Warning Signs

HEART ATTACK WARNING SIGNS:
Nausea 
Sweating
Shortness of Breath - I was also feeling weak and sat on my kitchen floor after throwing up, sweating, showering and redressing for work
Pain - this is different for everyone and the morning of my heart attack it felt like more people progressively started sitting on my chest and both my arms felt like I was pitching baseballs as hard as I could the day before...both arms hung at my sides aching.
Fear - At 36 years of age I assumed what I was feeling was a cold or fluid on my lungs but my gut and mental fear told me it was something more.


The ACTION I should have taken was to have CALLed 911 and went to the hospital...I shut my car off and had a neighbour take me to the hospital in her car less than five minutes away.

STROKE WARNING SIGNS:

Weakness - Loss of strength, numbness in face, arm or leg
Headache
Dizziness
Vision Problems
Trouble Speaking

I`ll add confusion and tongue does not go out straight.

The ACTION is to call 911 immediately...the faster diagnosis and help the better chances of living and avoiding long term disabilities.

I had a TIA (mini stroke) three months prior to a major stroke...the TIA contained the above signs just not as severe and hours later I had no lasting effects. Mainly I just felt scared of feeling the way I did, it wasn't normal.

All heart attacks and strokes are different. In my personal experience and that I see in others, strokes are a much worse demon than a heart attack.
Neither one should be dismissed...a doctor speaking at an event I was at stated that people deny getting help because they do not want to waste doctors time...he stated he would rather waste a few minutes to determine our ailments are not serious than spending a long duration of time trying to save us or help us recover.


For years I had headaches and occasionally a vision thing that made the perimeter of my vision look like I was under water and it progressively reduced the clear part of the vision to looking through a toilet paper roll until the whole vision looked under water. After 10 to 20 minutes it would clear. I don`t know if this had anything to do with anything but I haven`t had it happen since surviving the stroke.