A heart attack is a medical emergency whereby the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot. It’s important to respond immediately to the warning signs because delaying can result in permanent damage to the heart muscle. Impeding this effort is a general ignorance of the symptoms, which extend far beyond chest pain.
Poll the average person and they will tell you chest pain is the hallmark feature of a heart attack.
However, there is a spectrum of symptoms and a full grasp of the possible signs could save your life.
According to the Heart Foundation, one “less obvious” warning sign of a heart attack is “vision starts to fade”.
As the health body explains, “if you suddenly become unsteady on your feet, the room starts spinning or your vision starts to fade, your body may be warning you of an impending heart attack”.
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You should then:
- Sit down and stay calm
- Take a 300mg aspirin if you have one within reach
- Wait for the paramedics.
What happens next
According to the BHF, the ambulance team will do an electrocardiogram (ECG) to detect whether you’re having a heart attack.
“If the ECG shows you’re having a heart attack, you’re likely to have emergency treatment as soon as you arrive in hospital,” explains the health body.
If the ECG doesn’t confirm a heart attack you might need further tests to investigate if you are having a heart attack, including:
- An assessment of your symptoms and medical history
- Physical examinations, including measuring your blood pressure and monitoring your heart rhythm and heart rate
- Blood tests including a troponin test to detect if there’s been any damage to your heart muscle
- Further ECGs
- An echocardiogram.
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How to reduce your risk
Prevention is always better than a cure and there are some simple lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk.
Above all else, eating a healthy, balanced diet provides a buffer against a heart attack.
The NHS explains: “Eating an unhealthy diet that is high in fat will make hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) worse and increase your risk of a heart attack.
“Continuing to eat high-fat foods will cause more fatty plaques to build up in your arteries. This is because fatty foods contain an unhealthy type of cholesterol.”
Regular, daily physical activity can also lower the risk of a heart attack.
The Mayo Clinic explains: “Physical activity helps control your weight. It also reduces the chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on the heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.”
UK health guidelines advise doing at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.
Moderate activity will raise your heart rate, and make you breathe faster and feel warmer.
