Silent Heart Attack

Most heart attacks are painful and can be fatal, pain being one of the foremost and significant symptoms indicating a cardiac arrest. However, what about those heart attacks that have little or no symptoms and most of the time, go unnoticed? A known devil is better than an unknown one. Isn't it?

It may sound unbelievable, but most people who have silent heart attacks are not able to recognize it and carry on with their lives as normal. This is a main reason, why it is more dangerous than conventionally painful ones. Studies have revealed that, those who have had a history of silent heart attacks are at 10 times higher risk of death. The reason being, that heart attack remains in the undetected state and can cause irreparable damage to the heart and the overall health.

American Heart Association claims that, 3-4 millions of people a year suffer from 'silent' ischemic (lack of oxygen) episodes. That is quite an alarming figure!

Definition

It is defined as a heart attack without recognized or easily recognizable symptoms. Most of the time, there are no symptoms at all. The damaged heart muscle is usually discovered through an electrocardiogram.

Silent Killer

Silent heart attacks are just as damaging as a painful heart attack. It is often described as the complete blockage of blood supply to heart muscle that results in the death of the heart muscle. Unfortunately, this does not produce any symptoms and even if it does, it could be easily mistaken for mild acidity or heartburn. Some atypical symptoms may occur in women, diabetics and older people. They may include heartburn, nausea, sweating, indigestion, sudden fatigue and light-headedness. Since there may be no symptoms at all, damage to the heart progresses and leads to further complications.

Recognize the Danger

Either silent or otherwise, the most common factors that can bring on heart attacks are:

• Diabetes
• Smoking
• No exercise
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Family history of heart attacks
• Obesity

Silent heart attacks come without any warning, so it is best to be alert and be medically examined in such high risk cases.

Reduce the Possibility

Though the symptoms may be mild, they can be easily detected, by a family history check of the patient. You need to access the risk factors and speak to your doctor about the possibilities of you having a heart attack. The doctor may suggest certain tests such as blood pressure, cholesterol test, echo stress test, blood sugar level test. There are various self-help measures, you need to take to reduce the risk of heart attack, silent or otherwise.

• If you are above 35 years, it's advisable to go for heart check-up regularly
• If you are obese, losing weight would help improve your cardiovascular health
• Walk briskly for 15-20 minutes everyday
• Cut down on your intake of saturated fat like meat, cheese and butter
• Lower your salt intake

By making a few changes in your lifestyle, you can actually minimize the possibility of a heart attack. Silent heart attack is fatal as it steals away the valuable time, that could be invested in treating the disease. Without proper medical intervention, the damage can sometimes be irreversible. If you notice any signs of heart attack, get help immediately. The signs could be embarrassing but definitely life-saving. Life gives you a chance to defeat the silent killer. So, beat it to keep the heart beating!