Life
Heart attack symptoms you should not ignore
Breathlessness and dizziness
When your heart is not getting enough blood, it also is not getting enough oxygen. And when there isn’t enough oxygen circulating in your blood, the result is feeling unable to draw a deep, satisfying breath – the same feeling you get when you’re at high elevation, like when you are climbing a mountain. Additional symptoms can be light-headedness and dizziness.
But sadly, people don’t attribute this symptom to heart disease, because they associate breathing with the lungs, not the heart.
A common description of the feeling was: “I couldn’t catch my breath while walking up the stairs.”
Leg swelling or pain
When the heart muscle is not functioning properly, waste products are not carried away from tissues by the blood, and the result can be oedema, or swelling caused by fluid retention.
Oedema usually starts in the feet, ankles, and legs because they’re furthest from the heart, where circulation is poorer. Bring any swelling and pain to the attention of your doctor.
