Four Major Heart Attack Red Flags You Need To Keep In Mind

Here are four major red flags for a heart attack that you should be aware of. Follow the list with caution and pay close attention if you experience any of the mentioned symptoms.Show more

Opposite to popular belief, a heart attack is not always characterized by specific and obvious signs, such as severe chest pain. Namely, approximately 25% of the heart attacks occur silently without any specific or noticeable symptoms. These silent heart attacks are frequently fatal, particularly because so many people delay or fail to seek medical treatment.

Over the course of time, doctors has come to recognize that the heart does usually warn people of a potential heart attack minutes, days, or even weeks before the event.

First of all, swelling. Most people believe that swelling of the feet or ankles has to do with standing or sitting too much, but heart failure can also cause fluid to accumulate in the body.

Second, anxiety. Many survivors state that they had feelings of impending doom or anxiety attacks just before their heart attacks happened. Although many people with anxiety attacks believe that they are having a heart attack, it is better to be safe than sorry. Call 911.

Third, pain in other parts of the body. For many heart attack victims, the pain begins in the chest, and then spreads to the shoulders, arms, elbows, neck, jaw, back, and even abdomen. However, sometimes there is no actual chest pain only pain in some of these other body parts.

Last but not least, coughing. Some people who are having heart failure will cough up bloody phlegm, but others simply have a nagging or wheezing cough that is sometimes a symptom of heart failure. This is a result of fluid build-up in the lungs.

These are some of the hidden signs that people most likely do not correlate to a heart attack, but should also be aware of.