Help Us Help You – Heart Attack Myths
The NHS is today launching a new lifesaving campaign to encourage people to dial 999 when they are having early signs of a heart attack.
Research identified that three in four people thought a heart attack was the same as a cardiac arrest. A heart attack occurs when the supply of blood to the heart becomes blocked, which can starve it of oxygen potentially causing serious muscle damage.
Whilst the early signs of a heart attack can vary, the most common include squeezing across the chest, sweating and a sense that something just is not right. The person will be conscious and breathing.
A cardiac arrest is different – it usually occurs suddenly and without warning with the person quickly losing consciousness. Their heart stops, they will have no pulse and sadly people experiencing a cardiac arrest will usually die within minutes if they do not receive treatment. A heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest.
It can be easy to dismiss early symptoms as they don’t always feel severe, but it is never too early to dial 999 in this circumstance – and the faster you act, the better the chance of a full recovery.
Some of the common early symptoms of a heart attack include sweating, uneasiness and chest tightness.
Further Information
- Heart and circulatory disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, causes a quarter of all deaths in the UK and is the largest cause of premature mortality in deprived areas.
- Between April 2019 and March 2020 over 86,500 people had a heart attack (and were admitted to hospital) across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- In the 1960s more than 7 out of 10 heart attacks in the UK were fatal. Today at least 7 out of 10 people survive.
- An estimated 1.1 million people alive in England today have survived a heart attack.