Heart attacks are notorious for striking suddenly, which is part of what makes them one of the deadliest problems in the world.

A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart suddenly stops.

This causes a tsunami of symptoms, but there is evidence that warning signs can appear in the months leading up to the event.

According to a group of studies, women may experience unusual fatigue, sleep disturbances and shortness of breath in the month before having a heart attack.

The first symptom that signals this is chest pain, which is similar to the pain caused by leg muscle cramps during exercise.

Because the heart is responsible for pumping vital blood to the rest of the body, its malfunction immediately causes the entire body to be deprived of oxygen.

This causes a variety of symptoms, but the warning signs can be different for men and women.

A study published in the journal

collected information from more than 500 women who had survived a heart attack to compare their symptoms.

Approximately 95 percent said they noticed unusual bodily changes in the months before the event.

The most common complaints in the weeks before the heart attack were fatigue and restless sleep.

Interestingly, the survey found that fewer women experienced chest pain during a heart attack compared to men.

In fact, while most men were likely to experience chest pain, women were more likely to experience shortness of breath.