Silent symptoms
You hardly notice a silent heart attack (it’s in the name, after all), but there are a couple of symptoms that point to a more serious problem than simply fatigue. If you’re experiencing one or more of the following symptoms, make sure you stay alert. Contact your doctor if you’re feeling worried about it.
- Tightness or a squeezing sensation in the chest that may spread to the neck, jaw or back
- Sweating
- Vomiting, nausea
- Pain in the upper belly
- Pain between the shoulder blades
- Shortness of breath
- Extreme fatigue
- Dizziness
- Restless feeling, anxiety
- Sped up breathing
Women
In women, the signal and symptoms of a heart attack are often less clear than they are for men. The symptoms are often confused with the symptoms of the menopause. Important causes of heart disease are genes, high blood pressure, obesity, stress, not enough exercise or smoking. Just like men, women experience tightness or squeezing pain in their chest, which can spread to the upper arms, neck, jaw, back and stomach area. The pain often lasts longer than 5 minutes and can come along with sweating, nausea or vomiting. However, women often also experience the other symptoms listed above under ‘Silent symptoms’. You also shouldn’t ignore the following health problems that could indicate heart disease:
- Sudden loss of vision or double or blurry vision. If you experience any of those things, we recommend going to the emergency room straight away.
- Swollen legs. Swollen or painful legs can indicate deep-vein thrombosis. This problem could lead to blockages in the aorta. Call your doctor immediately.
- Discoloured eyelids. Yellow eyelids or yellow specks on your eyelids could indicate that your cholesterol levels are too high, which increases the risk of heart disease. If this is the case, you should let a doctor check your cholesterol levels.
- Red, sensitive gums. You could get cardiovascular diseases when oral bacteria enter the bloodstream and dwell near the heart valve. Research shows that having your dentist clean your teeth on a regular basis reduces the risk of heart disease.
- Blue fingers. Visit your doctor if you have blue(ish) fingers, toes, earlobes, hands, lips or cheeks. This could be caused by a lack of oxygen in the tissue, which could indicate heart failure.
The symptoms can arise very suddenly or more slowly and can differ per person. It’s important to stay calm when you’re experiencing a heart attack and to sit or lie down. Don’t travel to the hospital yourself but call an ambulance.
Read more: Physiotherapist shares 10-second trick to get rid of your headache
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Source: Heart UK, Libelle | Image: Pixabay
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