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Early symptoms NHS emergency list as people told 'never too early to call 999'

In the UK, someone is admitted to hospital due to the medical emergency once every five minutes

[Ambulances are parked outside the Royal London hospital in east London]

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Early heart attack symptoms often feel like everyday ailments (stock image)(Image: Getty )

The NHS has issued a fresh plea today (Sunday, August 16), urging people to be familiar with the early symptoms of a common medical emergency. It comes as the health service also says: "Its never too early to call 999".

According to the British Heart Foundation, heart attacks are very common around the world and are one of the top reasons for illnesses and death. In the UK, they lead to around 100,000 hospital visits each year, approximately one every five minutes.

However, many people frequently overlook the initial signs of a heart attack, thinking they would only experience intense, crushing chest pain if they had one. In reality, the early symptoms are often subtle and can mimic common problems such as indigestion, tiredness, or muscle soreness, leading people to rationalise them rather than seek urgent medical help.

As Harvard Health explains: "Silent heart attacks that don't produce noteworthy symptoms put you at the same future risks as the classic ones." It adds: "People often don't learn that they had a heart attack until they have an electrocardiogram (ECG) or a stress test and the doctor notices signs consistent with heart damage."

Reiterating the importance of knowing the early warning signs, the NHS' post includes a list of symptoms to look out for and actions to take. "Make sure you know the early symptoms of a heart attack", the post states in the caption.

"They dont always feel severe. A squeezing across the chest. A feeling of unease. Its never too early to call 999 and describe your symptoms."

The NHS describes a heart attack as a "medical emergency". It says that if you think you, or someone else, may be having a heart attack, "don't delay" and "call 999 immediately".

What are the early signs of a heart attack?

• Chest pain - a feeling of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across your chest
• Pain that spreads from your chest to your arms, jaw, neck, back and tummy
• Feeling light-headed or dizzy
• Feeling uneasy, sick and sweaty
• Shortness of breath

What are the common symptoms of a heart attack?

• chest pain which may feel like crushing or squeezing on your chest the pain may also spread to your arm, neck and jaw
• feeling short of breath
• feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
• feeling like you have indigestion you may have a burning feeling in your chest and feel full or bloated
• sweating
• pale, blue or grey skin on black or brown skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands

Do heart attack symptoms vary between men and women?

According to Heart.org, symptoms may vary between men and women. It says: "As with men, womens most common heart attack symptom is chest pain (angina) or discomfort. But women may have other symptoms that are typically less associated with heart attack". These include:

• Anxiety
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Upset stomach
• Pain in the shoulder, back or arm
• Unusual tiredness and weakness

What can you do while you're waiting for medical help?

If you think you or someone else is having a heart attack, there are some things you can do while you wait for help. The NHS advises sitting and resting on the floor in a comfortable position, with your knees bent and your back supported. If you cannot do this, you can sit in a chair.

It also recommends taking aspirin (300mg) if you have any, however "do not give aspirin to someone who has an aspirin allergy". It also says that if you angina, take your glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) spray if you have it with you.

It adds: "Keep checking someone who may be having a heart attack to make sure they're still responding and breathing. If someone stops responding to you and stops breathing, start CPR." Find out how to do CPR on the St John Ambulance website.

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