Silent heart attack: that’s what makes it so dangerous

We all know the image of a person lying unconscious on the ground, rescue workers kneel all around, perform a chest compression and try to resuscitate the person. First suspicion: heart attack.

However, this health hazard is usually recognized too late, as it often expresses itself silently. Around 300,000 Germans receive this diagnosis every year.

This is what happens when you have a heart attack

During a heart attack, the heart muscle cells die because they were not supplied with enough oxygen. This happens, for example, due to calcification or constriction of the coronary arteries that transport blood to the heart. The calcification of the coronary arteries, also known as arteriosclerosis, prevents natural blood circulation, which can lead to an infarction. A silent heart attack is particularly treacherous.

Symptoms of a heart attack

A heart attack usually occurs suddenly and manifests itself differently in men and women. Men often complain of chest tightness, pain and numbness, which is less common in women. Instead, women often report stomach problems, such as vomiting and nausea, as well as shortness of breath and fatigue. However, there is also the so-called silent heart attack, which is difficult to recognize as such. The German Heart Foundation recommends a quick visit to the doctor if pain and pressure in the chest, shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue and dizziness occur. In the case of a silent myocardial infarction, circulatory disorders cause individual areas of the heart to die slowly, which prevents the human pump from functioning normally.

Risk factors for a silent heart attack

The following factors increase the risk of suffering a silent heart attack:

unhealthy diet
high blood pressure
stress
Smoking
increased cholesterol levels
diabetes
In order to prevent a silent, but also a “loud” heart attack, it is advisable to avoid the risk factors as far as possible and to promote your own well-being through sport, stress management and a healthy diet.

That’s what you do when you have a heart attack

If you feel generally unwell and have inexplicable chest pains, it is advisable to consult a doctor as soon as possible. If the pain or discomfort comes on very suddenly, you should call an ambulance immediately and try to stay calm. It is recommended that the upper body be positioned slightly elevated during the waiting period. Should you come across a patient who may be suffering a heart attack and who is no longer conscious, a first aid maneuver is necessary, where breathing is checked at the beginning. If the patient is breathing normally, he/she should be brought into the stable lateral position. If the affected person is not breathing, however, chest compressions must be carried out and ventilation carried out in a ratio of 30:2. In order to keep the right beat and the right speed for a resuscitation, there is even a special cardiac massage playlist, which u.A. Songs like “Stayin Alive” by the Bee Gees, “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen and “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC. It is absolutely important to carry out the chest compressions continuously until emergency services can take over and stabilize the patient.