Health experts have urged people to be aware of the lesser-known symptoms of a heart attack, after a study found that some symptoms experienced by patients could easily be dismissed as a more minor problem.
A heart attack happens when the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot, and can be life-threatening. There are many different symptoms of a heart attack according to the NHS, including pain in your chest, left arm and other parts of the body, sweating, feeling lightheaded or nauseous, and experiencing shortness of breath.
While the British Heart Foundation says it's a "common misconception" that men and women experience different heart attack symptoms, the charity pointed out that one study showed women are 50% more likely than men to initially receive the wrong diagnosis following a heart attack. Researchers have specifically examined the symptoms in women to help raise awareness of the warning signs to look out for, The Mirror reports.
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Experts behind the study, published in the journal Circulation, said: "The current description of 'typical' cardiac symptoms is based primarily on the experience of white, middle-aged men." They added that this "contributes to misunderstandings in clinicians and lay individuals, leads to inaccurate diagnosis, and causes women to delay seeking treatment".
According to the British Heart Foundation, coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of heart attacks, kills more than twice as many women as breast cancer every year in the UK. More than 800,000 women in the country are living with CHD and it was the single biggest killer of women worldwide in 2019, with more than 30,000 admitted to hospital each year due to a heart attack.
One of the lesser-known symptoms reported by women who took part in the study was indigestion, experienced by 39% of women in the month leading up to a heart attack. Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia, can be felt in different ways according to the NHS, including heartburn, feeling full and bloated, or feeling sick.
The health service points out that most people experience indigestion at some point in their lives, and it is "not usually a sign of anything serious". However, it adds that while the chest pain experienced during a heart attack is "often severe", some may only experience mild pain that is described as being "similar to indigestion".
The research in the study found that the most common symptoms identified by women in the month before experiencing a heart attack were:
- Unusual fatigue (71%)
- Sleep disturbance (48%)
- Shortness of breath (42%)
- Indigestion (39%)
- Anxiety (36%)
Meanwhile, the main symptoms experienced by women during a heart attack were:
- Shortness of breath (58%)
- Weakness (55%)
- Unusual fatigue (43%)
- Cold sweat (39%)
- Dizziness (39%)
The NHS lists the best ways of preventing a heart attack as quitting smoking, losing weight if you are overweight, doing regular exercise, eating a low-fat and high-fibre diet, and moderating your alcohol intake. If you suspect that you or someone you're with is having a heart attack, you should call 999 and ask for an ambulance immediately.
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