{"id":686,"date":"2017-06-13T03:01:19","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T03:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=686"},"modified":"2021-03-11T15:19:07","modified_gmt":"2021-03-11T15:19:07","slug":"13-common-symptoms-heart-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/13-common-symptoms-heart-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"13 Most Common Symptoms of a Heart Attack"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Many of us are afraid of heart attacks and rightly so: as one of the leading causes of death in the US, heart attacks are something that we should be afraid of.<\/p>\n

Heart attacks and heart disease are together responsible for over 600,000 deaths in the US alone and in 75% of cases, they have symptoms and warning signs that strike prior to the attack. This is important to recognize because it means that in those cases: heart attacks should be avoidable.<\/p>\n

But while many of us know all this and are constantly on the lookout for heart attacks, we also often struggle to identify these symptoms. Heart attacks can be mistaken regularly for other conditions, such as indigestion, chest pain, muscle pain and more. Many of us have heard stories of friends and relatives calling or visiting doctors only to be told that they\u2019re just struggling with wind.<\/p>\n

This is rather embarrassing and it has led many of us to avoid reporting heart attacks or suspected episodes. This is the wrong attitude. If there is even the slightest possibility that your pain is caused by a heart attack, then you must always seek medical attention immediately. Any good doctor or health professional will praise you for making that decision and should encourage you to act on any and all symptoms.<\/p>\n

After all, in this case, it is much better to be safe than sorry.<\/p>\n

With that said, it\u2019s still important to know which symptoms in particular are most likely to be signs of a heart attack and to know what to look out for. Read on then and we will look at 13 common symptoms of a heart attack. If you notice any of these, speak with a health professional as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

1. \u00a0Chest Pain<\/h3>\n

A heart attack<\/a> is caused when blood flow to the heart stops, thereby damaging the heart muscles. As the heart struggles, this can cause many of the symptoms we\u2019ll see on this list, including this first one: chest pain.<\/p>\n

Usually, this chest pain will be felt around the location of the heart but not always on the right hand side of the body. It\u2019s often confused as indigestion or over fullness but it tends to be described as feeling like a pressure or squeezing sensation. Imagine someone with a bear hug around your chest, or someone sitting on your chest.<\/p>\n

\"\"2. \u00a0Anxiety<\/h3>\n

As the heart begins to struggle, it will often increase its speed as it tries to fix things. This increased heart rate will then lead to feelings of anxiety and stress, seeing as stress and our heart rates are very closely linked. Many people on the brink of heart attack report that they felt stressed<\/a> and anxious for no reason first.<\/p>\n

Note that this might also be the result of a panic attack, which is another condition that is often confused with a heart attack. Ironically, worrying that you are suffering from a heart attack is often what makes the panic attack much worse. The best solution is to control your breathing and stay calm, but to seek medical attention to be on the safe side.<\/p>\n

Of course it is not out of the question either that a panic attack could cause a heart attack, though this is unlikely in a healthy, young patient.<\/p>\n

\"\"3. \u00a0Nausea<\/h3>\n

While we often associate heart attacks with men, they can also afflict women. Among female patients in particular, nausea<\/a> is actually quite a common symptom of an upcoming heart attack.<\/p>\n

Fatty deposits that are around the heart can be what restricts the blood flow to the muscle and this can also prevent blood flow to other areas of the body, including the stomach.<\/p>\n

Often the stomach pain gets worse when you exercise and gets better when you rest. This is a warning sign that you have a heart problem rather than a stomach problem and that you should seek medical attention.<\/p>\n

\"\"4. \u00a0Perspiration<\/h3>\n

It is common for profuse sweating to be one of the most common signs of a heart attack about to occur. This is due to a sudden rush of catecholamines<\/a> right before the heart attack.<\/p>\n

This hormone acts like dopamine and is what causes \u2018cold sweats\u2019 and clamminess. Again, this can be a symptom of other things but it should be considered a serious warning sign if it happens along with other symptoms on this list.<\/p>\n

