Top clues : Fatigue comes on suddenly , often with exertion , and doesn ' t seem linked to other factors such as lack of sleep or illness . It may also progress over the course of the day , with some women feeling exhausted by afternoon . A heavy feeling in the legs is another sign . Women should be particularly alert for unexplained , long-lasting fatigue .
What to do : Call your doctor and schedule a checkup . Be sure to mention the connection with exertion .
Anxiety attacks and insomnia A decrease in oxygen levels may trigger subtle changes which lead to anxiety , insomnia , and agitation which can ' t be explained by normal circumstances . People who ' ve had a heart attack often realize they began to experience anxiety and sleep problems in the months before the attack . This may be the body ' s way of trying to let you know something ' s not right .
Top clues : A new onset of sleep problems when you haven ' t experienced this problem before is a signal to watch out for . It can take the form of trouble falling asleep or unexplained middle-of-the-night waking . Racing thoughts or unexplained feelings of dread or impending doom are also clues .
What to do : Ask yourself whether the anxiety is related to recent events or triggers , or whether it seems abnormal in proportion to life events . Sudden , unexplained anxiety or insomnia should be discussed with your doctor .
Pain in the shoulder , neck , jaw , or arm While chest pain is a well-known sign of heart attack , it ' s much easier to miss this sign if the pain mimics typical shoulder , neck , or jaw pain . Damaged heart tissue or angina sends pain signals up and down the spinal cord to junctures with nerves which radiate out from the cervical vertebrae . The pain may travel up the neck to the jaw and even to the ear , or radiate down the shoulder to the arm and hand , or it may center between the shoulder blades . The pain may feel sharp , or it may be a dull ache such as you ' d feel with a pulled muscle . This is a symptom doctors have only recently begun to focus on , due to patient reports post-heart attack that this was one of the only symptoms they noticed in the days and weeks leading up to the attack .
Top clues : The pain comes and goes , rather than persisting unrelieved , as with a pulled muscle . This can make the pain both easy to overlook and difficult to pinpoint . You may notice pain in your neck one day , none the next day , then later it moves to your ear and jaw . Numbness , tightness , or tingling may accompany the pain . You should be especially concerned about symptoms which are brought on by physical activity and go away with rest .
What to do : Pain which doesn ' t go away after several days merits a medical checkup . If the pain seems to move or radiate upward and out , this is important to tell to your doctor .
Breathlessness , dizziness , or a feeling of being unable to draw a deep breath When you can ' t draw a deep breath , you probably assume it ' s your lungs , but it could be the result of too little oxygen circulating in your blood from a weakened heart . Officially known as dyspnea , shortness of breath is often the first sign of serious heart disease .
Top clues : You feel like you ' re not getting enough oxygen , just as you would at high altitude . You might also feel light-headed and dizzy . An ongoing concern or suspicion you ' re developing asthma or lung disease can also be a sign your heart ' s acting up .
What to do : Shortness of breath can indicate a problem with the lungs , the heart , or both , so this symptom is always a reason to call the doctor .
Unusual , excessive sweating Unusual sweatiness when you haven ' t been exerting yourself more than usual has only recently been recognized as a sign which frequently precedes heart attacks . In women , it may feel like the hot flashes or night sweats typical of menopause .
Top clues : Flu-like symptoms , like clammy skin or sweatiness , which aren ' t accompanied by a fever , which last longer than a week , or which come and go over a long period of time , are signs there ' s some other underlying cause , which may be heart disease .
What to do : If symptoms persist and seem unusual , call your doctor to talk through your concerns .
FEBRUARY 2017 | WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE | 37