The Heart Of The Matter

What are the signals and symptoms of a heart attack? Adele Trathan offers some guidance on the signs that might indicate that you may be having a heart attack

THE HEART

OF THE MATTER

It’s true to say that where heart attacks are concerned, survival rates have never been higher in the UK. What’s more, the 1.4million Brits who have come back from cardiac arrest are the best evidence that good detection combined with accomplished care, mean life can go back to being somewhere close to normal, even after suffering a medical emergency that most would name as the most terrifying of their lives.

Indeed, of those 1.4million people, a good proportion will have recognised, noted and acted upon the symptoms having read about the tell-tale signs previously, so with that in mind, here is our guide to detecting when you might be having a heart attack, and the steps you should take. WHAT IS A HEART ATTACK? Firstly, to properly define a heart attack, it is when your bloodpumping organ goes into cardiac arrest. Blood, which carries oxygen to the heart, is unable to make its way through the coronary artery. In most cases this is caused by the build-up of cholesterol and fatty matter in the arteries.

While blood vessels in other parts of the heart may increase in size in order to make up for the shortfall, the blockage can form into a blood clot leaving that part of the heart starved of oxygen and unable to function.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? Symptoms will vary between men and women, and it is thought that women display a greater range of these and they are more easily detectable, though many are familiar across both sexes. These include:

❤ Chest pain and discomfort. This begins in the centre of the chest and will feel like pain or indigestion. The sensation can come and go, or it might be constant. ❤ Spreading pain. Aching and physical distress may well spread to arms, neck, back and even the jaw.

It is thought that women display a greater range of these and they are more easily detectable

❤ Nausea. Additionally, a feeling of nausea, sickness, dizziness and confusion may come on. ❤ Thirst. Many people experiencing the symptoms of a heart attack complain of a raging thirst. ❤ Panic. The variety of symptoms outlined above will make the body go into panic mode, though the most important thing is to remain calm and seek urgent help.

TREATMENT In the first instance, anyone fearing they are showing signs of having a heart attack should phone for an ambulance. The next step, if alone, is to ask a friend or relative to come over to sit with you until professional help arrives.

Under no circumstances should you attempt to drive yourself to hospital – this may in fact end up endangering not just your own life, but that of other road users and pedestrians.

THE AFTERMATH Although the section of the heart starved of oxygen will never fully recover, the body will produce scar tissue and in a matter of weeks you should be working back up to an excellent level of recovery.

Indeed, many people take the shock of cardiac arrest as a solemn indication that old habits and lifestyle choices need to be changed; and a good proportion actually end up healthier after cardiac arrest than they were before the incident.

That said, the best tool to preserve good health is prevention of habits that can escalate to cardiac arrest, which means a balanced diet, plenty of exercise, and the limiting or tempering of unhealthy temptations, such as excessive drinking or smoking. l

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Working together for your local hospitals

Next year, our beloved NHS turns 75. In that time we have witnessed developments in health care never thought possible before such as MRI scans, We support hospital projects that organ transplants, keyhole surgery and vaccines. Looking to the future, fall outside of core NHS funding: technological advancements across the NHS are set to continue in ways that • Cutting-edge medical equipment will truly revolutionise the quality of care we all receive in hospital. • NHS staff health & wellbeing To ensure the people of Sussex have access to the the patient experience for complex four to eight hour • Innovative clinical research most up-to-date health care, two local NHS charities are already leading the way. Love Your Hospital and operations, helping patients to return home much sooner. This investment from the charity has ...and so much more BSUH Charity are the dedicated charities of University enabled our local hospitals to establish a full robotics Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, raising funds to improve the hospital experience of every patient, visitor and staff member across seven hospitals in East programme that will continue to deliver benefits and improve patient outcomes moving forward. Scan to support your local hospitals today and West Sussex. The charities help to provide the ‘nice-to-haves’ outside of core government funding such as stateof-the-art medical equipment, supporting NHS staff health and wellbeing through art therapy, recognition awards, extended counselling services and enhancing the hospital environment for all with investment into green spaces and improved public areas. Revolutionary robotics In 2021, BSUH Charity invested £1.6 million into a robotic arm used to perform many types of complex procedures with more precision, flexibility and control than is possible with conventional surgical techniques. The Da Vinci Xi Robot is the first piece of equipment of its kind introduced at the Trust, and has revolutionised Transforming the hospital experience Every day, dedicated teams of play specialists support young patients and their families during their hospital stay on our childrens wards. Love Your Hospital has worked closely with play teams across St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester and Worthing Hospital to provide funding for play and entertainment equipment, including a state-of-the-art interactive gaming cart with the latest technology. Customised and specifically built for the medical environment, the carts include an Xbox S Series gaming console

www.loveyourhospital.org

Registered Charity No. 1049201

“Robotic-assisted surgery enables us to deliver sophisticated treatments. The Da Vinci Xi Robot uses specialised technology to deliver precise care, even in hard-to-reach areas and enables quicker recovery for our patients.” Ammar Alanbuki, Consultant Urological Surgeon and Robotic Lead

www.bsuh.nhs.uk/charity Registered Charity No. 1050864

or Nintendo Switch, pre-loaded with a minimum of 20 of the latest age-appropriate games. This provides poorly children with much-needed play at the bedside to reduce stress, promote wellbeing and maintain a sense of normality away from home comforts.

Together we can change the future of Sussex health care While our charities will be at the forefront of supporting this evolution in care across your local hospitals, support from the Sussex community will be pivotal. Investing in developments such as robotics, artificial intelligence and cutting edge research will revolutionise patient care for everyone across the county. Donate today and help your local hospital to provide innovative health care for you and your loved ones now and for generations to come.

“Coming to hospital can be a stressful experience for children and young people. The new gaming carts are amazing and provide a welcome distraction, supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of our young patients. They are thrilled to see the cart is loaded with the latest games and apps which have brought many smiles. Shelley Hill, Play Specialist at St Richard’s Hospital Children’s Ward

Working together for your local hospitals

We support hospital projects that

Working together for your local hospitals fall outside of core NHS funding: • Cutting-edge medical equipment • NHS staff health & wellbeing

We support hospital projects that • Innovative clinical research fall outside of core NHS funding:...and so much more • Cutting-edge medical equipment • NHS staff health & wellbeing

• Innovative clinical research ...and so much more Scan to support your local hospitals today

Love Your Hospital is the dedicated NHS charity for three hospitals across West Sussex: St Richard’s Hospital Worthing Hospital Southlands Hospital BSUH Charity is the dedicated NHS charity for four hospitals across Brighton and Haywards Heath: The Royal Sussex County Hospital Princess Royal Hospital Sussex Eye Hospital Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital

Scan to support your local hospitals today