One month before a heart attack, your body starts whispering—are you listening?
A Sydney GP says the body sends warning signs up to a month before a heart attack. Dr. Sandy Yang of Ur Family Practice in Mascot 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 says 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.” The Heart Foundation notes that in Australia, someone is hospitalised with a heart attack every nine minutes. This is why listening to your body—before symptoms become life-threatening—is crucial.
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Warning signals are real—often mistaken for heat, stress, or exhaustion
Too often, early signals are dismissed as heat, stress, or simply fatigue. But frequent nausea and dizziness are among the red flags doctors highlight as early warning signs for heart disease. “Frequent nausea and dizziness, which many people wrongly put down to heat, stress or exhaustion, are early warning signs for heart disease,” Dr. Yang explains. If you don’t have a clear cause—such as pregnancy, medications, or an infection—it’s time to see a doctor. The Heart Foundation adds that unsteadiness, blurred vision, or sudden vomiting can all indicate circulation issues that may point to an impending attack.
The specific red flags to watch for (early signs)
Nausea and dizziness aren’t the only early cues. Some people notice extreme fatigue and persistent headaches that linger even after rest—an unusual tiredness, not the ordinary tiredness of work or parenting. If you suddenly feel like an arm, leg, or half your face is “falling asleep,” this can indicate reduced blood flow. Numbness may merge with nerve pathways, signaling a problem with the heart’s ability to pump blood. Numbness on one side can also be a stroke symptom, reflecting interrupted blood flow to the brain. Vision shifts—double vision, blurred sight, or one eye failing to focus—may indicate a blocked vessel and should be treated as urgent. Some describe this as “a curtain falling across one eye.” These signs can appear alone or together and often last ten minutes or more, which is why experts say any unusual symptom should be checked without delay.
Act fast and reduce risk: what you can do now
The Heart Foundation emphasizes that heart attack risk can be reduced through concrete steps: quit smoking, exercise regularly, follow a heart-healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, reduce alcohol, manage stress, and monitor blood pressure and cholesterol. For people with diabetes, keeping blood sugar under control is critical. Women should also be mindful of risk factors such as PCOS, pregnancy complications, early menopause, autoimmune diseases, and hormone treatments. The professional advice is simple: listen to your body. It’s 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.
