People usually think that heart attacks are incurable and one cannot be saved after a heart attack. But honestly, the patients can be easily saved if they identify the early signs of heart attack and reach the hospital on time. So, here are some early heart attack symptoms for you to help avert any major catastrophe coming your way
1. Chest pain or discomfort
One of the most common signs of heart attack is discomfort in the chest or the area around the chest. It might feel like fullness, pressure, squeezing, burning or a little pain in your chest. All of these symptoms are usually an indication of a blocked artery, heart problems or a heart attack.
So, if you face any of these symptoms regularly after some physical activity or even at rest, or if you feel like that there’s an area in your chest that usually pains when you put pressure on it then make sure you go get a check-up from a heart doctor as these may be the early signs of heart disease.
And if any of these symbols stay longer than a few minutes then make sure you immediately rush to your cardiologist as it may be a sign of a heart attack.
2. Irregular heartbeat
Irregular heartbeat or heart palpitations might or might not be a worrisome sign for you, but if it is regular and you can feel your heart beating rapidly even at rest then you definitely need to go get yourself checked. As it might be just a side effect of overdose of caffeine, smoking or stress but in severe cases, this can be early signs of heart problems or heart attack.
3. Nausea, light-headedness, pain in the arm, back, neck, jaw or stomach
In some cases, especially in the case of women, people don’t feel any kind of discomfort in the chest but the areas around it. This type of pain may be accompanied by light-headedness, nausea or shortness of breath. So, make sure if you notice any of these kinds of symptoms don’t take them lightly instead visit a cardiologist as soon as possible especially if you feel any kind of pain rising from your chest and moving towards the left side of your body, like towards your left arm or shoulder.
4. Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath can usually be caused due to heavy exercising or physical activities but if it occurs to you even at rest then it actually might be a symptom of some underlying disease. This disease might not necessarily be a symptom of heart disease but there are still chances that it might be caused due to a heart problem. Especially if it lasts longer than five minutes then you should definitely go talk to your doctor as it might be heart failure or heart attack symptoms.
5. Swelling in legs or Edema
Edema is a type of swelling that happens due to the accumulation of fluid in different parts of the body. And usually, the accumulation of fluid in your legs, ankles, or feet indicates that your heart isn’t able to pump blood properly. This swelling is usually accompanied by shortness of breath, so if you are facing swelling in the legs along with shortness of breath then make sure you talk to your doctor immediately as it might be a symptom of heart failure that if ignored might result in a heart attack.
6. Breaking out in Cold Sweat
If you keep sweating even when you are at rest and in cool conditions then this sweating might be one of the heart attack or heart blockage symptoms. Due to blockage in any artery in heart, your heart might have to work a lot more than usual causing you to sweat. Women usually think of this symptom as one of the symptoms of menopause, but if you are facing this symptom along with any of the given symptoms then it might be a symptom of heart attack too.
7. Feeling fatigued easily
Feeling fatigued even after only doing the daily chores or physical activities that you were easily able to do earlier can be a symptom of heart disease too. There might be many different reasons for this fatigue too but it’s better to get yourself checked and know that your heart is in a healthy state.
8. Continuous coughing or coughing up blood
As you know coughing is a quite common disease that is often overlooked but if you are already a victim of heart disease then long-lasting coughs, especially with white or pink mucus, can be a symptom of heart failure. It indicates that your heart isn’t able to work properly and is leaking blood. So, make sure you contact your doctor as soon as possible as it later might result in a heart attack too.
9. Heavy Snoring
Snoring lightly during sleep is quite common and harmless but snoring heavily like almost choking can be a symptom of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a disease that usually causes us to stop breathing repeatedly during sleep and it may in longer terms result in serious health issues such as abnormal blood pressure and heart problems.
10. Loss of consciousness
Not always but in rare cases, loss of consciousness can actually be due to heart problems too. So, make sure you get yourself checked if you have any blackouts along with symptoms or especially if you are already a heart disease patient.
As you can see most of the symptoms of heart attacks are quite common and hard to distinguish but if you pay a little bit of attention, you might be able to reach the hospital on time and save yourself from any serious heart attack or heart problems.
If you notice any of the above-given symptoms, make sure to visit your nearest heart doctor as soon as possible, and keep the number of your nearest hospital and ambulance ready on your phone for any kind of emergencies as at the time of heart attack, timely heart attack treatment can save your life.
You can also reach out to me for any heart related queries through call or whatsapp me on +91-9902147888.
Dr. Pavan Rasalkar
Associate Prof & HOD
Director Cath Lab – KIMS Bengaluru
Director & Lead Interventional Cardiologist
Unique Heart Care Centre
Best cardiologist in Bangalore
Best Cardiologist near me