I am sure that you know of someone who has suffered a heart attack.  You might have wondered, if they had taken action as soon as they realized there was something wrong, whether they would have been able to minimize the damage that occurred.

They may not have been aware of the many symptoms and signs of an impending heart attack.  It can come on suddenly or appear as heartburn-like symptoms.  These can very easily be ignored or mistaken for indigestion.  You might be surprised to know that up to 25% of heart attacks occur without any noticeable symptoms and therefore you can have a silent heart attack without knowing it.

Just because a person has had one heart attack does not mean that they will recognize the symptoms of the next one. Each attack can cause an entirely different sensation and it’s important to know that not all the warning signs need to be present during any single attack.

These are nine very important signs to look for:-

1. Chest pain.  A crushing, burning or squeezing sensation spreading or radiating through the upper body to the neck, jaw or left arm;
2. Shortness of breath;
3. Palpitations;
4. Fainting;
5. Fatigue;
6. Sweating/cold sweats;
7. Nausea/vomiting;
8. Feeling of anxiety or panic;
9. Heartburn

Women are actually less likely than men to think that they are having a heart attack because the pain does not have to be very obvious to signal that you are actually having an attack.  Because of this, women are more likely to delay seeking medical attention.  Actually, they account for nearly half of all heart attack deaths.  Although fatigue and nausea are universal signs, women tend to experience these symptoms to a greater degree than men.

Not only that, but there are three special warning signs that relate exclusively to women.  They are:

1. Pain high in the abdomen and chest, and possibly in the back, neck or jaw;
2. Light-headedness;
3. Sudden weakness and body aches.

If you think that you or someone that you are with is having a heart attack, you need to take immediate action and call 911. Check the time so that you know when the first symptoms appeared.  Doctors recommend that you chew an aspirin right away and then wash it down with a glass of water, while you wait for help to arrive.   By getting to the hospital ASAP, this allows the physician to administer medications and treatments that work best if given within the first hour after the appearance of the symptoms.

It’s easy to forget all of these signs, so it’s recommended that you keep a copy of this check list in a handy place, so that you can refer to it quickly when needed.  Don’t forget, they do not all have to be present for a person to be having a heart attack.  Get to know your body well and then you can recognize when something is just not as it should be, enabling you to be in a position to take immediate action.

The best thing you can do for your body is change it from being acidic to being alkaline.  Learn how to do that right here.