6 Signs You Could Be Having A Heart Attack

6 Signs You Could Be Having A Heart Attack – Be a Month Ahead Before it Happens

Almost in every country the leading cause of death is a heart attack, outranking cancer as the number one killer. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are the three major causes of a heart attack. There are 5 conditions that might warn you that you are at risk of potentially having a heart attack: diabetes, overweight and obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use. The most common sign of a heart attack is chest pain, but there can be other signs as well.

Symptoms Of A Heart Attack:

Here are 6 symptoms you need to keep in mind in order to be able to recognize a heart attack, even a month before it actually happens.

1. Chest Discomfort – Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center or left side of the chest. The discomfort usually lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. It can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. It also can feel like heartburn or indigestion. The best thing to do is to contact a doctor right away if you feel any strange sensations in your chest. It is important to note that you could be having a heart attack without feeling discomfort in your chest, as is common in women.
2. Feeling Tired – If you have a sudden feeling of fatigue for no reason, it could be a sign that a heart attack is impending. In this condition, the heart has to work harder as arteries begin to close and can make you feel exhausted from doing simple tasks. You may want to sleep longer hours at night or feel like you need to take multiple naps during the day.
3. Long-Lasting Cold Symptoms – Having long-lasting cold symptoms that won’t go away could be a sign of heart failure. The heart struggles to supply the body with the blood but blood can leak back into the lungs. Be careful if you have white or pink mucus with your cough. It could be a byproduct of blood leakage.
4. Swelling– As the heart struggles to pump blood through your body and supply it with it, veins can begin to swell and cause bloating. The most affected areas (or body parts) are the feet, ankles, and legs since they are the farthest from the heart. Be careful if you notice a blue tinge in the lips or extremities, which is a sign of peripheral cyanosis due to an excessive amount of reduced hemoglobin in the venous blood as a result of extensive oxygen extraction at the capillary level.
5. Dizziness – With a heart disorder such as heart failure, feeling faint, lightheaded, or dizzy may be due to a reduction of blood flow to the brain. Sudden loss of consciousness usually means that the blood supply to the brain is seriously reduced. Blood flow to the brain may be reduced when the heart rate or rhythm is abnormal (too slow or too fast) or when the heart cannot pump blood adequately because blood flow is blocked, for example, by the narrowing of a valve. It could also be due to a heart attack. As blood circulation is restricted with a weakened heart, the brain may not be receiving the amount of oxygen it needs. You may feel constantly dizzy or light-headed, and this is a major point of concern and you should seek medical attention immediately.
6. Shortness Of Breath – Shortness of breath is a common symptom for many people with heart failure. You should monitor your breathing and be aware of any changes. For example, you may notice increasing shortness of breath at night time and while lying flat. You may need more pillows to prop up your upper body, in this case, to allow for easier breathing. The shortness of breath occurs because the blood in the body backs up in the blood vessels that return blood from the lungs to the heart due to the heart not pumping blood out of the heart effectively. This causes fluid to leak into the lungs, also known as congestion.

If you experience SEVERE and persistent shortness of breath you should call for emergency treatment immediately.