These 6 signals help you recognise a heart attack a month before it happens

 These 6 early symptoms tell you you’re going to have a heart attack

Heart attacks are among the top causes of death in Western countries. In fact, it is the number one killer in the UK. 160,000 people die from heart disease in the UK every year. That’s why it’s important to be able to recognise the symptoms of a heart attack when you’re having one. It could save your life! Most people think heart attacks happen suddenly, but in most cases, there are signals weeks before the actual event.

Recognising the symptoms of a heart attack could potentially save a lot of lives.

Signals

When you’re having a heart attack, your heart stops pumping blood around your body because of cardiac arrhythmia. This cardiac arrhythmia is often caused by clogged arteries. A lot of the people who get heart attacks suffer from the following things in the weeks leading up to the attack: pain in the chest, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, fainting and heart palpitations. Of course, if you experience one of these symptoms on its own, it can also mean something completely different (someone who has a cold can have shortness of breath as well). Yet a combination of these symptoms could be an indication of an impending heart attack. Are you experiencing one or more of these symptoms? Visit your doctor: it might save your life!

Silent heart attack

Did you know that half of all heart attacks happen unnoticed? That’s pretty shocking, especially if you know that you’re three times more likely to die of heart failure or other health issues if you’ve had one of those silent heart attacks. When most people think of heart attacks, they think of being in incredible pain and gasping for breath. But a heart attack can also go by completely unnoticed. You might feel a little more tired than usual, and you might experience some heart palpitations and sweat a little more profusely. But these symptoms can happen for a number of reasons – there’s no real reason to think of a heart attack right away, right? That’s the danger.

Silent symptoms

You hardly notice a silent heart attack (it’s in the name, after all), but there are a couple of symptoms that point to a more serious problem than simply fatigue. If you’re experiencing one or more of the following symptoms, make sure you stay alert. Contact your doctor if you’re feeling worried about it.

• Tightness or a squeezing sensation in the chest that may spread to the neck, jaw or back
• Sweating
• Vomiting, nausea
• Pain in the upper belly
• Pain between the shoulder blades
• Shortness of breath
• Extreme fatigue
• Dizziness
• Restless feeling, anxiety
• Sped up breathing

 

Women

In women, the signal and symptoms of a heart attack are often less clear than they are for men. The symptoms are often confused with the symptoms of the menopause. Important causes of heart disease are genes, high blood pressure, obesity, stress, not enough exercise or smoking. Just like men, women experience tightness or squeezing pain in their chest, which can spread to the upper arms, neck, jaw, back and stomach area. The pain often lasts longer than 5 minutes and can come along with sweating, nausea or vomiting. However, women often also experience the other symptoms listed above under ‘Silent symptoms’. You also shouldn’t ignore the following health problems that could indicate heart disease:

• Sudden loss of vision or double or blurry vision. If you experience any of those things, we recommend going to the emergency room straight away.
• Swollen legs. Swollen or painful legs can indicate deep-vein thrombosis. This problem could lead to blockages in the aorta. Call your doctor immediately.
• Discoloured eyelids. Yellow eyelids or yellow specks on your eyelids could indicate that your cholesterol levels are too high, which increases the risk of heart disease. If this is the case, you should let a doctor check your cholesterol levels.
• Red, sensitive gums. You could get cardiovascular diseases when oral bacteria enter the bloodstream and dwell near the heart valve. Research shows that having your dentist clean your teeth on a regular basis reduces the risk of heart disease.
• Blue fingers. Visit your doctor if you have blue(ish) fingers, toes, earlobes, hands, lips or cheeks. This could be caused by a lack of oxygen in the tissue, which could indicate heart failure.

The symptoms can arise very suddenly or more slowly and can differ per person. It’s important to stay calm when you’re experiencing a heart attack and to sit or lie down. Don’t travel to the hospital yourself but call an ambulance.