“To know the importance of one minute, ask him who lost his train, and to know the importance of a second, ask him who just avoided an accident”. Life is precious and every second counts. According to the American Heart Association, in the U.S., a heart attack is the number 1 killer of women. And research suggests that one heart attack occurs every 43 seconds. In simple terms, a heart attack is a life-threatening phenomenon that can be defined as an abrupt interruption in the functioning of the heart.

A heart attack is almost always directly associated with chest pain. Let’s debunk this myth with the research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which states that around 1/3rd of heart attacks are pain-free, especially among women. Women are observed to witness many more signs apart from mere chest pain, as compared to men, which are subtle and/or unconventional. Also unlike in men, warning signs of a heart attack show 1 or more weeks prior to the attack in women. Read on to know the subtle signs of heart attack that women should never ignore. Don’t lose your life to lack of awareness. Instead, be aware and take charge of each second.

The Foremost – Chest Pain

Needless to mention, chest pain automatically connects our brains to a heart stroke. Any sort of abnormal discomfort, pain, feeling of squeezing, pressure or tightness in the chest should not be underestimated under any circumstance. Take aspirin immediately and in case it does not relieve you in 5-10 mins, call for medical help without any further apprehensions.

Commonly, people share that this either feels like an elephant sitting on their chest or being pulled with a rope from behind. This pain could be extremely intense; could stay for a minute or more and never return, or could also be a to and fro phenomenon. In either case, be prepared for measures of treatment.

Uncustomary Body Pains

Apart from chest pain, people very often complain of very sharp pain in the arm(s), especially in the left hand. However, not many people are aware of the subtle symptoms that come with pains in body parts like the back, stomach, neck, and jaw.

Uncertainty In The Five Senses

As a victim, you could witness an unexpected partial or complete loss of eyesight or hearing. The skin could start to cold sweat or get clammy. The patient could also stammer or face difficulty in speaking normally. Abnormal shortness of breath without exercising or exerting any physical pressure, (which happens more often while lying down) can be a warning sign to be caught.

Droopy Face Alert

The texture and stiffness of the muscles of your face could change and the symmetry of the face could be lost. For instance, when you smile, the smile may look uneven.

Nausea And Vomiting

Haven’t eaten outside food, yet want to throw up? Definitely not a good sign! The sooner you detect the risk and take necessary measures, the better.

Lightheadedness And/Or Cough

Unreasonable dizziness, cough, etc could all mean that you need to watch out and take preventative measures.

Heart Flutters/Palpitations

Without working out or being stressed, if you face heart flutters, then you should know that you can’t overlook it. It could well-possibly be an early sign of a heart attack.

Extreme Fatigue/Exhaustion

If merely taking a trip to the restroom has begun to make you feel like you need rest, then it is not your normal dose of tiredness after a long day at work- you, unfortunately, want to watch out for more potentially fatal consequences like a heart stroke.

Another popular myth about heart attacks is that victims are always older aged, active smokers, diabetic, or BP patients. In reality, a heart attack can be a guest for anybody at any age under any circumstance. However, the risks are lower when one refrain from smoking, follow a healthy lifestyle and exercises regularly. Nevertheless, we just saw how one can recognize a heart attack before it’s too late and save lives.

We hope these tips helped. Never think you’re too young for a stroke. Early detection is the key and calling for immediate medical support is just as important. Be well!

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