A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is blocked or reduced. Without this supply of blood to the heart, damages occur and are severe according to the length of period this supply is absent.
A heart attack could cause death to a victim. Other than the sudden chest pain, most people don’t recognize the silent signs of a heart attack when it occurs.
Luckily we’ve put together a guide on the silent signs of a heart attack you should know and watch out for.
Here are the 5 silent signs of a heart attack
1. Chest pain, pressure, or tightness that lasts more than a few minutes.
You may feel a sudden, stabbing pain in your chest, arm, or neck. It can be felt by you alone and it may spread to other parts of your body. The pain is often described as heavy and/or squeezing, like someone’s hand is around your heart. It may also radiate to other parts of the arm and shoulder (radiating chest pain).
If this happens:
- Call an ambulance immediately if you have any of these signs with severe symptoms that persist for more than 10 minutes: Pain spreading from one side of the body to another; Shortness of breath; Pressure on top of chest area causing difficulty breathing; Nausea/vomiting
2. Shortness of breath.
Shortness of breath is a common sign that you may have suffered a heart attack. But it can also be caused by other conditions and drugs.
If you’re having problems breathing, don’t wait to see the doctor.
It’s important to get medical attention right away so your symptoms can be properly diagnosed and treated—including medication if needed—and so you won’t become sicker from trying to treat yourself at home without assistance from professionals trained in this area—which could lead to complications down the line (like pneumonia).
3 Pain in other areas of the upper body.
Pain in other areas of the upper body is one of the silent signs of a heart attack
- Pain in the jaw, neck, shoulders, or arms.
- Pain in the back, abdomen, or neck.
- Pain in the upper part of your chest (over your sternum).
Also, check for pain in your lower chest (below your ribs) and belly area on both sides of the rib cage and right below it if you have had a heart attack before
4 Lightheadedness, dizziness, or nausea.
If you experience lightheadedness, dizziness, or nausea, along with the signs mentioned above then you might be having a heart attack. Get in touch with an ambulance service.
5 Cold sweats or clammy skin.
You may notice that your skin feels clammy and/or cold. This can happen when there’s an increased blood supply to the muscles of your face, arms, abdomen, or legs.
The result is that you sweat more than usual when these muscles are stimulated by activity like walking up stairs or carrying boxes—but it doesn’t mean anything serious has happened!
You should call for help If suddenly you experience cold or clammy skin without any cause e.g. physical exertion. A heart attack may be underway!
Are you experiencing multiple silent signs of a heart attack? Call ERA
Experiencing any of these silent signs of a heart attack might not be cause for worry. But if you experience multiple of them then you should seek help urgently.
A heart attack doesn’t have to be fatal. If you think you’re having a heart attack, call us right away. The operator will ask for your address and phone number, so be prepared to give it before they send an ambulance to pick you up.
You can also save our toll free no before an emergency occurs.
We have a reliable ambulance service that ensures you receive the help you need to survive a heart attack.
