Based on a worrying recent survey released by the Heart Foundation, more than half of all Australians said they would not be sure on what to do if they suddenly were experiencing a heart attack.

Although most people are informed of the general warning signs of a heart attack such as arm or chest pain, almost 90 per cent of the survey participants were clueless of other signs such as back, shoulder, neck and jaw pain.

Cameron Prout, the Heart Foundation CEO informs that heart disease is the primary cause of death in the country and for every 46 minutes, one person dies from the lethal disease.

He advises it is very crucial to know what to do when one is experiencing a heart attack and the most important thing is to be aware of the symptoms.

Mr Prout said, No two heart attacks are the same.

The warning signs vary from one person to the next and they are not usually severe or sudden, with some starting slowly with just a slight pain or discomfort, he said.

Knowing the warning signs and what to do in the event of a heart attack could save your life or the life of a loved one.

According to Mr Prout, for every nine minutes, one person will be hospitalized due to heart attack, and it is most helpful to get call the ambulance, if in doubt.

The survey discovered many Australians hesitated to perform a simple procedure of calling 000 which could be a life-saving action.

Nearly two thirds of the survey participants would call an ambulance if they were experiencing severe chest pain, but only one out of five would make the call if they felt dizziness or chest discomfort.

Mr Prout said, The operators are trained to respond to symptoms and provide the appropriate level of support and an ambulance is the safest to get to hospital.

He said treatment is initiated the minute the person makes the call, and if it turned out to be a false alarm, that would be the best thing that could happen.

For more information regarding warning signs of a heart attack, please visit www.heartattackfacts.org.au

Medicine