5 Popular Myths about Heart Attack

Many people have various misconceptions about myocardial infarction, or simply heart attack. Myths about such serious condition thrive because people just lack knowledge about this disorder and don’t understand its specific aspects. So here are some of the popular myths about heart attack.

1. Heart attack happens only in the elderly. That’s probably the greatest misconception about myocardial infarction that can lead serious consequences. According to the WHO estimates, by 2030 about 23.6 million people will die from cardiovascular diseases, mainly from stroke and heart disease. Heart disease and myocardial infarction has become much “younger”, nowadays it can affect even young and middle-aged people. Modern style of life, stress, lack of sufficient physical activity and bad dietary habits are to be blamed for that.


2. Heart attack is always accompanied by unbearable pain Indeed, a heart attack can be accompanied by severe chest pain as it is often shown in the movies. However, it can also develop slowly and provoke other, not so evident, symptoms:
   • Chest discomfort that can go away and come back and can be felt like squeezing, uncomfortable pressure or fullness;
   • Discomfort or pain in the neck, stomach, shoulder, back, jaw, one or both arms;
   • Shortness of breath;
   • Light-headedness;
   • Nausea;
   • Sweating.
   So even if you are not sure whether you’re having a heart attack or not, but you do experience any of the listed symptoms, call 911 immediately.


3. Exercise is dangerous in post-myocardial patients Surely, right after a myocardial infarction, the patient will need to get a lot of rest. However, gradual increase in physical activity is essential for reducing the risk of another myocardial infarction and long-term recovery. It’s very important to carefully measure the workload. Heart hospitals usually provide various cardiac rehabilitation programs that include exercise guidance and physical therapy tailored to the cardiovascular status of every patient and measuring the duration of exercise, frequency, appropriate mode, and intensity.


4. Coughing can save your life when having a heart attack A procedure mislabeled as “cough CPR” is widely publicized in social media. It claims that forceful coughing while having a heart attack can save your life if you are alone. However, doctors warn that there is no medical evidence that could support the effectiveness of such actions during a myocardial infarction. A heart attack happens when the blood supply to the heart muscle is blocked, most often by a blood clot; in such case coughing is useless. But what can definitely save your life if you suspect that you are having a heart attack is seeking for professional help as soon as possible. So don’t waste precious moments on trying to “cough out” a blood clot, call 911.


5. The heart stops beating when you have a heart attack That’s not true. An occlusion of the artery supplying blood to a certain part of the heart muscle happens during myocardial infarction. The cells of this very part die out which eventually causes scarring of the heart; however, it continues to beat. But heart attack can increase the risk of cardiac arrest (when the heart suddenly stops beating) caused by possible atrial fibrillation.