What happens to your body after a mild heart attack?

For example, your heart may not be able to pump blood around your body as well as it did before, or there may be damage to the control of the electrical activity of your heart. It is normal to feel very tired after a heart attack. Initially try to limit any visiting to your immediate family and keep visits brief.

Do you feel normal after a silent heart attack?

With SMI, you may feel discomfort in the center of the chest and not a sharp pain on the left side of the chest, which many people associate with a heart attack. “People can even feel completely normal during an SMI and afterward, too, which further adds to the chance of missing the warning signs,” says Dr. Plutzky.

What happens if silent heart attack is left untreated?

The longer your heart doesn’t have blood flow, the more damage that occurs. Because silent heart attacks may go unnoticed, they can cause a significant amount of damage. And without treatment, they can be deadly.

Can you survive a heart attack without knowing you had one?

You may not even know you’ve had a silent heart attack until weeks or months after it happens. It’s best to know what’s normal for your body and get help when something doesn’t feel right. Knowing the subtle signs of a silent heart attack can help you identify one.

How long after a heart attack can it be diagnosed?

Korley said because of how sensitive the tests are, doctors can see if a patient is likely having a heart attack within a few hours. Prior to this test, it often took more than six hours for enough troponin to be released to be detectable on a test.

Do heart attacks shorten your life?

For heart attacks alone, more than 16 years of life are lost on average, according to American Heart Association statistics. Researchers estimate people with heart failure lose nearly 10 years of life compared to those without heart failure.

What are the warning signs of a silent heart attack?

Lightheadedness

What does a heart attack really feel like?

Most heart attacks involve pain or discomfort in the center or left-center of your chest. This pain can range from mild to severe. The pain may feel like tightness, fullness, heavy pressure, crushing, or squeezing. It can also feel like heartburn or indigestion. Chest pain usually lasts more than a few minutes.