No Chest Pain? Why Silent Heart Attacks Often Go Undetected

When

most people imagine a heart attack, they picture crushing chest pain, dramatic collapse, and an emergency siren. While that scenario still happens, cardiologists say many modern heart attacks occur without classic chest pain. These are often called silent heart attacks, and they are more common than many realise. “A lot of heart attacks don't look like heart attacks. Many come on slowly, without the usual signs and symptoms. People call them "silent" heart attacks, and they happen a lot more often than most people think,” said Dr Deebanshu Gupta, Interventional Cardiologist, Sarvodya Hospital.

What is a silent heart attack?

A silent heart attack, also medically called a silent myocardial infarction, occurs when blood flow to part of the heart muscle is blocked — but without obvious symptoms. The heart sustains damage, yet the warning signs are mild, unusual, or completely absent. “ The heart is hurt, but the signs are so mild, strange, or just not there at all that you don't even know something is wrong,” said Dr Gupta. Studies suggest that nearly 1 in 5 heart attacks may go unnoticed. In many cases, people only discover old heart damage years later during an ECG, echocardiogram, or cardiac MRI done for unrelated reasons.

Why are silent heart attacks increasing?

According to Dr Gupta, several factors contribute to missed or subtle symptoms:

• Diabetes and nerve damage can dull pain signals
• Women often experience atypical symptoms rather than chest pain
• Metabolic syndrome and sedentary lifestyles alter how the body reacts to stress
• Partial or smaller artery blockages may not cause dramatic pain
• Chronic stress and fatigue make people ignore subtle warning signs

As a result, symptoms get dismissed as acidity, muscle strain, or simple exhaustion.

What are the silent heart attack symptoms you must not ignore?

Silent does not mean symptom-free. It simply means the signs are easy to miss. And so, you must watch for things like:

• Unexplained fatigue lasting days or weeks
• Breathlessness or shortness of breath without exertion
• Mild chest discomfort or tightness
• Pain in the jaw, neck, shoulders, or upper back
• Upper abdominal pain, heartburn, or indigestion
• A persistent feeling that “something isn’t right."

Dr Gupta said many people continue daily activities, unaware that their heart muscle is under stress.Also read: Breast Cancer in Adolescents: How Rare Is It and When Should You Worry?

Who is most likely to be at risk?

There are a few groups that face a greater risk of silent heart attacks, including:

• Those who battle diabetes
• Women over 50 years of age and older adults
• Smokers
• Individuals with high blood pressure or high cholesterol
• Those who are overweight or physically inactive

However, even the younger adults are not immune to the condition. When silent heart attacks are missed in younger individuals, complications can be severe.

Why does "silent" still mean serious?

“It doesn't mean it's safe just because you don't feel it. Heart attacks that don't make any noise. It makes it more likely that you will have heart failure in the future. You are even more likely to have a stroke,” said Dr Gupta. It can kill at about the same rate as heart attacks, which everyone notices. So, it is important to know that if you put off treatment, it would mean you miss out on life-saving drugs and procedures.Most of the time, doctors find out about the condition when it happens by chance. An ECG can find scars from old heart attacks. An echocardiogram shows that the heart isn't moving properly in one area. A cardiac MRI shows that there is scar tissue in the heart muscle. “These tools have changed what we know about heart attacks and how many go undetected,” said Dr Gupta.