What you should know about heart attack and heart failure.

Hey You. Yeah, You With the Salt Shaker. Your Heart’s Trying to Tell You Something.

Let’s set the scene.

You’re halfway through a greasy, glorious double cheeseburger at 11:43 PM. You’re on the couch, watching reruns of that show you pretend not to like, and suddenly, BAM. Tightness in your chest. You pause. You think:

“Probably indigestion. Definitely not a heart attack. I’m too young. I’ve got stuff to do. I just bought almond milk.”

But here’s the truth ; your heart doesn’t care that you still get carded at bars. 

It doesn’t care that you do yoga twice a year. And if you’re not listening, it might just file a resignation letter, sudden and dramatic.

So pull up a chair. Let’s talk about the two big heart things people get mixed up more often than socks after laundry day:

Heart Attack vs. Heart Failure

They’re not the same, and if your heart could talk, it’d say, “Please, for the love of arteries, get this right.”

Heart Attack: The Cardiovascular Ambush

Imagine you’re throwing a party and someone glues the front door shut. No one can get in. 

That’s what happens during a heart attack, your blood (the party guests) gets blocked from reaching your heart (the host), and chaos breaks out.

How it feels when it hits:

✅ A tight, squeezing pain in your chest like an elephant is doing squats on it

✅ Pain that shoots down your left arm, into your neck or jaw

✅ You start sweating like you’re hiding something

✅ Shortness of breath

✅ Nausea or an overwhelming feeling that something is deeply, cosmically wrong

And if you’re thinking,

“But I work out sometimes!”

Cool. But that doesn’t unclog arteries.

Why does it happen?

📌 A blood clot blocks a coronary artery

📌 Fatty plaque decides to ruin your day

📌 Years of not managing blood pressure or cholesterol

📌 Smoking, stress, and couch potato habits piling up like junk mail

Your heart is saying, “I warned you with chest pain and breathlessness. You ignored me. 

Now I’m flipping the table.”

Now Let’s Talk About Heart Failure: The Long, Petty Breakup

Unlike the fireworks of a heart attack, heart failure is your heart giving you the silent treatment over time.

It doesn’t quit suddenly, it just starts underperforming like a passive-aggressive roommate.

You think you’re just tired. You think your ankles are swollen because of “water weight.” You think that cough is allergies.

It’s not. 

Your heart is whispering, “I’m tired. Fix this.”

What it looks like:

✅ Swollen legs, ankles, belly, like you’re slowly turning into a balloon animal

✅ Getting winded walking to the fridge (and no, it’s not the altitude)

✅ A cough that never goes away, especially when you lie down

✅ Sleeping sitting up because lying flat makes you feel like you’re drowning

✅ Weight gain, but the kind where your jeans don’t even pretend to zip

✅ Constant, unexplained fatigue that coffee can't fix

So what’s happening inside?

Heart failure means your heart isn’t pumping blood properly. 

It’s either too weak or too stiff. Think of it like trying to water your garden with a leaky hose, less pressure, more mess, and very disappointed tulips (organs).

And guess what causes heart failure in a lot of people?

Ding ding ding: previous heart attacks.

That damage? It doesn’t just disappear. 

It leaves your heart working overtime and falling behind.

Let’s Get Real for a Second

If your car made the same noises your body is making right now, you'd be at the mechanic before sunrise. 

But when your heart coughs, swells, or tries to shut down mid-cheeseburger, you say:

“It’s probably nothing.”

Listen. 

That “probably nothing” could be your one and only warning. 

And your heart? It's not trying to ruin your life. It's just tired of you pretending plantain chips cancel out stress, eating a party-sized pizza.

Alright, So What Do You Do Now?

1. Know What to Watch For

Heart Attack Symptoms:

Chest pain, pressure, or discomfort

Pain in arms, neck, back, jaw

Shortness of breath

Nausea, sweating, dizziness

Heart Failure Symptoms:

Persistent fatigue

Swelling in legs, ankles, feet

Coughing or wheezing

Breathlessness at rest or when lying down

Sudden weight gain (not from donuts)

2. Take Prevention Seriously (Without Becoming a Health Guru)

❌ You don’t need to live off kale and tofu. But you do need to:

✅ Move your body, dance, walk, stretch. Anything, Just move.

✅ Ditch the cigarettes. 

Your heart didn’t sign up for secondhand smoke.

✅ Cut the salt. 

Your food doesn’t need to taste like the ocean.

✅ Control your numbers. 

Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, know them like you know your Netflix password.

✅ Sleep. 

Yes, 3 a.m. Instagram scrolling counts as sabotage.

✅ Manage stress. 

Not everything is an emergency. Breathe.

3. Take the Meds, Make the Appointments

If your doctor gave you meds and you’re “forgetting” to take them, you’re basically ghosting your own survival. 

Show up to those check-ups. 

Listen, ask questions. 

Advocate for yourself.

Final Pep Talk From Your Friendly Heart Translator

Your heart is not just some squishy muscle. It’s your ride-or-die. Your hype man. 

The reason you woke up this morning. It’s been beating non-stop since before you had opinions on coffee.

Don’t wait until it screams to pay attention.

So, if something feels off, if you’re sweating in bed like you ran a marathon in your sleep, or your ankles are turning into flotation devices, don’t wait.

Don’t Google it.

Don’t call your cousin who once dated a paramedic.

Go. To. The. Doctor.

Because trust me: You would rather have a false alarm than a real crisis.

Your heart is literally keeping you alive. The least you can do is return the favor.

So, tonight, maybe skip the second cheeseburger. 

Take a walk. 

Call your doctor. 

Heck, maybe even take your meds early and drink some water.

Your heart would appreciate it. And honestly? So would future you.