Around the world, a heart attack occurs every 20 seconds, and a fatality heart attack happens about every minute. It’s obvious that we should always become better at taking care of ourselves and never take the idea lightly.
When one of the arteries that leads to the heart becomes blocked, a heart attack can happen. Such a situation makes the heart to lack oxygen.
Three warning signs that you must always look out for
Thanks to Yahoo Life, we have a list of three warning signs indicating that a heart attack could be happening soon:
1. Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath is a bit different for those who are developing heart failure. When the heart cannot pump blood the right way, the blood starts to back up and cause congestion and fluid in the lungs. Dr. Nicole Harkin tells Yahoo Life that those people can feel breathless while performing simple daily activities they used to do easily before.
2. Feeling tired
The heart sometimes doesn’t pump enough blood to the body’s muscles. Therefore, while lacking enough oxygen, the muscles can become tired quickly. The body has some metabolic demands, and people with heart failure can often experience extreme exhaustion.
3. Abnormal swelling
Blood flowing from the heart can slow down over time, and it can back up in the veins. Next up, the pressure can cause fluid to accumulate in some of the tissues from the legs and sometimes in the abdomen as well, according to what Harkin says. Therefore, edema kicks in, which is another indicator of heart failure.
Dr. Sharonne N. Hayes, who is a professor of cardiovascular medicine from the Mayo Clinic and also a founder of the Women’s Heart clinic, declared for Yahoo Life:
Most people when they present with a heart attack have been having symptoms for a month or more.
The statement obviously means that you should always look out for any of the signs mentioned above.