Not all chest pain indicates a heart attack
By: Dr. Vipul Gupta
In an endeavour to aware the public that not all instances of chest pain automatically point towards a heart attack, but could also be a brain stroke, there is a dire need to raise awareness among the public on how to distinguish heart attack from a brain stroke.
Chest pain can sometimes be a symptom of an impending ischemic stroke, making it crucial for individuals to recognize the distinction in symptoms and seek prompt medical attention.
It is a prevalent issue that many individuals, especially those in older age groups with common risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol, frequently mistake the symptoms of stroke for those of a heart attack. While the public is well-aware about the typical signs of a heart attack, signs and symptoms of stroke often go unnoticed, leading patients to approach cardiologists first.
A significant challenge arises when individuals with stroke symptoms measure high blood pressure and attribute their condition to hypertension. While elevated blood pressure is common in stroke patients, it is a reactive response and not the root cause. Rather than focusing solely on blood pressure, it is important to target the closed blood vessel responsible for the stroke.
It is thus important to recognize stroke symptoms early and seeking treatment at hospitals equipped with stroke centers. Stroke symptoms manifest differently from heart attack symptoms.
Stroke patients commonly present with weakness on one side of the body, transient weakness or numbness, sudden difficulty in understanding or speaking, slurring of speech, imbalance, inability to walk, lack of coordination, and even loss of vision in one eye.
Every minute in stroke, 2 million cells die and thus even a small delay in seeking treatment can significantly affect patient outcomes. Early interventions, such as thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy, can effectively reverse stroke if administered within the crucial golden hours.
Thrombolysis involves administering clot-dissolving medicine intravenously within four to five hours of a stroke. Mechanical thrombectomy, a method gaining popularity in the last decade, involves neurointerventionists using a stent retriever device to remove clots from blocked brain blood vessels, restoring normal blood flow.
It is a known fact that 20% of strokes are attributed to cardiac problems, including arrhythmias, heart valve diseases, and previous heart attacks. Patients with these cardiac issues may consult cardiologists, leading to delayed neurological intervention and potentially impacting treatment outcomes.
Such public awareness platforms serve as a crucial step in educating the public on the distinctions between stroke and heart attack symptoms. Early recognition and prompt action are key factors in achieving successful outcomes for stroke patients.
(The author is Director- Neurointervention and co-Director- Stroke unit at Artemis Agrim Institute of Neurosciences Gurugram)
