The fear of heart attacks looms large in the minds of millions of Britons. But the condition is often preceded by warning signs that, if recognised early enough, can help avert the condition.
A registered nurse recently used her TikTok platform to highlight warning signs that strike up to a month before a cardiac event, such as gasping for air in the middle of the night.
Kara B told her viewers: “I’m a registered nurse, I like to explain stuff. This is not medical advice; this is education.
“These early warning signs can happen weeks or even months before you have a big one.”
Kate shared the signs that can foretell a heart attack
|GETTY / TIKTOK / @KATE0420
Fatigue is a widely reported but nonspecific sign of the condition, generally debilitating enough to get in the way of daily activities.
According to Kate, patients frequently complain of chest pressure or discomfort, too. She points out that “it doesn’t really feel like something’s wrong, it’s just like something is not right”.
The nurse went on: “Jaw pain, cold sweats, little things like that can be early warning signs.
“Nausea and vomiting, indigestion-like symptoms are especially common in women. [Some have] pain radiating down the arm, in the back, waking up in the middle of the night, gasping.”
Kate urged anyone who notices unusual changes in their body to discuss these with their doctor without delay.
She stressed to her viewers: “You need to talk to your doctor about it. Don’t ignore that stuff.
“Call 911 [999 in the UK] if you have chest pain, or pressure lasting greater than five minutes, or if you have chest pain that keeps coming back. If you feel crushing and heavy pain in your chest, especially with sweating or nausea.”
“Any pain that starts in your chest, radiates down your arm, up your jaw and into your back, those are all reasons to go to the ER right away, we don’t mess around with cardiac.”
In her final message, Kate warned viewers against delaying medical consultation and highlighted the importance of early intervention.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The nurse highlighted the importance of early intervention
| GETTY“There are all types of tests we can run to see what’s going on with you,” she explained. “Don’t wait for it to get bad.
“Does having some of these symptoms mean that you’re having a heart attack? Not necessarily, but we won’t know if you don’t come in and get it checked out.”
The warning comes soon after the NHS launched an educational campaign about recognising life-threatening cardiac emergencies.
The health service published a series of instructional images and emergency response guidelines aimed at improving public awareness on X.