Certain signs of a heart attack can appear even a month before it occurs, but many people ignore them, often blaming them on fatigue. The statistics are grim: Romania has twice as many deaths caused by heart attacks compared to the rest of the European countries. Every 30 minutes, a Romanian suffers a heart attack.
Many of us think that the signs of a heart attack are intense and easy to recognize, but the truth is that the manifestations are quite vague and can often be attributed to fatigue or anxiety. This is why myocardial infarction is so dangerous – because its signs are ignored and we reach the doctor too late, when the damage is already done.
Keep in mind that quick intervention makes the difference between life and death! The faster you get medical help, the higher the chances of survival and the lower the risk of permanent sequelae.
Unfortunately, most people think that pain or a feeling of pressure or tightness in the chest is the only sign of a heart attack. Too few know, for example, that excessive sweating is also part of the category of heart attack signs not to be ignored.
Here are some lesser-known heart attack signs to look out for.
Pain in other areas of the body
Pain in the hand, neck, shoulder, back, neck, jaw, or stomach can occur when there is a blocked artery that prevents blood from flowing to the heart.
There is also a risk that this phenomenon can stimulate the vagus nerve, which is connected to both the heart and the brain or other areas of the body, causing pain signals to be transmitted.
Dizziness or feeling faint
This symptom can be caused by a multitude of factors, from standing up suddenly, ear infections to overheating, poor nutrition or various medications.
Antibiotics (streptomycin, kanamycin, injectable gentamicin) can permanently damage the vestibular system, if used in large doses, long-term or if the dosage is wrong. And aspirin, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine or drugs can cause temporary imbalances in the inner ear.
But dizziness accompanied by a feeling of fainting, chest pain and difficulty breathing signals a drop in blood pressure due to blockage of blood circulation. Which translates into the fact that you are at high risk of having a heart attack.
Tiredness or drowsiness
These are specific heart attack signs in women, which can appear even a month before the event occurs.
It’s normal to feel tired after a long day at work or if you haven’t had a good night’s sleep, but if this happens every day despite getting enough rest, you might want to schedule a consultation with your cardiologist.
Nausea and vomiting
Indigestion, nausea, vomiting, frequent belching are also signs of a heart attack.
They can signal interruption of blood flow to the heart, but also gastroesophageal reflux or heartburn.
Cold sweats, profuse
The large amount of sweating is triggered by the nervous system, which activates the “fight or flight” survival mechanism when it signals danger, in this case the blockage of blood flow to the heart.
Excessive sweating is even a protective mechanism, as this is how the body tries to maintain normal body temperature when the myocardial muscle is under intense pressure to pump blood to the heart.
If you sweat excessively without making a major physical effort, go to the doctor for more investigations. This symptom can mask other conditions besides a heart attack, such as anxiety, hyperthyroidism, hyperglycemia, tuberculosis, gout, emphysema, or even cancer.
Certain medications can also cause excessive sweating – for example, pain relievers or tricyclic antidepressants.
Palpitations, shortness of breath
Dyspnea or the feeling of suffocation, lack of air is one of the frequent signs of a heart attack, and strong palpitations signal insufficient blood supply to the heart.
Other possible causes of the feeling of suffocation are pulmonary edema (a medical emergency!), anxiety, panic attack, heart failure.
As for the causes of palpitations, they are diverse and can consist of: stress, anxiety, excessive coffee consumption, tobacco, alcohol, hyperthyroidism, anemia, dehydration, hypoglycemia.
Also, there are situations when palpitations can be produced by various drug treatments. Classes of medications that can cause palpitations include: inhaled asthma medications (salbutamol), high blood pressure medications (minoxidil), antihistamine medications (terfenadine), certain antibiotics (erythromycin), antidepressant medications, or antifungal medications.