\"\"5. \u00a0Pain Under the Arm<\/h3>\n

While pain in the chest<\/a> is the most obvious symptom to correlate with a heart attack, it can also occur in other areas as the pain spreads and projects. Pain under the arm and especially on the left side is common and is often mistaken for normal muscular pain.<\/p>\n

Essentially, this pain happens because the heart is sending pain signals to the nerves. The pain often comes and goes and feels worse with exercise an other forms of physical exertion.<\/p>\n

\"\"6. \u00a0Persistent Cough<\/h3>\n

A persistent cough is often a sign that all is not well when it isn\u2019t accompanied by a regular cold<\/a>. As the damaged heart begins to fail, the lungs can start to fill up with phlegm and that is what causes the cough. Sometimes, this phlegm may have blood in it.<\/p>\n

While a cough like this isn\u2019t always a sign that a heart attack is very imminent, it can often be a sign of generally poor heart health and so once again, this is a good time to visit a doctor and to look at making some serious lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n

\"\"7. \u00a0Dizziness<\/h3>\n

Dizziness<\/a> can occur near a heart attack as the heart begins to struggle to get blood to the brain. The head being at the top of the body is one of the hardest places to reach for the pump that is your heart and that can make you feel light headed and dizzy \u2013 especially when standing up.<\/p>\n

Conversely, dizziness when standing up can actually be a sign of low blood pressure which is a good thing. So again, the key is to look for symptoms that occur together, rather than looking at any one symptom in a vacuum.<\/p>\n

\"\"8. \u00a0Tiredness<\/h3>\n

Again, tiredness can be a symptom of a great many things, from CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) all the way up to depression<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, if you feel physically exhausted and no amount of relaxation or caffeine seems to help, then this can be a sign of a coming heart attack and week heart. 70% of patients that suffer a heart attack say that they feel extreme fatigue in the weeks before.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t ignore this warning sign from your body!<\/p>\n

\"\"9. \u00a0Irregular\/Rapid Heartbeat<\/h3>\n

Again, as your heart tries to right itself, it can begin to work extra hard which can result in your heart rate increasing and also becoming more erratic. This can actually precede a heart attack by weeks or months.<\/p>\n

Note that your heartbeat<\/a> is never likely to be completely steady though! Actually, slight various are normal and this is what you call \u2018heart rate variability\u2019.<\/p>\n

What you\u2019re looking for then is changes to your heart\u2019s normal behavior.This is what you should not ignore.<\/p>\n

\"\"10. \u00a0Shortness of Breath<\/h3>\n

During the acute onset of a heart attack, you will likely find it very hard to breathe and experience an intense shortness of breath. This occurs alongside the feeling of pressure and pain<\/a> on your chest around your heart.<\/p>\n

However, in the months and weeks prior, you might also notice it becomes a little harder to catch your breath \u2013 almost as though you were living at altitude. 40% of victims describe this symptom as being an early warning sign.<\/p>\n

\"\"11. \u00a0Jaw or Neck Pain<\/h3>\n

Jaw and neck pain are also common feelings that you might get alongside the other symptoms of your heart attack such as chest pain. This is due to blood clots<\/a> that are blocking the flow, which are often the cause of the heart attack.<\/p>\n

Again, jaw and neck pain can point to many conditions, but when noticed alongside these other symptoms, it should become more of a cause for concern.<\/p>\n

\"\"12.\u00a0 Numbness<\/h3>\n

As blood flow is restricted, you might start to notice numbness<\/a> in the arms and hands.<\/p>\n

This might be accompanied by the sensation of coldness at the extremities, as though you had been lying on your arm.<\/p>\n

\"\"13. \u00a0Skin Discoloration<\/h3>\n

Finally, the last warning sign that you must not ignore is discoloration of the skin.<\/p>\n

If your skin<\/a> starts to go pale or grey and particularly around the eyes (where the skin is thin) then this suggests that blood is not making its way around your body efficiently and you may be starved of oxygen.<\/p>\n

Again, pale skin can be a sign of many things and it is also something that varies from person to person. The time to worry is when you notice several of these symptoms together and when there is significant change from your usual state of health and appearance.<\/p>\n\r\n

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