Women's Heart Attacks Symptoms Can Differ from Men's: Know the Signs
NHS GP Shares Seven Warning Signs Of A Heart Attack 'you Should Never Ignore'
A heart attack is a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when blood supply to the heart is suddenly cut off. Therefore, the moment you think someone is experiencing symptoms you should call 999.
With this in mind an NHS GP shared seven key signs of a heart attack that should not be ignored via a YouTube video. Doctor Khalid Zalmay, said: "When we have a heart attack (myocardial infarction), the blood supply to our heart suddenly stops.
"This could be down to a number of reasons. But what this causes is damage to the heart muscle.
"It is vital to get medical help urgently and to look out for signs and symptoms so that precious time is not wasted. Time is muscle, the more time is wasted, the more muscle in the heart can die!
"In this video we'll go through seven important heart attack signs and symptoms to never ignore as picking up these early signs of a heart attack can help save a life."
However, he warned that some of the most commonly known signs of a heart attack don't affect everyone.
This includes chest pain, which is also known as angina. Dr Khalid continued: "Often if you ask people - chest pain comes up as the top symptoms - but it may also surprise you that some people may never get chest pain!
"Especially if they are diabetic and sometimes women tend to have slightly more vague symptoms."
He listed the seven signs to look out for as:
"Here are the seven signs and symptoms of a heart attack that you should never ignore," he said.
Chest painsAccording to Dr Khalid chest pain or discomfort is the "most common" symptom people get.
He said: "It can be described as 'feels like pressure', squeezing or heaviness in the chest. It can also feel like indigestion or a burning sensation."
Nausea and vomitingThis is caused by a phenomenon called cardiogenic nausea or vomiting, he explained.
According to Dr Khalid, when your heart muscle is dying, it may not be able to pump blood adequately.
He continued: "Remember we are alive and walking because we have constant blood pressure supplying our body and brain.
"If this blood pressure suddenly drops - not enough blood can get to the brain and we can feel lightheaded and dizzy."
Dizziness or feeling lightheaded"Some theories suggest it could be down to the stimulation of part of your nervous system, called your sympathetic nervous system," Dr Khalid said. "This is your fight or flight response."
Pains in other areasThese pains could be felt in the arms, jaw, neck and back. Dr Khalid said: "During a myocardial infarction it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and tummy."
Shortness of breathThe heart pumps blood so it can circulate to your tissues as well as get oxygen from your lungs.
"If your heart can't pump blood well (as is the case with a heart attack), you can feel short of breath," he said.
Overwhelming feeling of anxietyDr Khalid added: "Physically a panic attack and a heart attack may be very similar."
Call 999 With Early Heart Attack Symptoms, NHS Says
Thousands more lives could be saved if people knew how to spot the early signs of a heart attack, the NHS has said.
Doctors want people to be more aware of common early symptoms such as sweating and tightness in the chest - and to call 999 if they experience them.
It comes after a poll found fewer than half of people knew to dial 999 for some of the more vague signs.
There are more than 80,000 hospital admissions for heart attacks each year in England.
The overall survival rate for people experiencing a heart attack is seven in 10, rising to nine in 10 for those who seek early hospital treatment.
The new NHS campaign runs from 14 February to 31 March and tells people to dial 999 if they experience common early symptoms including sweating, uneasiness and chest tightness.
In the poll of 2,000 people, only 41% said they knew sweating was an early symptom while just 27% knew that light-headedness, feeling weak or uneasy was also common.
Prof Stephen Powis, NHS England's medical director, said thousands of deaths could be prevented with earlier treatment if people recognise these vital signs.
"Sadly, cardiovascular disease causes a quarter of all deaths across the country and we have identified this as the single biggest area where we can save lives over the next decade."
Prof Powis added: "It can be easy to dismiss early symptoms as they don't always feel severe, but it is never too early to dial 999 in this circumstance - and the faster you act, the better the chance of a full recovery."
The campaign also seeks to raise awareness of cardiac arrest - which is not the same as a heart attack. There is often no warning with a cardiac arrest and the person quickly loses consciousness.
