Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5472108&page=1)
* For More Information, Contact:
Shannon Sayre, Public Relations
Centra Care Florida Hospital
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