6. Heartburn, nausea, or indigestion can be the first signs of a heart attack. Do not disregard it.

Many people come down with minor indigestion, heartburn, or nausea before they suffer a heart attack. In many cases, these symptoms are initially dismissed as merely heartburn or simply eating something that didn’t agree with you. This misdiagnosis is especially common because older people are more prone to digestive issues and they’re also the demographic most likely to suffer a heart attack. However, the truth is, these gastrointestinal complaints can sometimes be early signs of an impending heart attack.

If you tend to have a fairly strong stomach and you begin experiencing severe gastrointestinal issues, you should make sure these digestive woes aren’t being caused by a heart attack or another medical issue; even if you’re not having heart attack, you might have a gastrointestinal emergency such as stomach bleeding, peritonitis (an infection that could potentially spread to the bloodstream), a bowel obstruction, or pancreatitis.