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.
Labels: chest tightness, discoloured eyelids, extreme fatigue, heart attack- recognise these symptoms, nausea, pain in shoulder blades, sped up breathing, swollen legs, women- sudden loss of or blurry vision
