Good morning to all of you,
Yesterday I received an email from somebody who was recently discharged from the hospital with a heart attack diagnosis. Because he never felt any chest pain during the hours leading to his heart attack, his question was as follows: “I was under the impression that a person with my condition experiences a strong chest pain, but I didn’t feel any. Can a person have a heart attack and not feel any chest pain?”
The answer is yes. There are times when chest pain may not be one of the symptoms of an imminent heart attack. In some cases the person can experience instant difficulty in breathing, cold sweating, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, or a general feeling of discomfort. In these cases, the heart attack diagnosis is done through an electrocardiogram and a blood test to check the cardiac enzymes.
If a person is diabetic, the heart attack could be painless as diabetics have less sensitivity to pain.
It is very important for the recovery of the person experiencing the above symptoms to get to the hospital as soon as possible.
The best to all of you,
Emilia Klapp, R.D., B.S.
Emilia Klapp has a degree in Nutrition Science and is certified by the American Dietetic Association as a Registered Dietitian. With her new book, “Your Heart Needs the Mediterranean Diet”, she has helped thousands of people just like you reduce the risk of heart disease, lose weight and enjoy a more abundant life at the same time. For more information on the book and to receive a free especial report on the “Top 10 Mediterranean Curative Ingredients” go to: http://mediterraneanheart.com
1 response so far ↓
Steve Parker, M.D. // July 3, 2008 at 3:53 pm |
You’re right, Emilia.
One third (!) of heart attacks patients come to the emergency room without chest pain. They arrive, instead, with shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, passing out, or cardiac arrest. Heart attack without chest pain is more common in older people, women, and people with diabetes.
Anyone who thinks they may be having a heart attack should call for an ambulance (”911″ in the U.S.A.) to take them to the hospital.
-Steve Parker, M.D., author of “The Advanced Mediterranean Diet”
Reference: Prevalence, clinical characteristics, and mortality among patients with myocardial infarction presenting without chest pain. Journal of the American Medical Association, June 28, 2000, vol. 283 (24): 3,223-3,229.