Silent heart attack, by its very name and definition, does not produce any usual heart attack symptoms in the body, hence the term ‘silent heart attack’. Silent heart attacks are more common & prevalent in those with Diabetic conditions, extremes of age either too young or old and it is more prevalent among women more than men. It is very important to note that though most of the silent heart attacks have symptoms that are not very typical of a heart attack and hence go unnoticed. Whether a silent heart attack is silent or not, it always causes damage to the heart muscles which in a few cases leads to ‘heart failure’. Often, a person presents with symptoms of heart failure typically exhibiting breathing difficulty, reduced exercises capacity and lew swelling on evaluating the person it is found to have weak heart muscles and it is mostly likely due to a ‘silent’ heart attack in the past. A silent heart attack may also be diagnosed during a routine heart checkup.
Risk factors :
The risk factors for a silent heart attack that should be taken into consideration are the same as those for a heart attack symtoms. Risk factors usually include: Age factor Diabetic conditions Excess/Obese weight Family history of heart diseases High blood pressure High cholesterol Lack of physical activities & exercise Prior history of a silent heart attack Usage of Tobacco Unusual symptoms of a silent heart attack like stomach upset, discomfort of the jaws or discomfort in the upper arms, dizziness, or sweating usually confuses people to think that they are suffering from either acidity, toothaches, cervical spondylosis, dehydration, or change in the weather respectively. Indeed, the possibility of an actual silent heart attack is the case of such unusual symptoms in only a minority of cases. The only way to find out whether the symptoms were due to a silent heart attack or something else is a detailed in-person interview with a cardiologist and running a few diagnostics as required. If you are someone who falls in the age group where a silent heart attack is more prevalent (In males where the age is greater than 50 and in females where the age is greater than 60), or if you have any risk factors for early heart diseases, you should pay particular attention to non-classic symptoms of a silent heart attack as mentioned above. Symptoms that are relatively new or have a change in pattern deserve an urgent medical evaluation before one can be sure that it is not due to a silent heart attack.