Guillain-Barré Syndrome Presenting as Painful Weakness and ...
Heart Attack Signs For Men And Women As Study Finds Symptoms Can Appear 24 Hours Before
Shortness of breath is likely to be the first sign of cardiac arrest for women. (Getty Images)
In the UK, over 30,000 people experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) each year - which works out to be around 82 people per day.
A cardiac arrest is different to a heart attack. It's when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops pumping blood which can cause problems in your brain and other vital organs.
Read more: Difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
A new study has found that up to half of all people who have a cardiac arrest will feel symptoms up to 24 hours before it occurs - and the first symptoms are different for men and women.
A cardiac arrest can be fatal and, according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), less than one in 10 people survive an OHCA, so it's important to know the early warning signs.
"Harnessing warning symptoms to perform effective triage for those who need to make a 999 call could lead to early intervention and prevention of imminent death," senior study author Dr Sumeet Chugh said. "Our findings could lead to a new paradigm for prevention of sudden cardiac death."
Cardiac arrest symptoms are generally the same for men and women. (Getty Images)
Difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrestA cardiac arrest is caused by a dangerous abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that means your heart stops beating unexpectedly and suddenly.
A heart attack is when the blood supply to the heart is cut off, often caused by a blood clot. Blood is still pumping around the body during a heart attack and you will be conscious and breathing. You will not be conscious or breathing during a cardiac arrest.
A heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest if proper medical help isn't sought.
Early cardiac arrest signs for womenAccording to the study, which has been published in the Lancet Digital Health, women are more likely to experience a shortness of breath in the 24 hours before cardiac arrest.
A 2019 study published in the European Heart Journal found that women are more likely to die from a cardiac arrest if they have one in public because just 68% of women are likely to receive CPR from a bystander compared to 73% of men.
Early cardiac arrest signs for menMen will feel chest pains as the first warning sign of a cardiac arrest, the research from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the US found.
Cardiac arrest signs and symptomsWhile the new study Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has found that the initial cardiac arrest symptoms can occur 24 hours before it happens, most of the time a cardiac arrest will happen without warning.
Signs of someone having a cardiac arrest include:
If someone near your is exhibiting any of these signs, call 999 and immediately start performing CPR.
Cardiac arrest: read more Cardiac arrest causesA cardiac arrest can be caused by abnormal heart rhythms such as cardiomyopathies (disease of the heart muscle), congenital heart disease, heart valve disease and myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle.
Other causes can be a heart attack, hypoxia (a sudden drop in oxygen levels), a severe haemorrhage, electrocution or a drug overdose.
You are at a higher risk of having a cardiac arrest if you:
Have a family history of coronary artery disease
Smoke
Have high blood pressure
Are obese
Have diabetes
Have an inactive lifestyle
Have had a heart attack
Are male
Use drugs like cocaine
Have low potassium or magnesium levels
Have sleep apnoea
Have chronic kidney disease
Around 30,000 people per year go into cardiac arrest. (Getty Images)
Cardiac arrest treatmentA cardiac arrest can only be treated by performing CPR, using a defibrillator, or getting the patient to an emergency room as soon as possible.
The BHF says starting CPR immediately is vital to keep blood and oxygen moving to the brain. Public defibrillators can usually be found in train stations or shopping centres.
Call 999 if you see someone collapse and who is unresponsive and the operator can give you further instructions.
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NHS Urges Anyone Suffering Obscure Heart Attack Symptoms To Dial 999 Immediately
THE NHS is urging people to learn the early and often obscure symptoms of a heart attack to boost survival chances.
It comes as admissions for heart attack have returned to pre-pandemic levels.
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Feeling lightheaded or sweaty? Be aware that it could be a sign of a heart attackCredit: Getty - ContributorThe NHS campaign will teach people about the common signs of a heart attack that are often dismissed or ignored by people.
Research shows that while 70 per cent of those surveyed understood that pain in the chest is a symptom of a heart attack, just 41 per cent knew sweating was a symptom.
Only 27 per cent understood feeling weak, lightheaded or generally uneasy were also symptoms.
To boost awareness, adverts will encourage people to call 999 as soon as they experience symptoms, even if they are not severe.
These are the symptoms of a heart attack:
Heart attack symptoms vary greatly but these are the ones seen more often.
People's chances of surviving a heart attack are far higher if they seek care earlier.
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A heart attack occurs when the supply of blood to the heart becomes blocked, which can starve it of oxygen potentially causing serious muscle damage.
