Whether or not heart disease runs in your family does not necessarily mean that you will or won't have problems with the problem. With no history of the disease in my family, we were all shocked when my mother ended up in the hospital for an extended stay followed by almost a year of medication regulation until they found what worked for her. One of the most important things that we learned from this experience is that early detection is the key. Many times this early detection starts with you.

Since each type of heart disease has its own set of symptoms, I'm concentrating on Coronary Artery Disease and a Heart Attack. Angina is considered to the most common symptom of Coronary Artery Disease. This is often described as pressure, discomfort, heaviness, burning, aching, squeezing or a painful feeling that is typically felt in the chest, but can also be felt in the shoulders, arms, neck, throat, jaw or back. There are other symptoms associated with Coronary Artery Disease including shortness of breath, irregular heart beats or faster heartbeats, nausea, weakness, sweating and/or dizziness.

Symptoms of a Heart Attack and other Heart Diseases can all be similar. These symptoms include: discomfort, heaviness, pressure, or pain in the chest, arm or below the breastbone, discomfort radiating to the arm, back, jaw, or throat, fullness, indigestion or choking feeling that is sometimes mistaken for heartburn, dizziness, sweating, nausea, or vomiting, irregular or fast heartbeats, and/or extreme weakness, anxiety or shortness of breath.

If you experience any of these symptoms in any combination, it is essential that you seek medical treatment immediately. You can call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Some hospitals also have special cardiovascular or heart care buildings to treat heart emergencies. Remember, time is the most important thing on your side. The quicker you get help, the better chance you have to get successful treatment.

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