Are heart attack and lower back pain related? How aware are you of the symptoms related to heart attack? Maybe you actually know less that you actually think.
The moment the heart attack subject springs up, a majority of us have the stereotype of classic movie in mind: A man clutching his left arm or chest and then crumples onto the ground.
How true exactly is the image?
Typically, heart attacks are caused by a blockage in the artery which supplies blood to the heart. If this artery is blocked for a long time then it starves the heart muscle of oxygen and the cells start to die off.
The heart attack symptoms can be varied widely and they are hard to predict despite the straight forward occurrence.
The heart attacks which build up slowly are much more common than the intense and sudden heart attacks as is the case in those movies. Most symptoms of heart attack are subtle and can be confused easily with the daily occurrences like indigestion.
Some specific symptoms of women tend to differ from the symptoms which are thought to be the norm. A month before having a heart attack, most of the symptoms women have include fatigue in an unusual level and short breath.
Doctors have expressed their concern over the fact that women do not get the life saving help they require because of the widespread ignorance over the symptoms of heart attack.
While the heart attack is taking place, a majority of women do not suffer any chest pain, rather they have low back pain and in areas which are seldom mentioned like the abdomen .
If you experience symptoms heart attack and lower back pain or abdominal pain such as dizziness or weakness, then it is wise to seek medical attention immediately.
Back to heart attack and its link to back pain and how the two are related. Even though it may seem strange, there may be a connection which is more direct between heart attack and lower back pain.
A study that was carried out in the year 2001 showed that there was a ling between lower back pain, cigarette smoking and cardiovascular health.
According to this study, there are some types of lower back pain which are associated to the poor blood supply of the vascular. In turn this is also associated to a poor cardiovascular health which is a condition mostly worsened or caused by the smoking of cigarettes.
Another problem associated to it is aortic aneurysm which is explained as an aorta bulge .
Aorta is the longest artery that is found in the human body. The bulges can take place anywhere along the length of the aorta but mostly occurs in the abdomen.
The moment blood begins to pool in the area on the artery that is distended, the bulge expands rapidly and this may cause a tear.
Most commonly, aortic aneurysms can result to heart attacks. The symptoms are usually diverse and dependent upon the area where the artery bulge occurred.
These symptoms are in most cases associated with the aortic aneurysm of the abdomen which include low back pain.
It is clear that even though the link that exists between heart attack and lower back pain may not be a common knowledge, it is of great importance for you to be well aware of it.
However when you are in doubt about heart attack and lower back pain, you should consult your doctor.