Heart attack: The biggest signs you could be having a silent heart attack – what are they?

A silent heart attack is a heart attack that occurs without any clear symptoms or sometimes without any symptoms at all. Silent heart attacks mean one is having a heart attack without noticing it, often being recognised only days, months or even years following its presentation. If a person experiences any of these major signs it could indicate a silent heart attack.

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CardioSecur said on their website: “As circulation is affected during a heart attack, part of the heart muscle dies.

“Silent heart attacks occur more commonly in men than in women; however, silent heart attacks are more often fatal for women.

“In addition, following a silent heart attack, the risk of dying due to heart disease is three times higher than for someone with a normal ECG, and the the overall risk of death rises to 34 percent.

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The classic symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain, difficulty breathing and perspiration, however, with a silent heart attack the symptoms are not always the same.

CardioSecur said: “Possible symptoms may include fatigue, uneasiness, sluggishness or difficulty breathing.

“The feeling of faintness, dizziness or weakness, that either resolves on its own or increases in intensity to the point of collapse, can also be a potential indicator of a silent heart attack.”

The danger of a silent heart attack

Dr Jorge Plutzky at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital said: “People may feel fatigue or physical discomfort and chalk it up to overwork, poor sleep or some general age-related ache or pain.

“Other typical symptoms like mild pain in the throat or chest can be confused with gastric reflux and heartburn.

“Silent heart attacks often leave scarring and damage to the heart, which, combined with the fact that many people who have a silent heart attack don’t seek immediate care, can further raise a person’s risk of a second and potentially more harmful heart attack.”

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How to get checked out

Harvard Medical School said: “A silent heart attack is usually detected from an electrocardiogram (EKG) or echocardiogram, which can highlight heart muscle damage.

“Another method is a blood test for the molecular footprints of troponin T, a protein released by injured heart cells.

“That test is often used in emergency departments for patients with heart attack symptoms.”

If symptoms such as chest pain (angina pectoris) persist, one should seek medical attention immediately, in order to prevent the death of additional heart muscle and its associated side effects.

When symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness, difficulty breathing and/or easy fatigue are present, it is generally recommended to have a heart check-up performed.

It’s strongly advised to live as healthy of a life as possible which includes eating well-balanced diet and getting enough exercise.

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