Light-headedness
If your blood vessels dilate in response to a heart problem, it can cause your blood pressure to drop. Similarly, if a damaged heart is having difficulty pumping blood, you may have decreased oxygen to your brain. It’s unlikely that your only symptom of a heart attack is dizziness or light-headedness, but this could be part of the bigger picture. When the Heart and Stroke Foundation reported in 2018 that 78 per cent of women didn’t recognise early subtle symptoms of an impending heart attack, dizziness was among them.
Heart palpitations
Most of the time, there’s nothing to be concerned about if you feel your heart occasionally skipping a beat, as long as you’re not having other signs of a heart attack. “If it’s dangerous, generally the person’s going to have some other symptoms,” says Grierson. Also, when heart palpitations are linked to a heart attack, they tend to be ongoing.
Your pulse could also feel like it’s racing. A resting heart rate (RHR) is considered to be normal if it’s between 60 and 100, depending on the individual. (Factors like extreme emotions, hot temperatures and athletic fitness can affect the rate.) But a 2019 paper in Open Heart reported that in middle-aged men, an RHR of 75 or more indicated a greater risk of heart disease.
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Source: RD Canada
