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Here’s how to get to the heart of the problem.
If there’s one heart attack symptom most people are familiar with, it’s pain radiating down your left arm.
Dr. Jeremy London, a heart surgeon in Savannah, Georgia, recently shared three warning signs of cardiovascular issues that may be much harder to catch.
“The first one is the biggest red flag,” London says in a TikTok video.
“And that is chest pain, or more commonly chest pressure. It’s brought on with activity and relieved with rest.
“This is an indication that a portion of the heart may be blood starved and this is referred to as stable angina.”
While stable angina can be relieved with rest or medication, it could turn into a heart attack if the symptoms get worse or persist.
The second warning sign is “a little more subtle,” London says, before revealing that it’s “shortness of breath, particularly again with activity.”
If you find yourself out of breath when carrying the groceries home — that’s not necessarily cause for alarm.
He notes that the shortness of breath would have to be getting progressively worse over time to be a warning sign your ticker’s in trouble.
The third symptom is, as he points out, “even more sublte.”
“It’s easy fatiguability or a decrease in exercise tolerance,” he says.
He’s not talking about feeling wiped after taking an HIIT class — but if you catch yourself needing to take a break during regular activities like taking a shower, crossing the street or taking the garbage out, it’s time to see your doctor.
“Our bodies have built-in warning systems, the key is to respond to them before you get into trouble,” he cautions.
London’s video has received over 850,000 views since being posted four days ago, with many pointing out that — unfortunately — these symptoms tend to overlap with anxiety.
“Had my heart checked 1 week ago doc said my hearts fine completely fine they done multiple ecgs on and again normal I have severe anxiety and health anxiety because I’m always anxious 24/7,” one viewer wrote.
Unfortunately, that means sometimes even a doctor can miss the symptoms.
“I had all of these for 2 years but doctors said it was nothing was wrong, then had heart attack in Jan, feb I had triple heart bypass,” another viewer wrote.
Even worse, some people don’t experience any symptoms at all.
“No fatigue, no shortness of breath and actually feeling great right before a heart attack and having 2 stents placed,” another user commented.
Some other potential signs of a cardiac event include unusual dizziness, fainting, sweating, neck or jaw pain and an irregular heartbeat — also known as an arrhythmia.
When in doubt, it’s always best to get checked out.
