Many heart problems masquerade as pain in completely different parts of the body or appear to be mild discomfort. Meanwhile, heart disease ranks first among the causes of death worldwide.
Silent heart attacks are those that are asymptomatic or those with signs that are not associated at first sight with heart disease, according to a British health expert, consulted by Revyuh.
The doctor stressed that the danger of these attacks lies in the fact that people do not go to the doctors in time and do not receive timely treatment. In general, the heart attack suffered in these cases is detected after months or even years.
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In addition, these silent attacks account for about half of the total number of confirmed myocardial infarction cases.
How to recognize “silent heart attack”
The symptoms of a silent heart attack may include atypical manifestations of a heart attack as difficulty breathing, feeling of heaviness, burning, episodes of weakness, fatigue and sudden development of alterations in heart rate, said the cardiologist.
“It can also be a persistent pain behind the sternum of low intensity or pain of different locations, for example in the stomach, in the lower jaw, etc,” he added.
Likewise, before a heart attack, angina attacks may appear or even become more frequent. These attacks are always associated with physical exertion or known as psycho-emotional stress.
Also, there are a number of signs that should alert a person and compel them to consult a doctor.
If suddenly there is weakness, increased fatigue, shortness of breath during physical activity, discomfort in the heart area that does not pass in a few minutes, these symptoms are a reason to consult a doctor. It is better to be safe and clarify the cause of these inconveniences.
The doctor emphasized that when the symptoms described appear, you must call an ambulance and not take any medication on your own, including nitroglycerin.
Risk groups
People with excessive body weight, those suffering from high blood pressure, smokers, those with lipid metabolism disorders or diagnosed with diabetes mellitus are in the risk group for developing a silent heart attack, the cardiologist listed.
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Additionally, little physical activity and frequent stress can also cause a heart attack.
These factors are modifiable, which means that people can influence them and minimize the risk of disease.
On the other hand, according to statistics, silent heart attack in men occurs five times more often than in women. Also, the risks increase in people over 40 years old or with a hereditary predisposition.
How to reduce the risk of heart attack
- The health expert listed several measures that reduce the risk of a silent heart attack.
- Reduce excess body weight through physical activity and a low-calorie diet. The optimal physical activity is to walk 10,000 steps outdoors.
- Include in the diet vegetables, dietary fiber, whole grains, fish. At the same time limit the consumption of sweets and carbonated drinks, fatty meats, red meat preparations.
- Stop smoking, including passive smoking.
- Control blood pressure and blood sugar. If these rates increase, visit the doctor in time for treatment.
- Carry out regular medical check-ups, at least once a year, which makes it possible to detect the existence of coronary heart disease early and avoid the development of myocardial infarction.