NHS experts warn of two common early heart attack symptoms that people often ignore

NHS chiefs are spotlighting two often-overlooked early indicators of heart attacks in their latest campaign to heighten awareness about the condition's symptoms. Some startling figures have emerged, revealing hospital admissions for heart attacks have surged to 84,000 in England between 2021 and 2022, bouncing back to figures seen before the Covid-19 outbreak.

Survival rates for heart attack victims stand high, with seven out of ten people surviving, a number which rises over nine in ten for those who manage to get to the hospital early for intervention.

The data suggested that whereas 70 percent of the British public was aware that chest pains could signify a heart attack, there was less familiarity with other significant symptoms. A mere 41 percent identified excessive sweating as a warning sign, and only 27 percent acknowledged that feeling feeble and lightheaded could also indicate a heart attack is imminent.

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The Mayo Clinic offers a more detailed description of these precursory signs; for instance, the sweating might be "sudden" and come with "cold, clammy skin", while the lightheadedness may present itself alongside vertigo or the sensation of being "like you might pass out". The NHS stresses the urgency of calling 999 at the onset of any heart attack symptoms, highlighting the critical signs that should trigger such immediate response, reports the Mirror.

Professor Nick Linker, NHS national clinical director for heart disease and cardiologist Professor Nick Linker said: "Cardiovascular disease causes one in four deaths across the country, so it is vital that people are aware of the early signs of a heart attack. "Every moment that passes during a heart attack increases heart muscle damage and nearly all of the damage takes place within the first few hours, so if you experience symptoms such as a sensation of squeezing or tightness across the chest alongside sweating, nausea, or a sense of unease, please call 999 so you have the best chance of a full recovery".