Chest pain. Must be indigestion … I’ll just ignore it and it’ll soon go away …” Unfortunately, such thinking can prove fatal. Why? Because this is the popular misconception of a heart attack.
“People die unnecessarily because of a lack of knowledge of the symptoms of a heart attack,” said cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructor Ms Abagail Fox.
“While there may be chest pain, the victim can also experience a pain in the neck or jaw, a persistent headache, pins and needles — usually in the left hand, but possibly in both hands — or a pain in the elbow, which is often mistaken for rheumatism.” And then there is the silent heart attack — or silent myocardial ischemia (SMI) as it is known medically — which is pain-free, so that people assume they have not had a heart attack at all.
“Sometimes there is no pain but there is a sensation that the heart is being squeezed, or there can be a sensation of fullness or pressure within the chest and lungs,” Ms Fox explained.
Even more startling was Ms Fox’s warning that ignoring the symptoms didn’t mean the problem would go away — a person could die up to a week later without medical treatment.
“That is why denial and delaying medical assistance is so dangerous,” she said.
Stating that there are ten symptoms of heart attack, Ms Fox explained: “While it is very rare for people to experience all ten, you have to use common sense. If a person is telling you their pain is indigestion, but it is accompanied by shortness of breath, change in skin pallor and profuse sweating, then obviously it is unlikely to be pure and simple indigestion.” Here are the symptoms: Pain in the neck or jaw. Persistent headache. Pain in the elbow. Pins and needles, usually in the left hand but maybe also the right.
Chest pain which may last anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours. A person in denial may equate this with indigestion, and can actually become quite aggressive in demanding to be left alone, which is dangerous.
Shortness of breath. Cyanosis — blueness of the lips. General, all-over body weakness, which comes on suddenly. Skin pallor, or greyness: A white skinned person goes pale. A black skinned person goes greyish-brown, and the skin loses its glow and looks like dead wood. Sweating: Regardless of the air or room temperature, the person sweats so profusely it runs down them in rivers. Nausea, regardless of whether they have eaten recently or not. People in denial try to suggest this is indigestion. Giddiness. Blurred vision.
Ms Fox pointed out that denial was extremely common among people experiencing their first heart attack, particularly men. “Most people don’t want to think `This is it’, so they deny it not only to themselves but also to those around them. Men want to be strong, in charge, able to cope. They are always much too busy: `I don’t have time for a heart attack’.
Everyone hopes it will just go away.” Hoping it will just go away is the reason for so many “dead on arrivals” at the hospital, Ms Fox said. “A heart attack, if left untreated, may result in sudden death, which is known as cardiac arrest, anywhere from one hour to one week later. Ignoring the reality can lead to early death. “Early intervention is the key, particularly since people are suffering heart attacks at a much younger age than ever before.
Whereas 65 used to be the “at risk” age, people are now at risk from age 30.” What, then, should one do in the event of a heart attack? “First, recognise the heart attack when it happens — either to yourself or to someone you are with, then take the appropriate action,” Ms Fox advised. “Call 911 and get an ambulance to take you, or whoever is having the heart attack, to the hospital. Do not drive yourself, and don’t get someone to drive you.
Ambulance personnel are able to provide professional care all the way to the hospital, and that is important.” And what should one do whilst awaiting the ambulance? “If a person has heart medication they should take it,” Ms Fox advised. “Otherwise they should do absolutely nothing but sit down.” Sit down? “Yes, the shortness of breath and squeezing in the chest make it very difficult for a person to breathe, so they should sit down, or sit up against a wall or tree — whatever is available. Sitting also helps the patient to feel in control of the situation.” But what happens if it turns out not to be a heart attack after all? Won’t you feel a fool at the hospital? “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Ms Fox assured. ” `Just in case’ can save a life.
It’s far better for all concerned if the problem is diagnosed as, say, indigestion than the whole matter be disregarded as unimportant and the patient ends up a fatality.” Ms Fox explained that just as there were specific symptoms of a heart attack, so also were there specific risk factors.
Gender: Males are more at risk than women because they don’t release stress as women do and therefore tended to have high blood pressure. In terms of weight gain, men carry it on the stomach as a beer gut or pot belly, which is right under the heart, and puts a strain on the entire system.
Race: In the western hemisphere, blacks are more prone to heart attack than whites.
Age: People are now at risk from age 30.
Smoking: Causes hardening of the arteries, making it harder for blood to flow to the extremities. This is why heavy smokers have cold hands and feet even in summer.
High blood cholesterol through eating too much saturated fat. A major source of saturated fat in Bermuda is vegetable shortening, which Bermudians use extensively in frying, roasting and baking.
Diabetes. Diabetics are unable to cope with a high intake of cholesterol and saturated fat.
Stress: This can start in childhood through living in a dysfunctional home or with parents who demand high achievement, and continue through adolescence, with peer pressure, and on into adult life.
Obesity, anorexia, bulimia. Lack of exercise. Substance abuse.
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