What does a silent heart attack mean?
A heart attack is "silent" when it is asymptomatic or has mild symptoms or signs that are difficult to associate with a heart attack. You may be surprised, but sometimes patients have no idea that they have suffered a heart attack and find out from their doctor weeks or months later (when the doctor discovers the heart damage).
Despite being asymptomatic, a silent heart attack damages the heart in the same way as any other type of attack.
A heart attack can occur while you are asleep or awake.
Basically, it is formed on the background of the following reasons:
- Strong physical or psychological stress;
- You suddenly became physically active, i.e. you started exercising without proper preparation;
- You are performing a physical activity outside in the cold.
Statistically, silent heart attacks are more common in women.
A silent heart attack is characterized by:
- Flu symptoms;
- Muscle pain in the chest or upper back;
- Pain in the jaw, arms or back;
- Strong fatigue;
- Digestive system disorder.
Traditional heart attack symptoms include:
- Chest pain that lasts for several minutes;
- Shortness of breath;
- Discomfort in the upper part of the body;
- Feeling of heart failure;
- Cold sweat;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Fatigue that you cannot relate to and that lasts for several days.
The risk of heart attack increases due to the following factors:
- Overweight;
- You do not exercise regularly;
- High blood pressure;
- High cholesterol;
- Unhealthy diet (excess salt, harmful fat and others);
- Increased sugar level;
- Stress;
- Tobacco.
Source:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21630-silent-heart-attack
