Myocardial infarctions, commonly known as heart attacks, affect more than a million Americans each year according to popular medical website WebMD.
Thanks to increased knowledge and intensive research, tens of thousands of Americans survive heart attacks each year, according to the American Heart Association.
But there is still a long way to go in educating and broadening awareness about this common and frightening experience – and becoming better at identifying those at risk is a must.
But it’s also good to know that half of all patients with acute myocardial infarction had in fact had warning signs over the previous days or month – without necessarily realizing it.
1. Fatigue
We are all tired at times, which is perfectly normal. But if you’re so tired that basic activities like grocery shopping suddenly feel like pure torture, then it may be time to investigate.
In addition, if you find yourself getting breathless rather quickly or suddenly, you should see a doctor right away in order for them to check your EKG. If you find yourself in a stressful situation and your heart is not doing well, you may suffer a heart attack.
2. Chest pressure
One of the most common warning signs of a future heart attack is strong chest pressure or tightness.
Chest pain can also be felt in other parts of the body, sometimes radiating pain into the arm (often the left armpit or arm), but you can also feel the pressure in your throat, neck, jaw, back or stomach. The pain usually lasts at least 15 minutes.
3. Respiratory distress
Before a heart attack, individuals may experience severe shortness of breath. This is most often due to the fact that the lungs are no longer receiving enough blood because your arteries are blocked.
If you suddenly have trouble breathing, you should immediately consult a doctor.
4. Exhaustion
If you often feel weak and exhausted, it may be because your muscles are no longer receiving enough blood. Fatigue Syndrome tends to be one of the first warning signs of an impending heart attack.
5. Dizziness and cold sweats
Excessive sweating can be a first sign of a heart attack. If you experience these symptoms, you should go see your doctor.
The dizziness may be caused by a reduced blood supply to the brain.
6. Cold/flu
Are you tormented by a bad cough, cold and fever? Don’t panic right away – these are of course not immediately dangerous symptoms.
However, what many are not aware of is that cold symptoms may appear one month before a heart attack. This is thus something worth thinking about – especially if you have also experienced any other of the above symptoms.
It’s important to remember that the symptoms of heart attacks can be very different from one individual to another, and also particularly vary between men and women.
But by paying attention to these six points, I hope that more lives can be saved.
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