A heart attack happens because of a blockage of the blood going into the heart. Most of the time, such a blockage is caused by a blockage in the coronary arteries due to the laying down of plaque. While a heart attack may strike with little warning and seem sudden, often days, weeks, or even months beforehand, a person may feel abnormal warning signs of a heart attack. These early symptoms, if noticed, can be the difference between life and serious complications.
What Is the Cause of a Heart Attack?
A heart attack is a too-prolonged obstruction of blood flow to a segment of the heart muscle that occurs due to a narrowing or clogging of coronary arteries. The primary cause is the accumulation of fat-like substances within an arterial plaque composed of cholesterol and other material. When plaque ruptures, a blood clot forms immediately, blocking oxygen-rich blood to the heart and damaging the heart muscle.Also Read: Panic Attack vs Heart Attack
Common Symptoms A Month Before Heart Attack
Many heart attacks start as sudden and extreme, but many attacks do give you pre-knowledge signs that you may react to in time. The severity and frequency of warning signs will vary, and they are rarely chest pain, as this is how most people associate it with a heart attack.1. Chest Discomfort
This can sometimes create a feeling of tightness, squeezing, or pressure in the chest. It does not necessarily need to hurt, but it feels uncomfortable. Pain may radiate to other parts of the body, namely the shoulder, arm, neck, jaw, and back. It may come and go eventually.Important: If you feel any chest discomfort, do not ignore it. According to experts, this is one of the primary symptoms that precede an attack.
2. Fatigue
When you are completely overwhelmed with tiredness or weakness without apparent cause, it could be telling your body it has a problem pumping blood properly within your heart. Other patients also mention that they cannot sleep even if they are fatigued.3. Shortness of Breath
You may become very breathless even at trivial performances or during rest. This could be a symptom that your heart is not working the right way. You also get a gnawing sensation when breathing when lying flat.4. Dizziness or Lightheadedness
Dizziness or lightheadedness, especially when you stand or change your position, might indicate that your heart isn't pumping enough blood to your brain or body.5. Heart Palpitations
You may experience an irregular and irregular heartbeat or feel your heart racing more than it should. This racing or fluttering sensation in the chest may be connected to heart disease, especially when other symptoms accompany it.6. Sweat
Excessive sweating without any strenuous activity can be a sign that your body is trying to handle stress on your heart. It may be light sweats or even cold sweats.Other Less Common Symptoms
Even if less commonly discussed, these symptoms still signal heart problems and shouldn't be ignored.- Vomiting or Nausea Feeling sudden nausea or vomiting for no known reason, for instance, due to a viral gastrointestinal infection or food poisoning, may be an early sign of having a heart attack.
- Indigestion or Heartburn Common or frequent heartburn or indigestion can be very mistaken for just a mild GI illness, but in a way, it might be your body hinting to you that there is something wrong with your heart.
- Anxiety or Depression On and off, anxiety or depression without any apparent cause can be linked to alterations in the working of your heart. However, if such emotional changes take on physical manifestations, then it is high time that you see a doctor.
- Jaw Pain Pain or stiffness in the jaw, especially while chewing, is a symptom that occurs more frequently in females. If you have pain in the jaw and other symptoms, then take it seriously.
Risk Factors For Heart Attacks
There are several factors which increase the risk of one having a heart attack. Some of them can be controlled, while others cannot.- High blood pressure damages the arteries and leaves them highly prone to blockage.
- High cholesterol causes excessive cholesterol deposition within the arteries, culminating in plaque formation, which causes a block.
- Diabetes increases the chances of experiencing coronary disease. Smoking damages the blood vessels and raises the risk of blood clots.
- Overweight: Being overweight enhances the workload on the heart. Family history of heart conditions: Some people are genetically predisposed to suffering heart disease.
- Age and sex: The risk of heart attack increases with age, especially after 45 in men and after 55 in women
When to Seek Medical Care?
If you experience any of these symptoms, especially if they are unusual, seek medical care immediately. Do not wait for the symptoms to worsen or attempt to tough them out.- Emergency Response: Call emergency immediately if chest pain or discomfort is sustained for more than a few minutes or recurrent and periodic.
- Early Diagnosis: Any delay could kill you, though you are not sure if it is a heart attack; call the emergency.
Steps You Can Take To Protect Your Heart Health
As important as it is to realize what you cannot change, so too is recognizing the many things you can do to minimize your chance of having heart disease or any heart disorder related to it.Listen to Your Body
Practice awareness of your body, and please don't believe that something will go away because you pretend it isn't there. If you are noting some health change, be it specific to your chest, breathing, or energy level, you mustn't ignore it.Talk to Your Doctor
If you have risk factors for heart disease-high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or a family history of heart problems-talk to your healthcare provider about your concerns. They can suggest lifestyle changes or medications that can help decrease your risk.Maintain healthy lifestyle choices
Make heart-healthy lifestyle choices. These include eating a healthy balance of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, keeping up regular exercise, at least 150 minutes every week of moderate-intensity activity, and not smoking or abstaining from too much alcohol.Also Read: Lifestyle Habits You Should Adopt For A Healthy Heart
