According to global estimates, heart disease continues to be the biggest killer, with nearly 18 million deaths every year. A large share of these are heart attacks. And what makes this harder to accept is that many cases don’t come out of nowhere. The body often does send early heart attack symptoms. And here’s the uncomfortable part, many people who suffer a heart attack had symptoms, they just didn’t connect the dots in time.So, can your body really warn you weeks before a heart attack? In many cases, yes. Dr. Vineet Bhatia, Director-Interventional Cardiology, Medanta Hospital Noida and Dr. Vivek Kumar, Director – Interventional Cardiology & Head of Structural Heart Program, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali say symptoms can show up days or even weeks earlier, but they’re not always dramatic. It might be a strange kind of tiredness that doesn’t go away. Or a mild pressure in the chest that comes and goes. Some people feel short of breath doing routine things. And then there are those who feel nothing at all, especially younger adults or those without known risk factors.
The early signs people brush off
Dr. Vineet Bhatia: Yes, according to numerous sources, there are silent heart attack signs that can occur for days or weeks before it actually happens. These signs can also be subtle & intermittent, and include symptoms such as mild discomfort in the chest or extreme tiredness and fatigue. With other people, young adults and people without previously diagnosed risk factors typically those under the age of 40, there may not be any identifiable warning signs whatsoever prior to suddenly getting a heart attack.
Heart pain or just acidity?
Dr. Vineet Bhatia: Most of the initial symptoms will be mild chest pain/pressure, unusual fatigue, shortness of breath, indigestion-like discomfort and pain radiating into your jaw, neck or back. Many patients who land in emergency rooms later say they ignored fatigue or brushed off chest discomfort as gas.Chest pain associated with the heart can feel like tightness and heaviness in your chest and will often go down your arm, into your jaw or back. Acidity will typically occur at meal times due to the acidity from food and cause burning, but will respond to medicines used for digestion.
Do symptoms look different in women?
Dr. Vivek Kumar: Symptoms for men and women may vary. While classic chest pain might be the number one report from male patients, female patients may have less noticeable signs, including feeling unusually tired, out of breath or difficulty breathing, faintness, nausea and pain throughout the upper back and jaw area. These symptoms often go unrecognized. Women should be aware of unexplained tiredness and difficulty breathing, even if they do not have significant chest pain.
Can tests miss the warning signs?
Dr. Vivek Kumar: It’s possible for routine testing to be negative, for example, an ECG may show no problems with the rhythm of the heart; blood tests will show normal results. Early on, small blockages on the surface of the blood vessels or unstable plaques can exist without being detected by routine tests. Hidden risks may arise unexpectedly and ultimately lead to an immediate heart attack so never ignore any symptomatic concerns regardless of the results from your initial testing.
What about smartwatches and home monitoring?
Dr. Vivek Kumar: Devices that are wearable may be capable of tracking your heart rate and also detect some irregularities in your heart rate, providing helpful historical data about your heart condition; however, these devices don’t necessarily have the ability to diagnose a heart attack. Using these devices alone can give you false confidence and detract from paying attention to the symptoms of an impending heart attack. Additionally, a normal reading does not necessarily eliminate any real risk of having a heart disease.
When should you stop waiting?
Dr. Vivek Kumar: If a person feels chest discomfort for longer than just a few minutes or if it comes back again and again with shortness of breath, profuse sweating, nausea, or pain that radiates down through one arm/jaw/back, they should get immediate medical assistance. Delaying care can create life-threatening situations; so getting care for these symptoms should be viewed as urgent and immediate while awaiting a doctor to treat them.The tricky part is that these signs don’t always feel urgent. But if something feels off and keeps coming back, it’s worth paying attention. Acting early can make all the difference.Medical experts consulted This article includes expert inputs shared with TOI Health by: Dr. Vineet Bhatia, Director-Interventional Cardiology, Medanta Hospital Noida Dr. Vivek Kumar, Director – Interventional Cardiology & Head of Structural Heart Program, Max Super Speciality Hospital, VaishaliInputs were used to explain how heart attack symptoms appear silently weeks in advance and why is it important to pay attention to the subtle signs.
