There are "early warning signs" of a heart attack that could strike months before the event according to a health expert.
According to Sutter Health, there are "subtle" symptoms that you can experience months before an actual event occurs. MD Zi-Jian Xu, a cardiologist in the Sutter Health network, has shared the signs you can look out for as well as prevention tips.
Dr Xu said that for some people, symptoms may occur months or even longer, before a heart attack occurs, but others may not experience anything at all before a heart attack happens. But your risk of a heart attack can increase through a family/personal history, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and age reported the Liverpool Echo.
Early symptoms of a heart attack
Typical symptoms include:
- Radiating chest pain, heaviness or discomfort
- Heart Palpitations
- Cold sweats
- Shortness of breath
Atypical symptoms can include:
- Fatigue
- General sense of unease
- Vague Discomfort
- Back or abdominal pain
- Declining stamina
There are two main ways that people present with heart attacks:
- Sudden: A person may or may not have any symptoms previously, but all at once a "plaque deposit ruptures", triggering a chain of events and a sudden heart attack.
- Gradual: This happens slowly as coronary disease progresses. In this situation, an artery is getting narrower over time and when the artery is narrowed down to more than 70 percent, a person will start to have "warning symptoms ahead of time", especially with physical exertion.
Dr Xu added it was "important not to ignore symptoms" or wait until they become severe. If you have a concern, talk to your doctor.
If heart disease is caught early, there are many lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk of further problems, for example, eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise (which for most of 150 minutes a week), maintain a healthy wait, drink alcohol in moderation and do not smoke.
To find out more about a heart attack, visit the NHS website here.
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