5 Quiet Clues Your Heart May Be in Trouble

A heart attack happens when blood flow to part of the heart is blocked, stopping oxygen from reaching the heart muscle. Without oxygen, the heart muscle starts to get damaged. As scary as it is, it may happen unexpectedly to anyone.

There are warning signs that can be recognized, but what if there are uncommon symptoms that people fail to notice? This article will delve into information that might help you recognize these signs.

CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED AS A SUBSTITUTE OF MEDICAL ADVICE.
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Sometimes heart attack symptoms are easy to notice, but most heart attacks start slowly with mild signs as blood flow to the heart decreases. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort, which may feel like pressure, squeezing, burning, or tightness in the middle of the chest. It may last several minutes or come and go.

On the other hand, a silent heart attack happens when blood flow to the heart is blocked, causing damage without the usual chest pain or clear symptoms. You may not even know it’s happening, but it still harms the heart. Silent heart attacks make up about 45% of all heart attacks.

Women may be more susceptible to silent heart attacks. Many expect heart attack symptoms to be obvious, but they can be subtle or confusing. Even subtle signs can be serious, and without quick treatment, a heart attack can be deadly.

Uncommon silent heart attack symptoms to watch for:

With the silent heart attack having subtle indicators, these are the following symptoms to help recognize the signs.

1. Discomfort in other parts of the body. Pain or discomfort can spread to areas like the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
2. Unusual Fatigue: Feeling extremely tired for no clear reason, even with plenty of rest, which you may experience for days. It can be an early warning sign, especially for women.
3. Mild chest discomfort. You might feel a sense of pressure, tightness, or heaviness in your chest.
4. Shortness of Breath and Lightheadedness: You may experience this after doing a bit of activity, which could be along by sudden dizziness or feeling faint.
5. Nausea and Cold Sweating: Unusual nausea, vomiting, or sudden cold sweats could be a warning of a heart attack.

Lack of sleep or having sleep problems might also risk of an individual experiencing an attack. Also, people with severe sleep apnea have a much higher risk of having a heart attack than those without it. Getting enough sleep is important for your body and to avoid health issues.

The hidden danger and its risk factors.

Certain health problems can raise your risk of a heart attack, and some risks can’t be changed, like having a family history of heart disease.

Women tend to experience heart attacks later in life than men, and factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, obesity, and stress raise the risk more for them.

People of the internet also shared their experiences and observations about silent heart attacks:

• I was an ER and cardiac nurse before I left the bedside to work in hospice. And when I was an ER tech before that, I remember a fit, healthy-looking woman in her late 50s coming in because she started having what she described as indigestion/acid reflux that wasn’t going away with Tums and “is now so bad it hurts through to my back.”
  The policy was to get an EKG on anyone who complained of anything that could remotely be cardiac, and that included epigastric (upper belly) pain or upper back, shoulder, or jaw pain, especially if it radiated. So I did my job as a dutiful tech and got the EKG and almost gasped out loud when I saw the dreaded Acute MI (heart attack) indicator on the printout.
  We were trained not to react and just say, “I’ll give this to the doctor, and they’ll see you shortly.” I think he was just as surprised as I was. She ended up in the cath lab ~30ish minutes later and afaik she recovered.
  I’ve seen countless heart attacks over the decades of working in healthcare, and most of the patients look like they’re having a heart attack—sweaty, grayish-pale, clutching their chest. But occasionally someone walks in and is just like, “It’s probably nothing, but...” And I feel like most of the women I’ve seen have that atypical epigastric, upper back/shoulder/or jaw pain.
  I’ve definitely seen women have the classic presentation and men have atypical presentation, but I feel like it’s only been more recent (in the last few decades) that medical education has highlighted how women may present differently, and stressed the importance of screening them even if their symptoms are atypical. © TheLakeW**** / Reddit
• I was walking around and working for most of two weeks after mine, trying to convince myself I was fine, and it’d just been a flu bug. When the cardiologist who saw me after my primary sent me immediately to him, he called ahead to the hospital like, “Admit this woman as soon as she comes in.”
  And I could see (when we got to the ER) the staff there were just side-eyeing me at first because I had no current pain, was walking, fully alert, etc...but as soon as they did their EKG and echo suddenly you could see their total demeanor change like “Oh, no.” © throwawayanylogic / Reddit
• A woman who was in my job before me was having severe molar pain. She called in to go to the dentist, who found no issues. She had a heart attack. She is ok now, and it is a testament to women’s different symptoms. © WordAffectionate3251 / Reddit

Preventative measures for heart health.

Heart disease is mostly preventable, and to better take care of yourself, with these measures:

• Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.
• Exercise regularly.
• Maintain a healthy weight if overweight.
• Follow your diabetes treatment plan and manage blood sugar levels if you have diabetes.
• Reduce stress with relaxation techniques (e.g., deep breathing, yoga, talk therapy).
• Manage high blood pressure and cholesterol through diet, weight loss, medication, or a combination.
• Eat a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals.

Making these changes could help lower your risk of a silent heart attack and also boost your overall health.

Silent heart attacks are dangerous because they often go unnoticed or cause very mild symptoms, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment. It is encouraged to see a doctor for these health concerns. Spotting subtle warning signs and managing risk factors early are key to prevention. Regular check-ups and maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle can greatly reduce the chances of a silent heart attack and improve overall heart health.

In another article, your food cravings might signal what your body needs. To know more about these cravings, check this link.