Being aware of the surge in heart attacks surrounding the holiday season
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The holiday period from now to the end of the year can be both fun and stressful -- which is why its at the top of the list for when people have heart attacks.
It is one of those things we think will never happen to us, but heart attacks are the number one cause of deaths here and worldwide.
So much is going on during the holiday that your heart health may be the last thing you think about, until it suddenly demands your attention
Specifically on Christmas and New Year's, we see about a 5% bump above what we would expect for that time of year," said Dr. Mitchell Elkind, M.D.,M.S.,FAHA with the American Heart Assocation.
"Although it's a joyous time of year, it can also be a stressful time of year for many people. And that may lead to higher blood pressure and other cardiovascular side effects," said Dr. Elkind.
This means that celebrating can come with a cost.
"We let our guard down to some extent. People may eat more and eat less healthy foods. They probably drink more alcohol and they get less sleep and less physical activity as well," Dr. Elkind said.
He also says that around the holidays, we see our doctors less and if something bothers us, the tendency is to put off checking it out until the new year.
"The point is that that new year may never come if the problem isn't dealt with immediately," said Dr Elkind.
So, learning the symptoms of what to watch for is important.
It may be indigestion or a panic attack, but Dr. Elkind says you should get it checked out before it's too late.
It's not being dramatic to say that minutes count. A heart attack can become cardiac arrest quickly, and if it does, just three minutes can cause irreversible brain damage.
While people don't want to be embarrassed rushing to the hospital and it turns out to be indigestion, if there is a delay and it is a heart attack, it could be deadly.
So, how do you know if what you're experiencing is a heart attack or if it's something else?
"It can be difficult to tell the difference sometimes. So the classic symptom of a heart attack is chest pain," Dr. Elkind said.
"A pressing chest like an elephant sitting on their chest. Sometimes though people don't have that symptom they may have pain in the arm, the neck or even the jaw. Commonly people will have some shortness of breath or trouble breathing. But sometimes people only have some nausea and breakout in a cold sweat and feel lightheaded, dizzy and may feel those palpitations, like a panic attack," Dr. Elkind said.
Dr. Elkind says if you're experiencing any of those symptoms, drop everything and get checked out.
"If it is a heart attack, you want to get treated as quickly as possible. If it turns out to be a panic attack or something else, then that can be dealt with as well," Dr. Elkind said.
Dr. Elkind can't emphasize enough the need for immediate care because a subtle sign can quickly become a heart attack, and then cardiac arrest.
"It only takes three minutes or so before the brain is deprived of enough oxygen that the injury is irreversible," Dr. Elkind said.
Because we tend to eat a lot and drink a bit, holiday indigestion is common, but it can mimic the start of a heart incident, so listening to your body is crucial.
