One thing I’ve noticed over the past 30 years working as a community pharmacist is that almost everyone knows someone who has had a heart attack.
It might be a parent, a sibling, a neighbour, a colleague or a close friend.
Yet despite how common heart attacks are, many people still don’t recognise the warning signs. Some dismiss the symptoms, hoping they will disappear. Others convince themselves it is just indigestion, tiredness or a bit of muscle pain.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the heart, waiting can sometimes be a dangerous decision.
Over the past few articles, we have looked at the conditions that quietly increase the risk of heart disease — high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, increasing waist size, lack of exercise, poor sleep and stress.
These problems often develop silently over many years.
But what happens when these risk factors eventually lead to a blockage in the blood supply to the heart?
A heart attack.
To understand a heart attack, we first need to understand what the heart needs to survive.
The heart is a muscle, and like every other muscle in our body, it needs a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood. This blood reaches the heart through special blood vessels called coronary arteries.
Over many years, fatty deposits can build up inside these arteries.
This process is called atherosclerosis, but the name itself is not important. The simple explanation is that the arteries slowly become narrower because of a build-up of cholesterol, inflammation and other materials.
Many people imagine a heart attack happens suddenly to someone who was completely healthy.
The reality is usually very different.
The process often begins decades earlier.
The good news is that this also means we have decades of opportunity to reduce our risk.
The danger comes when one of these fatty deposits suddenly breaks open and the body forms a blood clot around it. If the clot blocks the artery completely, the heart muscle beyond that blockage begins to suffer from a lack of oxygen.
That is when a heart attack occurs.
The longer the blockage remains, the greater the chance of permanent damage.
This is why doctors often say:
Time is muscle.
The sooner treatment begins, the better the chance of protecting the heart.
Many people know the classic symptoms of a heart attack.
Severe chest pain.
Someone clutching their chest.
Difficulty breathing.
Collapse.
But real life is often not so obvious.
A heart attack does not always announce itself dramatically.
Some people describe the feeling as pressure, heaviness, squeezing or tightness in the centre of the chest.
Others say it feels like someone is sitting on their chest.
The discomfort may spread to the arm, shoulder, neck, jaw or back.
Some people feel sick, break out in a cold sweat, become unusually tired or suddenly feel short of breath.
Women, older adults and people with diabetes may experience less typical symptoms, which is one reason heart attacks can sometimes be missed.
One of the most dangerous thoughts is:
“I’ll wait and see if it gets better.”
Perhaps it will.
But if it is a heart attack, every minute matters.
If someone develops chest discomfort that is severe, persistent or associated with sweating, breathlessness, nausea or pain spreading to other areas, they should seek urgent medical help.
Do not assume it is simply indigestion.
Do not wait until tomorrow.
Do not try to “sleep it off”.
A quick response could make the difference between a good recovery and serious long-term damage.
The encouraging news is that medicine has come a long way.
Many people who have had heart attacks go on to live active and fulfilling lives, especially when they receive prompt treatment and make positive lifestyle changes afterwards.
But prevention remains the best treatment.
The same advice we have discussed throughout this series protects your heart.
Keep your blood pressure under control.
Know your cholesterol numbers.
Manage diabetes if you have it.
Stay active.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Eat a balanced diet.
Avoid smoking.
Look after your sleep and manage stress.
None of these things guarantee that someone will never have heart disease.
We cannot change our age or family history.
But we can influence many of the factors that determine our future health.
One thing I have learned during my years in pharmacy is that people often start taking their health seriously after something happens.
After a heart attack.
After a stroke.
After a health scare.
My hope is that we learn to look after ourselves before that moment arrives.
Your heart works silently every second of every day.
It beats when you are awake, when you are asleep, when you are busy and even when you forget it is there.
Perhaps the greatest gift we can give ourselves is to take care of the organ that has been taking care of us since the day we were born.
Until next time, stay healthy and take good care of yourself.
The Daily Durian (zaynp100@yahoo.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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