“I’m 37 years old. This can’t be happening.”
Brent, a mountain biker, snowboarder and a software developer, had an ordinary day at work when he noticed an odd feeling in his chest, “tension, like that feeling you get when your heart starts working during a cardio exercise.”
It was mild, so he decided to see what came of it. A few hours later, during dinner, the feeling came back, but this time it started to intensify. Brent decided to go to A&E and have it checked out.
By the time he got there, he started to feel shaky, and the pain was overwhelming. “Things turned into a blur after that.” One thing was clear, though – Brent was having a heart attack. Thankfully, a rushed ride to the operating theatre to remove 80% blockage from his lower anterior descending (LAD) artery and a complete blockage of one of the smaller arteries saved his life.
Overwhelming statistics
Here is a sobering thought, though: Every five minutes, someone in the UK is admitted to a hospital due to a heart attack. Whilst 7 out of 10 survive, symptoms are often mistaken for other conditions, and the severity of these symptoms is frequently underestimated.
Moreover, A survey run by the British Heart Foundation showed that 50% of heart attack survivors admitted delaying seeking medical help for more than an hour. This might sound like not a long time, but for the heart muscle under distress, that is a lifetime. Underestimating the life-threatening consequences of a heart attack is the biggest risk we can take when it comes to heart health.
Being proactive and recognising heart attack early, on the other hand, is one of the best things we can do to protect our wellbeing and maximise our chances of recovery with minimal heart damage.
How to be proactive with our heart health?
Recognise and note down any changes to your heartbeat that seem unusual for you and your lifestyle. For example, rapid heartbeat without doing anything strenuous, overly slow heartbeat, erratic heartbeat or persistent palpitations, heart rate taking a long time to come back to normal after exercise, etc.
Learn these early signs of a heart attack:
- Pressure or tightness in your chest (rather than pain)
- Pain in areas such as your arms, jaw, neck or back
- Cold sweats
- Heartburn or indigestion
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea or vomiting
- Unusual fatigue
Being heart-smart can save your life
Brent made a full recovery, but looking back at his experience, this is the message he shares with anyone who comes across his story.
“If you feel something odd in your chest, please don’t ignore it. […] Let the medical professionals determine if it’s nothing to worry about. It’s what they are there for, and they are very good at what they do.”
Share this post with those you care about, and make it a habit to check in with your loved ones (and yourself!). Especially if you have a history of heart disease in the family or have any ‘heart’ markers elevated, for example, high cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.
Let’s all stay heart-happy.
Resources:
- Brent’s full story – access his blog here.
- British Heart Foundation – access their information sheet here, and their study here.
- The Cleavland Clinic – access their article about early signs of heart attack here.