The Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informs that there are five conditions that will contribute to your risk of heart attack. These conditions are diabetes, poor diet, overweight and obesity, excessive use of alcohol, and physical inactivity.
Nearly fifty percent of all heart attacks occur outside of a hospital, so the early detection is the key for survival. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study in 2005, and it was revealed that 92 percent of the respondents identified chest discomfort as a symptom of a heart attack. Only a small percent of them, 27 percent, were actually aware of all the main symptoms and thus were aware to call 911 when someone was having a heart attack.
Symptoms of a Heart Attack
There are several symptoms everyone needs to know and to be aware of so that they will be able to recognize a heart attack when it happens. Here are some signs that will let you know if you are at risk, even a month before it occurs.
Chest Discomfort
One of the commonest symptoms of heart attack is chest discomfort, which comes in different forms. Sometimes it is in the form of pressure in the chest, and sometimes in the form of feeling of burning or pinching. These feelings can appear during some physical activity or when resting. If you have some strange sensation in your chest, contact your doctor right away.
We need to mention that sometimes someone may have a heart attack without feeling discomfort in the chest, especially women.
Feeling Tired
One of the signs that indicate that a heart attack is coming is a sudden feeling of fatigue. When the arteries begin closing, the heart needs to work harder, which can make simple tasks feel exhausting. As a result, one may sleep longer at night or feel like they need to take multiple naps throughout the day.
Long Lasting Cold Symptoms
If you always feel cold and it seems as this sensation won’t go away, it could be a sign that you might be having heart failure. The heart struggling with supplying the body with blood can lead to blood leaking back into the lungs. One of the clear signs for this is having white or pink mucus with the cough, because the mucus with this color could be a byproduct of blood leakage.
Swelling
When the heart struggles to pump the blood through the body, the veins can start swelling and causing a bloating effect. The body parts that are usually swollen in this case are the ankles, the feet, and the legs, as they are the farthest from the heart. Sometimes, one can notice peripheral cyanosis, a blue tinge seen in the lips or extremities.
Dizziness
Due to the fact that when the heart is weakened, the blood circulation is restricted, so the brain may not be receiving the necessary amount of oxygen. One may feel dizziness all the time, or light-headedness, and this is a key point of concern, so one should seek medical attention right away.
Shortness Of Breath
Shortness of breath is another symptom of impeding heart attack. The work of the heart and lungs is synchronized, so as the heart starts working poorly, the lungs do not get the sufficient amount of oxygen. This leads to breathing difficulties and needs to be treated right away.
The symptoms we just talked about may happen up to a month in advance, so it is important that we are aware of them all the time. In case you notice one or some of these symptoms please seek medical attention quickly. We all have to take care of our health and protect ourselves as much as we can.