Cardiovascular Health
Silent heart attack: Everything You Need to Know
Some of you may be living healthily — eating greens, walking, avoiding desserts — and still find out you've had a heart attack. Silent heart attacks are real and surprisingly impact many people.
Dec 13, 2024
•4 min read
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Silent heart attacks are the early red flags of an impending heart attack later. It is critical to follow routine health checkups and avoid the risk factors of heart disease to mitigate the chances of this invisible health condition.
Studies have shown that 15%-30% of people who’ve had a heart attack would have had silent heart attacks prior. This no-pain, not-apparent heart attack could be an early warning signal for a cardiac episode in the future.
15%-30%
of people who’ve had a heart attack would have had silent heart attacks prior, according to studies.
So, what’s a silent heart attack?
A silent heart attack, also referred to as a silent myocardial infarction, is a condition with less blood flow to the heart, causing milder symptoms as compared to a typical heart attack. Unlike the severe chest pain, intense pressure, sharp discomfort in the arm, neck, or jaw, sudden shortness of breath, sweating, and dizziness often seen with classic heart attacks, silent heart attacks tend to have ‘subtle’ signs.
What can trigger a silent heart attack?
The reasons for silent heart attacks and risk factors are similar to those for regular heart attacks:
The causes:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is caused by atherosclerosis, in which the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscles narrow due to cholesterol accumulation.
- Coronary vasospasm is when the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart suddenly tighten or ‘spasm,’ temporarily reducing blood flow to the heart.
- Coronary vasculitis is inflammation of the coronary arteries, which can damage them and restrict blood flow.
- Injury to the heart or coronary arteries, such as from a car accident or severe impact to the chest, can lead to reduced blood flow and heart problems.
- Coronary embolism occurs when a blood clot or other particle travels to the coronary arteries, blocking blood flow to the heart muscle.
- Certain drugs, speed up the heart and raise blood pressure, putting intense stress on the heart.
The risk factors that increase the chances of a silent heart attack episode are:
- Diabetes
- Increasing age
- Being chronically critically ill
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Obesity
Did You Know?
Most people overlook the regular symptoms of heartburn, fatigue, and shortness of breath until they go for a regular health checkup to find out about silent heart attacks.
Watch out for those subtle signs
As the name suggests, the signs and symptoms of a silent heart attack are subtle and less identifiable. The sneaky side of silent myocardial infarction is:
- Discomfort or a heavy feeling in the stomach, often together with bloating or heartburn
- A dull or tight pain that might feel like you have a muscle strain in the chest or back
- Shortness of breath
- Prolonged fatigue
- Dizziness
- A general feeling of being unwell
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Unexpected sweating or cold, clammy hands not due to exercise, heat, or cold
- Nausea
A report showed that in a cohort of people, 8% showed scars of having a heart attack in the last 10 years, but 80% of them were unaware of it. Thus, many people suffer from silent heart attacks without knowing their critical health implications.
Quick Tip
Getting your cardiac health checked regularly can help you detect early warning signs of poor heart health.
How can I prevent a silent heart attack?
Most people overlook the regular symptoms of heartburn, fatigue, and shortness of breath until they go for a regular health checkup to find out about silent heart attacks. Getting your cardiac health checked regularly can help you detect early warning signs of poor heart health.
Other preventive measures include:
- Achieving the targeted weight through a healthy diet and regular exercise
- Quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption
- Cutting back on salt intake by avoiding packaged and processed foods
- Going low on sugars and unhealthy fats
- Managing stress with deep breathing and yoga
Dr Vijay Kumar Goyal, MBBS, MD (Psychiatry), adds, “Silent heart attacks or mini heart attacks as I call them are not as sensational as the ‘real’ heart attack, but they are ticking time-bombs. Those with diagnosed heart conditions, hyperacidity, and high cholesterol must visit a doctor if they chronically have heartburn, chest tightness, and fatigue.”
Be the hero your heart deserves
In a nutshell, the ‘silence’ of a silent heart attack is a complicating factor. You don’t see it coming; nobody does. When your heart decides to throw a curveball, practising heart-friendly habits is the best way to go about avoiding silent heart attacks.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can you recover from a silent heart attack?
A silent heart attack often goes without any visible signs, and people recover from it. However, they can leave scar tissues in the heart that can increase the chances of a regular heart attack in the future.
2. What happens if a silent heart attack goes unnoticed?
When silent heart attacks go unnoticed, they impact the healthy heart tissues, thus increasing the chances of a regular heart attack later.
3. What are the symptoms of a minor heart attack?
A minor heart attack shows symptoms of angina (chest pain and tightness), difficulty in breathing, pain and tingling in the left hand and jaws, and dizziness.
4. At what age can a heart attack occur?
Heart attacks are more common when one is above 45 years of age.
5. What four things happen right before a heart attack?
Chest pain, tightness of the chest, pain in the left arm, jaws, and neck, and breathlessness happen right before a heart attack.
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