When illness strikes us, it always seems like a surprise: a bad diagnosis is rarely what we expect when we ask for a doctor’s consultation and are shown the tests. It almost seems as if our mind is convinced that we will be fine forever and that nothing can affect us, except some inevitable passing ailments.
But there are events that don’t leave us time to react, which when they occur are immediately critical: among these are strokes and heart attacks. But what are the signals our body sends us when we are having a stroke or heart attack?
Here is the list of symptoms you should learn to know, to immediately understand when it is a simple fainting spell, extrasystoles or anxiety or panic attacks, and when instead a real stroke or heart attack is taking place .
First on the list when it comes to heart attacks is tingling in the left arm, which in many cases often turns into a very intense pain.
Weakness in the arms is also a clear sign that something in our body isn’t working as it should, for purely physiological reasons. In the case of a stroke, this condition can be so severe that the patient can’t even lift their arms, while heart attacks typically cause severe pain in the left arm, which is closest to the heart.
This is why that arm typically helps us understand if we’re having a heart attack. The second indicator is a severe headache that appears suddenly, without any preceding symptoms and without a gradual escalation: everything seems immediate. Let’s explore all the other symptoms on the next page.
Headaches following a stroke are usually accompanied by other symptoms such as dizziness and mental confusion, which appear immediately after the onset of the headache. In this state, we feel like we’re suspended in a nightmare; we struggle to understand what’s happening around us, and we can lose our balance and seriously injure ourselves by falling .
Those who suffer a stroke often report collateral damage related to the falls that occur when the body suddenly gives way. The fourth symptom that takes over at this point, and which in many cases is proof positive that one is having a stroke, is difficulty articulating speech.
At this point, you’ll begin to struggle to speak . You’ll think of the words, but it will seem as if your mouth is blocked by a thick layer of stuffiness, refusing to express them adequately. Under these conditions, it will be truly difficult to communicate, so you’ll have to try to convey the situation in as few words as possible.
To conclude the list of signs of cardiovascular problems , the most characteristic and immediate symptom of a heart attack is certainly that corresponding to a strong pain localized in the center of the chest, which is commonly associated with a real heart attack.
However, many people don’t know that this symptom may not even occur in some cases, while heart attacks actually share a feeling of shortness of breath (air hunger), which may be accompanied by heavy cold sweats. If you recognize these symptoms, act immediately!