Treatment starts with unblocking the artery.
Professor Nick Linker, cardiologist and NHS national clinical director for heart disease, said: "Cardiovascular disease causes one in four deaths across the country, so it is vital that people are aware of the early signs of a heart attack.
"Every moment that passes during a heart attack increases heart muscle damage and nearly all of the damage takes place within the first few hours.
"So if you experience symptoms such as a sensation of squeezing or tightness across the chest alongside sweating, nausea, or a sense of unease, please call 999 so you have the best chance of a full recovery."
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at BHF, said: "Every minute matters when somebody is having a heart attack, and could be the difference between life and death.
"Even if the symptoms don't seem severe, such as a feeling of squeezing or tightness across the chest – call 999 immediately. A heart attack is a medical emergency and immediate action could save your life."
The campaign will also seek to raise awareness of heart attack symptoms amongst women.
Heart attacks more frequently affect men, however, around 30,000 women are admitted to hospital following a heart attack each year in the UK.
Women may be less likely to seek medical attention and treatment quickly, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) says.
Their risk of a heart attack increases after the menopause, which is after periods have stopped for one year.
A cardiac arrest is different to a heart attack, during which the person will be conscious and breathing.
It usually occurs suddenly and without warning with the person quickly losing consciousness.
Their heart stops, they will have no pulse and sadly people experiencing a cardiac arrest will usually die within minutes if they do not receive treatment or CPR.
A heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest.
These Are The Common Signs Of A Heart Attack Which Are Often Ignored - Do You Know Them?
The NHS is launching a campaign to teach people the common signs of a heart attack which are often ignored by those experiencing them.
The campaign is designed to help people to know when to dial 999 as the number of admissions for heart attacks returns to pre-pandemic levels.
NHS figures show that there were more than 84,000 hospital heart attack admissions in England during a year long period between 2021 and 2022, up by more than 7,000 compared to the previous year-long period when fewer people came forward for care during the pandemic.
The heath service has said people's chances of surviving a heart attack are far higher if they seek care earlier.
Around seven in 10 people survive a heart attack, with this figure increasing to more than nine in 10 for those who reach hospital early to receive treatment.
The new NHS advert will run from this week, encouraging people to dial 999 as soon as they experience symptoms of a heart attack.
The symptoms are:• Squeezing or pain across the chest• Sweating• A feeling of uneasiness• Pain that radiates down the left arm, or both arms, or to the neck, jaw, back or stomach• Difficulty breathing (snoring or rasping)• Rapid heart beat• Low or undetectable heart beat• Blue or pale tingling of knees, hands and lips• Nausea or coughing up blood• Unconsciousness• Seizures or fitting
More from UKNHS research also shows that whilst 70% of those surveyed understood that pain in the chest is a symptom of a heart attack, just 41% knew sweating was a symptom.
Only 27% understood feeling weak, lightheaded or a feeling of general unease were also symptoms.
The campaign also seeks to raise awareness of heart attack symptoms amongst women.
Despite more frequently affecting men, around 30,000 women are admitted to hospital following a heart attack each year in the UK.
Women's risk of a heart attack increases after the menopause.
Read more:Heart attacks increase risk of cognitive decline, study findsWeight loss injections can 'lower heart attack risk in obese people by a fifth'
Professor Nick Linker, cardiologist and NHS national clinical director for heart disease, said: "Cardiovascular disease causes one in four deaths across the country, so it is vital that people are aware of the early signs of a heart attack.
"Every moment that passes during a heart attack increases heart muscle damage and nearly all of the damage takes place within the first few hours, so if you experience symptoms such as a sensation of squeezing or tightness across the chest alongside sweating, nausea, or a sense of unease, please call 999 so you have the best chance of a full recovery."
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: "Every minute matters when somebody is having a heart attack, and could be the difference between life and death.
"Even if the symptoms don't seem severe, such as a feeling of squeezing or tightness across the chest - call 999 immediately. A heart attack is a medical emergency and immediate action could save your life."
A heart attack occurs when the supply of blood to the heart becomes blocked, which can starve it of oxygen potentially causing serious muscle damage. The person will be conscious and breathing.
A cardiac arrest is different - it usually occurs suddenly and without warning with the person quickly losing consciousness.
Their heart stops, they will have no pulse and sadly people experiencing a cardiac arrest will usually die within minutes if they do not receive treatment. A heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest.
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