Wellness Café

Recognising the signs of a possible heart attack

Nov 23, 2025

Each year, thousands of South Africans miss the signs of a heart attack or wait too long to get help. On World Heart Day – 29 September – take a few beats to brush up on your knowledge.

Know your risk factors

Anyone can have a heart attack, but some of us are at higher risk. These risk factors include:

your family history.
age – over 45 for men and 55 for women.
high blood pressure.
high cholesterol.
being overweight (a waist measuring over 94cm for men or 80cm for women indicates excess abdominal weight, predisposing you to heart attack).
lack of exercise.
tobacco use, including cigarettes, vaping and snuff.
excessive alcohol.
autoimmune conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s disease and psoriasis.

TIP! Don’t skip annual health checks. By knowing your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and heart rate, you can manage risks before they become serious.

Spot the signs

Heart attacks don’t always look dramatic, like in the movies. What to look for? Use the mnemonic CRUSHING IT:

Chest pain/discomfort – it can feel like pressure, squeezing, burning, numbness or fullness
Radiating pain into the abdomen, back, jaw or neck.
Unrelieved – it doesn’t get better with rest or angina medication.
Sweating
Hard to breathe
Increased and/or irregular heart rate
Nausea and vomiting
Gloom (feeling a sense of doom or anxiety)
Indigestion-like feelings like fullness
Tiredness and extreme weakness

A note for women: Often called the ‘silent killer of women’, heart attack symptoms are often less obvious in women and go ignored – think back or jaw pain, fatigue, shortness of breath and indigestion-like symptoms.

Take action

If you or someone else is having a heart attack, call for help immediately.

Sit or lie down safely with the upper body elevated and legs bent to reduce heart strain.
Try to stay calm by slowing and deepening your breathing, if possible.
Loosen tight clothing.
It can help to chew an aspirin – but only if advised by medical personnel.
If you’re helping someone else, stay with them. If they collapse and you’re trained in CPR, start doing it and keep going until help arrives.

Who to call? Netcare 911 on 082 911 for emergency medical support.

What not to do

Dismiss or ignore symptoms.
Delay getting help.
Eat or drink anything, including sugar water.
Drive yourself anywhere.
Take any medication without medical advice.
Attempt CPR untrained and/or on someone who is responsive.

Reference

Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa

LATEST POSTS

5 surprising facts about ADHD

Think attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is shorthand for someone who can’t sit still and focus?
In fact, it’s not an inability to focus, it’s about regulating attention. Many people with ADHD describe becoming intensely focused on some tasks – known as ‘hyperfocus’ – while struggling to start or complete things that don’t grab their attention.

When children get cancer

No one wants to hear that a child has cancer. Fortunately, childhood cancer is rare and accounts for less than 1% of all cancers.
The danger is that many childhood cancers progress very quickly, so it’s important for caregivers to be aware of warning signs – and seek help.
With September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, now is the time to learn more.

When breastfeeding does not work for you

Breastfeeding is often portrayed as one of the most natural parts of motherhood – an instinctive, nurturing interaction between mother and child. But what if that image of effortless nursing doesn’t reflect your reality?
You’re not alone. In fact, 60-80% of new moms say they have difficulty breastfeeding. What’s more, in South Africa, the tally for infants under six months that are exclusively breastfed is less than one in three.

Why you should start building bone today

Over the years, your bones gradually break down – and for women after menopause, it’s a particularly big problem.
Your bones may seem solid, but they’re actually living tissue constantly renewing itself – like a well-maintained building. New parts replace old ones all the time, but if the building loses more bricks at a rate than they can be replaced, the structure becomes weaker.

How to stay healthy all winter long

Want to stop the sniffles in their tracks this season? These five strategies will protect, nurture and support your body.
South Africa’s colder months can bring a mixed bag of winter woes. More time indoors, closer contact with others, indoor heating – the perfect conditions for colds and flu. Shorter days also affect vitamin D levels and mood. It’s not surprising that many of us end up feeling less than sunny.