A 65-year-old woman who had a history of Type 2 diabetes was successfully controlling her condition with a good diet, frequent exercise, and the medicine her doctor had advised. But lately, she hadn't felt quite like herself. She had been suffering weariness, chest pain, and weakness of breath, but she put these symptoms down to getting older and having diabetes. Investigations showed that the patient had experienced a quiet heart attack once she was referred to me for evaluation. She had severe obstructions in her coronary arteries, which is what led to the silent heart attack, according to a coronary angiography. She had an angioplasty and is now receiving ongoing care.
Another 50-year-old smoker with a history of wheezing and exhaustion was receiving asthma treatments with no discernible improvement.. This man was once more referred to me for evaluation, and it was determined that heart failure was the cause of his symptoms. A quiet heart attack had led to heart failure. He became well after receiving treatment for heart failure and proper CAD control.
People often don’t know they’ve had a silent heart attack until weeks or months later when a healthcare provider finds heart damage. Missing signs or symptoms normally unrelated to a heart attack can make it tricky to identify a silent heart attack. But it still causes damage like any other heart attack, hence it is a matter of great concern. If you have ever seen a movie where an actor has a heart attack, you’ve probably seen them clutch their chest, groaning with severe crushing pain, drenched in sweat, eyes rolling back before they collapse onto the floor. Since a silent heart attack doesn’t produce any noticeable symptoms, it goes unrecognised by the patient.
A SILENT HEART ATTACK IS WHAT?
When a heart attack has no symptoms, little symptoms, or signs that others have associated with a heart attack, it is referred to as being "silent". SMI symptoms can feel so faint and be so fleeting that they can often be misinterpreted for everyday discomfort or another less significant issue. They are also frequently dismissed as 'gas' or symptoms of the flu and are disregarded as a result.
HOW DOES THE BODY REACT TO A SILENT H
EART ATTACK?
For the heart to work appropriately, blood must be oxygenated. This blood flow is greatly decreased if plaque, which is made up of cholesterol and other chemicals, accumulates in the walls of the arteries supplying the heart with blood. When the plaque ruptures and blood clots block the artery's lumen, a heart attack might result, completely cutting off the blood supply. A coronary artery spasm can occasionally stop the blood flow. The more harm that is done to the heart the longer it is without blood flow.
Due to the lack of pain in SMI, a patient might overlook the symptoms of a heart attack and may delay seeking help. without promptn time Silent heart attacks are potentially fatal if not treated quickly. These can occur while you are sleeping or awake. They can also occur when someone experiences extreme physical or emotional stress, when they suddenly become more physically active, or even when they exercise outside in the cold. According to a 2018 study, folks who have quiet heart attacks have comparable long-term survival rates to those who have had regular heart attacks. The authors discovered that the mortality rate for survivors of silent heart attacks was the same as that of survivors of regular heart attacks: almost half of all survivors passed away within 10 years of the event. However, those who have had a silent heart attack are susceptible to other issues including heart failure.
WHO DOES A SILENT HEART ATTACK AFFECT?
It is estimated that silent heart attacks are commoner in women, the elderly and in diabetics. Risk factors for a silent heart attack, which are the same as for a recognised heart attack, include:
High Cholesterol
Hypertension
Obesity and lack of physical activity
Smoking
Age
A family history of heart disease
Poor diet and lifestyle
Diabetes
MANAGEMENT OF SILENT HEART ATTACK
Long-term management of patients with SMI due to obstructive coronary artery disease should not differ from that of clinically recognised myocardial infarction, as lack of overt clinical symptoms at the time of presentation has no relation to the severity of underlying atherosclerotic coronary artery disease or indeed long-term prognosis. Optimal medical therapy along with coronary revascularization with either angioplasty or bypass surgery (to re-establish blood flow in the blocked artery) should be done as per Cardiologist’s advice.