Symptoms of A Heart Attack

Every outdoorsman needs to know the symptoms of a heart attack. Here’s the story of my wake-up call.

by Leon Pantenburg

I felt fine on the morning of Dec. 13, 2012. But the night before, during my daily 1.4-mile powerwalk with the dog, I felt an unusual shortness of breath, and a tightness in the middle of my chest. That tightness vanished as soon as I stopped for a moment.
That was it, as far as any symptoms went. Typically, I powerwalk uphill every night, with the intent getting my cardiovascular system going, and elevating my heart rate. But this night, I only made about 100 yards up the usual hill before getting winded.

Me, attempting to fill my high desert elk tag and bring home some meat. Big game hunting is part of my lifestyle.

Luckily, I had taken an extensive Wilderness First Aid class required for Boy Scout leaders in June, and knew that many heart attacks don’t have real dramatic signs.

To read the rest of Leon's story, visit his blog.