What are Silent Heart Attacks?

Dr.Ashish Agarwal, 4 mins read

We all are aware of what heart attacks are, or at least we know what regular heart attacks look like: chest pains and discomfort to name a few symptoms. However, did you know that almost half of all heart attacks that happen are mistaken by people for manageable non-serious issues? However, if these silent heart attacks aren’t recognised, they significantly increase the risk of mortality owing to further coronary artery disease.

So many people have had a heart attack without even noticing anything out of the ordinary, while some experienced minor discomfort for a second or so that remedied itself.

Silent Myocardial Infarctions (SMIs), more commonly known as silent heart attacks,

These heart attacks are called "silent" because when they take place, the symptoms are not as severe in intensity as those of a conventional heart attack; heavy pressure on the chest along with pain, or sharp pain in the arms, jaw, neck, and shortness of breath; sudden sweating, and feeling dizzy.

Silent heart attacks are easily confused with regular discomfort or a manageable problem and this is why people ignore them, according to most of Delhi’s best cardiologists.

More men come in for emergency treatment for heart attacks than women, and a lot of them recall experiencing some minor inconvenience or discomfort sometime prior to the major heart attack. According to the best heart specialists in Delhi particularly, men should not ignore some potential signs like feeling tired or physical discomfort and don’t attribute them to working too much or any poor habit nor dismiss them as natural occurrences related to ageing. Some other symptoms you can look out for are usual symptoms like mild chest pain or discomfort in the throat is often confused with indigestion, heartburn, and gastric reflux. Another issue is the location of the pain itself, it can be misleading in silent heart attacks and people may experience discomfort in the centre of the chest rather than a sharp pain on the left side, which the best is known symptom of a heart attack. "People can even feel completely normal during an SMI and afterward, too, which further adds to the chance of missing the warning signs,"

In an increasingly alarming trend; according to figures from some of the best hospitals for heart surgery in Delhi, the number of people who have a silent heart attack without realising it is increasing rapidly. It is worrisome that the cases of silent attacks even in younger adults in India are increasing rapidly as per research figures from the best heart specialists in Delhi.

Causes of Silent Heart Attacks :

The chances of suffering from either a silent or regular heart attack will be increased by similar factors like obesity, being overweight, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, high cholesterol and blood pressure, and diabetes. In case the term “silent” heart attack appears comparatively benign: it is not as SMIs are just as dangerous as regular heart attacks. They often leave scarring and damage to the heart, which can worsen with them as many people who have silent heart attacks don't recognise they need immediate care; this raises the risk of another and potentially more serious heart attack according to some of the best cardiologists in Delhi. Did you know that people who have had a silent heart attack and don't receive treatment are three times more likely to die from coronary artery disease? Think of a silent heart attack as a loud and clear signal your body is sending you, warning about an underlying health issue that needs medical attention.

People may recognise they had Silent Myocardial Infarction (SMI) or they have symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, or heartburn. An SMI can be detected with an electrocardiogram (EKG) or echocardiogram, or a blood test for the molecular footprints of troponin T. Once recognised, a cardiologist will devise a silent heart attack treatment strategy to prevent silent heart attacks in the future by changing up your nutrition and diet, advising an exercise programme which will be aided with some medication to help prevent a second heart attack.

Please check yourself into an emergency ward for emergency heart attack treatment if you notice any symptoms of a silent heart attack, do not ignore them, it could save your life further down the road. The department of emergency medicine at Aakash Healthcare is highly trained to provide emergency care for heart attacks.

Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital provides comprehensive heart disease management solutions at an affordable cost, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation, and we are known for providing the best treatment for heart attacks. Our doctors are highly skilled, with extensive experience and expertise in diagnosing and treating the most complex heart conditions, such as heart valve surgery. We provide impeccable, cost-effective, and evidence-based patient care. Our Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery departments are outfitted with cutting-edge technology and cutting-edge infrastructure in the fields of Interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Surgeries, both adult and paediatrics.

Our interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons are experts in performing life-saving Percutaneous coronary intervention ( PCI)procedures like IVL, Rota Ablation, Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), Fractional Flow Reserve( FFR), Optical coherence tomography( OCT), minimally invasive valve replacement, keyhole surgery, beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting, and awake cardiac surgery. Aakash Healthcare, Dwarka is regarded as one of the best centres for heart disease and is staffed by some of the best cardiologists in Delhi.

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