Heart Attack Warnings: Recognizing These Signs May Save Your Life

Irregular heartbeat

Sometimes, your heart beats faster than others. For example, it’s not all that surprising if your heart begins racing after you guzzle down a big cup of coffee in the morning. But if you experience an irregular heartbeat without such a cause, then you should know this may be a warning sign of a heart attack.

That’s because an irregular heartbeat is one of the symptoms of atrial fibrillation, or afib. When this happens, your heart isn’t receiving enough blood, and that can be bad for your heart and for the rest of your body. Admittedly, atrial fibrillation is pretty rare, but if your heartbeat is noticeably speeding up or slowing down without any identifiable cause, you should definitely go to the doctor.

Sudden dizziness

Dizziness is a bit like an irregular heartbeat in that many things can potentially cause it. For example, it’s common to feel dizzy if you forget to eat a meal or maybe if you are extremely dehydrated. Unfortunately, dizziness can also be a warning sign of a heart attack. How, then, can you know whether you should be concerned when you feel dizzy?

Generally, dizziness isn’t a heart attack warning sign unless you are experiencing other symptoms. Those other symptoms include shortness of breath and chest pain. Other major warning signs include feeling faint or feeling like the room is spinning, both of which can be caused by irregular heart rhythm or insufficient blood flow to the brain. Both of those are warning signs of a heart attack, so be sure to take them seriously!

Persistent chest pain

Do you know what the biggest warning sign of a heart attack is? Simple: chest pain. We’re not talking about mild pain, like what you might get from a nasty case of heartburn. This type of pain feels like someone is squeezing your chest, and the pain may feel like it is radiating out to other parts of your body. When you feel pain ahead of a heart attack, it will usually be accompanied by other symptoms, including vomiting, sweating, and shortness of breath.

While you should consult your doctor about any level of unexpected and unexplained chest pain, the pain you’ll feel ahead of a heart attack usually lasts for more than a few minutes. If that happens, you need to go to the hospital right away! The pain isn’t likely to go away on its own, and the sooner you get medical help, the sooner a doctor can help make things better.

Swelling in your legs, ankles, and feet

Ever wonder why many people don’t notice warning signs of major health events like heart attacks? One reason for this is that some of the signs are subtle, and unless you have a medical degree, you might miss their significance. However, other signs are so blatant that it’s impossible to ignore them. For example, swelling in your legs, ankles, and feet is a major sign of a heart attack.

Why is swelling such a major symptom? When this happens, it means that blood is not properly flowing throughout your body. Swelling may occur for other reasons, but none of them are good. The lesson here is very straightforward: if you see any of your limbs swelling up, you need to talk to your doctor and discover what is going on inside your body!

Stomach and digestion issues

Another reason that heart attack warning signs go unnoticed is that it’s easy to dismiss them as symptoms of something far less serious. For example, if you have an upset stomach or nausea, you may think it was just caused by something you ate. That may be the case, but it can also be a sign that something is seriously wrong with your heart.

That’s because over half of the people (men and women) who have a heart attack report experiencing abdominal pain. That’s because your body isn’t getting enough oxygen when you’re having an attack. You might also experience heartburn or acid reflux. Now, this doesn’t mean you should freak out every time you have an upset stomach. But if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms and you’re worried about your health, consult with your doctor; even if it turns out to be nothing, you’ll appreciate the peace of mind!