Those experiencing a cardiac arrest will usually die within minutes if they do not receive treatment. A heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest.
Symptoms of a heart attack can include:Source: NHS
The campaign is being supported by celebrities such as One Foot in the Grave actor Richard Wilson and Sky Sports presenter Peter Dale, known as Tubes.
Mr Wilson said: "I've battled with my heart health for a while, and since experiencing a heart attack I've really opened my eyes to the impact it's had on my life.
"I got more tired, I'm able to walk around less and my memory has suffered as well. The scariest part is that at the time I did not know enough about heart attacks or heart health."
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Most Women Ignore This Symptom As A Subtle Sign Of A Heart Attack, But It Could Be A Matter Of Life And Death
In a recent segment on the "Today" show, Chantrise Holliman, a mother, wife and heart health educator based in Georgia, shared the story of her heart attack and what seemed like the fairly benign symptoms that accompanied it.
Holliman experienced nausea, vomiting and mild chest pressure. The first two symptoms ― which aren't commonly associated with heart attacks ― led her to believe the sensations had more to do with her dinner the night before than a serious medical concern.
Like Holliman, many people don't know that stomach symptoms can, indeed, be signs of a heart attack. While not the most common warning sign (chest pain is most reported), nausea is also not uncommon during a cardiac event, according to Dr. Sean Heffron, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Health.
It "tends to depend somewhat on which blood vessel in the heart is affected," Heffron explained. Additionally, nausea is more commonly seen in women, Heffron said, as is vomiting.
Other heart attack signs in women include jaw pain, neck pain, a dull feeling of chest discomfort, upper abdomen pain, back pain and excessive tiredness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"It's so important to hear stories like this, because many women think it has to be like, 'I'm clutching my chest and falling to the ground like you see in the movies,' and it can be much more subtle," Dr. Tara Narula, a cardiologist and NBC News medical contributor, told "Today."
Heart attacks can look very different in women than in men, which means that sufferers and doctors alike sometimes dismiss them. But it's important to recognize the signs, especially since heart disease "is the leading cause of death for women in this country," Narula told "Today." "One woman every 80 seconds dies of cardiovascular disease."
How to tell if your nausea is part of a heart attack
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"As far as we know, it's rare that [nausea is] the only symptom of a heart attack," Heffron explained. In Holliman's case, for example, she also said she noticed pressure in her chest.
"And, certainly, a heart attack is far from the most common cause of nausea," Heffron said. Food poisoning, stomach flu and motion sickness are much more common culprits.
So, you don't have to panic the next time you feel nauseated. But if you notice additional heart attack symptoms along with nausea or vomiting — like chest pain, sweating, heart palpitations or dizziness — it could be cause for concern.
This is doubly true for someone with risk factors of heart disease like high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, Heffron said.
In the absence of those additional symptoms, nausea probably isn't a cause for extreme concern. "On occasion, nausea's the only symptom, but I think that's somewhat of an exception," Heffron said. "It's not so common."
How to take care of your heart health
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It's easy to dismiss symptoms that you don't think are indicative of a heart attack, but it's important to understand the signs of a cardiac event and how they manifest for women.
Beyond that, you should know what you can do to best take care of your heart. Heffron said you can use the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 checklist as a resource to maintain or improve your cardiovascular health.
Best practices include eating a diet full of whole foods, fruit, vegetables and lean proteins; getting enough exercise; managing factors like your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar; getting sufficient sleep; and refraining from smoking. All of these behaviors can help keep your heart healthy.
"Obtaining optimal cardiovascular health really includes focusing on these eight metrics," Heffron noted.
If you do feel unwell, you shouldn't discount your symptoms, no matter how small they seem.
"I don't want to overblow it and... Freak people out [by saying] all nausea's a heart attack. By all means, it's not," Heffron said. "But by no means is chest pain the only symptom of a heart attack."
Other, less obvious signs could be your strongest symptoms, and it's critical you get checked out if you're at all suspicious.
"If you feel unwell and are concerned about what's going on, and in particular, if you have cardiovascular risk factors... Then those should be reasons to be seen by a doctor," Heffron said. "Don't hesitate if there's any concern."This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
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