The cardiologist taught how to recognize a stroke or heart attack early: symptoms are often mistaken for other diseases

Seeing such signs of anxiety, cardiologist Eglė Palevičiūtė, a doctor at VUL Santara Clinics, warns in a press release that COVID-19 infection is a threat and must be protected. However, it is important to remember that more than half of the deaths in Lithuania are caused by diseases of the circulatory system, most often heart attacks and strokes. However, not everyone can recognize its symptoms and it also lacks disease prevention. Therefore, the doctor tells you how to notice a stroke and heart attack and reduce your risk, otherwise, according to E. Palevičiūtė, these diseases can significantly worsen the quality of life or even end in death.

Symptoms and Warnings Vary

Stroke and heart attack are diseases of the circulatory system that often develop for similar reasons. E. Palevičiūtė, who talks about it, adds: These health disorders appear suddenly, but often the body sends warning signals before they occur.

“Before developing a heart attack, patients often notice a worsening of exercise tolerance for some time. Therefore, due to the decreasing load, chest pains occur, which are usually of the oppressive and oppressive type. They sit behind the sternum, they can migrate to the left arm, back, lower jaw, accompanied by shortness of breath. When you stop and rest, these symptoms disappear completely within a few minutes, so these warning signs are often ignored, forgotten. As the disease progresses, exercise tolerance deteriorates and eventually symptoms can appear at rest, even during sleep, ”says E. Palevičiūtė about developing a heart attack.

If these signs last more than 15 minutes, especially if you still have shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, general weakness, sweating, fear, or even loss of consciousness, the cause is most likely a heart attack. In this case, the health professional calls to see a doctor immediately, to call an ambulance.

“Sudden trouble speaking or swallowing, weakening of the muscles on one side of the face, such as a sloping corner of the mouth, weakness of the limbs, usually on one side, lack of coordination, sudden and severe headache, difficulty with Breathing or unconsciousness are all symptoms of a stroke. If they occur, a doctor should be consulted immediately. By the way, stroke-like symptoms can appear suddenly and disappear spontaneously within a few or a few minutes, but they should not be ignored. Then it is necessary to consult a family doctor or a neurologist. These can be warning signs about the threat of a stroke “, emphasizes E. Palevičiūtė.

Needed immediately

The cardiologist emphasizes that the symptoms of a heart attack and stroke are often mistaken for other diseases. According to E. Palevičiūtė, myocardial infarction usually manifests itself in the form of chest pain. Therefore, it can often be confused with other diseases with the same symptom: spinal or gastric pathology, other cardiovascular diseases, such as inflammation of the heart muscle.

“Each of these diseases is characterized by different types of pain, different provoking factors, the course of the disease. Therefore, new chest pain should not be ignored and medical advice should be sought to evaluate the condition, plan additional tests to clarify the diagnosis if necessary and decide whether immediate or planned measures are needed.Stroke symptoms are often mistaken for chronic circulatory disorders of the brain, which can manifest as dizziness or pain, memory impairment and numbness in the brain the eyes, ”says E. Palevičiūtė.

The cardiologist adds that recognizing warning symptoms, seeking medical attention in a timely manner, correcting risk factors, and treating all significantly reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

“I want to emphasize: in case of the above-mentioned symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, it is necessary to call an ambulance immediately. In this case, time is of the essence, as a rapid restoration of blood flow to the heart or to the brain saves lives and reduces the chances of scars on the heart or brain, and residual phenomena are reduced or even prevented. However, in such an emergency situation, when warning signs are noticed, I urge patients to register for a consultation with a family doctor, cardiologist or neurologist ”, advises the doctor.

Both control and prevention are important

When asked how the patient’s relatives should behave while waiting for the arrival of paramedics, when a heart attack or stroke is suspected, E. Palevičiūtė names the sequence of actions. First, the cardiologist advises the patient not to leave alone.

“Until help arrives, it is necessary to monitor the patient’s condition, to lie on a solid base, preferably with the head slightly tilted to one side. If the patient loses consciousness, stops breathing, and loses heart rate, resuscitation should be started immediately by opening the airway and pressing on the chest. It can save lives, ”emphasizes E. Palevičiūtė.

To avoid such a critical moment and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, the doctor suggests taking proper care of your health. These diseases are different, but their development and risk are increased by very similar factors.

“Diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, and smoking increase the chances of having a stroke and heart attack. Therefore, controlling these risk factors, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and correcting nutrition are very important. However, this is often not enough, so medications are needed. A common problem, dyslipidemia, otherwise high blood cholesterol, is effectively corrected with statins. These are effective drugs with strong positive scientific evidence. Statins not only inhibit the production of cholesterol in the body and thus reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood and the appearance of atherosclerotic plaques, but also stabilize existing atherosclerotic plaques: they protect them from breakdown and myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident ”, says the cardiologist.

The consequences are threatening

In addition to the recommendations for the prevention of heart attacks and strokes, E. Palevičiūtė advises to exercise more, eat healthily and abandon harmful habits. Normal blood pressure and normal levels of glucose and cholesterol in the blood are essential to reduce the risk of these diseases.

“I would like to remind you that the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program is being implemented in Lithuania. It is for men ages 40 to 55 and women ages 50 to 65. Even patients of this age who do not experience any symptoms are evaluated annually by a family doctor. They have free blood tests and, if necessary, they are referred to a cardiologist for specialized centers. If you belong to the aforementioned age category, be sure to seize the opportunity, ”recommends cardiologist E. Palevičiūtė.

Otherwise, the doctor warns, personal medical care, when risk factors are ignored and doctors’ recommendations are ignored, it can lead to a stroke or heart attack, and the disease itself can be fatal.

“Even if blood circulation is restored, heart failure, heart rhythm problems and valve defects often develop after a recurrent heart attack. And due to a stroke, impaired function often does not fully recover. , weakness or paralysis of the extremities, and speech and memory disorders can persist ”, summarizes E. Palevičiūtė.