A Sydney GP has revealed the surprising early warning signs your body may give you up to a month before a heart attack – and why it’s critical not to brush them off.
Dr Sandy Yang, who works at Ur Family Practice in Mascot, said she has seen too many families blindsided by heart attacks that could have been detected earlier.
‘One month before a heart attack, your body gives you signs,’ she said in a video.
‘Please pay close attention to these signals. They could save your life. For years I’ve seen how heart attacks can turn a family’s world upside down.
‘But the saddest part is in many cases the body has already given signals.’
1. Frequent nausea and dizziness
Among the red flags she highlighted are frequent nausea and dizziness, which many people wrongly put down to heat, stress or exhaustion.
‘If you don’t have a clear cause like pregnancy, medications, or an infection, it’s time to see a doctor,’ Dr Yang explained.
Frequent nausea and dizziness, which many people wrongly put down to heat, stress or exhaustion, are early warning signs for heart disease
According to the Heart Foundation, unsteadiness, blurred vision, or sudden vomiting can all indicate circulation issues that may point to an impending attack.
2. Extreme fatigue and constant headaches
Another common but overlooked sign is extreme fatigue and persistent headaches.
Dr Yang warned this isn’t the usual tiredness from work or parenting, but a strange exhaustion that lingers even after proper rest.
If it’s accompanied by headaches that worsen over time, she said, it could be an early indicator of heart disease.
3. Numbness on one side of the body
‘Do you suddenly feel like your arm, leg, or half of your face is falling asleep? This could be reduced blood flow or even a sign your heart isn’t pumping as it should,’ she said.
Reduced blood flow to the heart can cause signals to merge with nerve pathways for the arm, resulting in the sensation of numbness.
According to the Heart Foundation, unsteadiness, blurred vision, or sudden vomiting can all indicate circulation issues that may point to an impending attack
However, numbness, especially if it affects one side of the body, is also a common symptom of a stroke, which also results from interrupted blood flow to the brain.
4. Sudden change in vision
Similarly, a sudden change in vision – double vision, blurriness or one eye suddenly failing to focus – may indicate a blocked blood vessel and should be treated as urgent.
The feeling has been described as ‘a curtain falling across one eye’ and occurs because the blood flow disruptions form clots or plaque build up which affect the retina or the brain’s visual centres.
The Heart Foundation stresses that someone in Australia is hospitalised with a heart attack every nine minutes.
While chest pain and shortness of breath are widely known symptoms, many Australians – particularly women – experience subtler signs such as dizziness, nausea, jaw or back pain, or feeling sweaty and unwell.
Some people may even suffer a silent heart attack, with no obvious symptoms at all.
Warning signs can appear alone or together, and often last at least 10 minutes.
Reduced blood flow to the heart can cause signals to merge with nerve pathways for the arm, resulting in the sensation of numbness
They may come on suddenly or build gradually, which is why experts say any unusual or unexplained symptom should be checked without delay.
The good news is there are ways to reduce your risk.
The Heart Foundation recommends quitting smoking, exercising regularly, following a heart-healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing alcohol, managing stress, and monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol.
For people with diabetes, keeping blood sugar under control is critical.
Women should also be mindful of specific risk factors such as PCOS, pregnancy complications, early menopause, autoimmune diseases, and hormone treatments.
The professional advice is simple: listen to your body.
It is possible to experience several of these symptoms or just one.
If something feels off, don’t ignore it. The earlier you act, the better your chances of survival.
