A Heart Attack Can Not Always Be Loud!
Most people think of a heart attack as a dramatic event that is very obvious, such as having very severe chest pain, falling to the floor, or clutching the chest. Although it does occur, many heart attacks are much subtler. These warning signs creep up over time, are not all that bothersome, and are often confused with much less serious issues.
This is one of the worst parts of a heart attack, not the attack itself, but people not realising they are having a heart attack. With each minute of untreated heart attack, additional heart muscle damage occurs. It is possible that a life can be saved or a life you love can be saved if you know what the signs of concern are that might not be noticed or not taken seriously.
In the cardiac care department of Ridansh Hospital, Lucknow, we frequently encounter patients who had waited for hours (sometimes days) before seeking medical assistance due to the symptoms not being what they had assumed a heart attack would look and feel like. This blog lists 5 warning signs which require attention now.
Sign 1: Intermittent Chest Discomfort
Some people do not experience intense pain in the chest when they have a heart attack. The feeling is often described as pressure or tightness, or as a squeezing or a heavy weight on top of the chest. This discomfort may wax and wane over the course of several minutes, instead of suddenly and without variation.
This is often attributed to gas, acidity or muscle tension – and is left to fizzle out on its own. Any pressure or tightness in the chest, no matter how slight, that you can’t explain should be taken seriously. Get medical care quickly, even if the symptoms will get worse.
Sign: 2 Pain Spreading to the Arm, Jaw, or Back
Heart attack pain doesn’t always affect the chest. It commonly spreads down the left arm, into the jaw, up the neck or across the upper back. It is quite common for the radiating pain to be present without chest pain, making this also not so easily detected.
If you experience a left arm ache that has no known cause, have an aching jaw or unexplained upper back pain – any of these symptoms plus other indications on the list warrant a doctor’s attention immediately.
Sign 3: Unexplained Breathlessness
If you get short of breath when you are not running or working out but instead sitting or lying in bed in a normal task like watching TV, you may be having an early warning sign of a heart attack. If the heart is not working well, it also impacts the lungs such that the person becomes breathless, in a manner that doesn’t seem appropriate for the situation.
While chest pain is indeed a common symptom of a heart attack, many people, especially women and elderly people, experience breathlessness as their main symptom, rather than any chest pain. Seriously treat breathlessness that occurs suddenly without any apparent cause.
Sign 4: Cold Sweat, Nausea or Lightheadedness
Sudden onset of a “cold sweat” without fever or exercise, nausea, vomiting or lightheadedness all frequently occur with a heart attack. The body’s stress reaction is activated, and the blood is rerouted to the heart when it is under threat, causing these physical reactions.
This is a very common misdiagnosis with food poisoning, food intolerance or dehydration. If they occur in combination with any of the other warning signs on this list, there should immediately be a concern for a cardiac event, and immediate evaluation should be done.
Sign 5: Feeling Tired for No Reason
One of the most overlooked warning signs, especially in women, and one of the most unusual and unnerving, is unusual or overwhelming fatigue, particularly on the days immediately preceding a heart attack. If you become very tired from little exertion or don’t feel rested after a full night’s sleep, this may be a sign of high stress on the heart.
This is not a normal tiredness. It is disproportionate, does not get better with rest and may be associated with a feeling of something being “off”. Follow your instincts and consult your doctor.
Be quick and decisive; every minute matters!
If any of these warning signs are present, if you or someone near you has them, don’t delay! Please do not drive to the hospital. Seek immediate help and remain calm and quiet until help has arrived.
The cardiac emergency team at Ridansh Hospital, Lucknow, is well-equipped and is round-the-clock ready to deliver urgent and life-saving treatment. When a heart attack happens, the number one thing you can do is to recognise the symptoms and take action immediately. Your heart will not get a second chance – do what you think is right when it feels wrong.