RAK Hospital educates masses in identifying heart attack symptoms

Warning signs can differ for men and women, caution doctors

• Symptoms can also include jaw, neck and shoulder pain, nausea, dizziness, feeling sick, breaking into cold sweat, feeling lightheaded and fatigued
• Patients who make it to emergency room in time can have up to 90 percent survival chances
• Heart diseases remain the number one killer among the UAE residents, result in 30 percent of deaths
• Increasing number of heart patients under the age of 40

Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, August 9, 2016:  Mistaking the signs of heart attack and taking them lightly could lead to intense cardiac damage and sometimes death, is the message of RAK Hospital’s month-long awareness campaign that begins tomorrow. Doctors warn that besides more common signs of cardiac-related diseases, it is the seemingly unrelated and innocent indications – such as neck, jaw and back pain – that could signal a problem with one’s heart. The programme addresses the alarming increase in cardiac-related diseases in the UAE, while educating the public on identifying symptoms of a heart attack which are often ignored due to lack of understanding. Moreover, the campaign highlights the ‘Golden Hour Period’, since reaching the hospital within an hour of the attack can often make all the difference. 

“Contrary to general perception, heart attack does not always manifest itself through chest and arm pain,” stressed Dr Raza Siddiqui, CEO Arabian Healthcare Group and Executive Director of RAK Hospital, “Even an odd back pain or dizziness could be a sign of a heart problem, but people tend to ignore such symptoms. With this campaign we want to draw the public’s attention towards the important fact that any abnormal behaviour of your body needs attention, and one should consult a doctor immediately. Just this small precautionary measure can go a long way in limiting damage to your heart.” 

While heart attack symptoms can vary from person to person, the more common ones include pain, pressure, heaviness or tightness in chest, arm, back, jaw, neck or shoulders; feeling sick or dizzy, breaking into cold sweat, shortness of breath and feeling lightheaded and fatigued. The warning signs can also differ for men and women: while women may feel nauseous, vomit or suffer from jaw or back pain, men could experience shortness of breath, chest discomfort and arm pain. The pain often lasts for a few minutes and can worsen with any physical activity. According to doctors patients who make it to emergency room in time can have up to 90 percent survival chances.

Dr Ajay Kanojia, Senior Specialist, Cardiology at RAK Hospital added: “Often, people shrug off the discomfort thinking they are not the right fit for a heart attack patient. But the sad fact is the disease can also occur in people who are seemingly fit, young, non-smokers and have no family history of cardiac-related diseases. It is always a good idea to get yourself evaluated; better to be safe than sorry”.

A recent survey by the Dubai Health Authority and Dubai Statistics Centre confirmed that heart diseases remain the number one killer among the UAE residents resulting in 30 percent of deaths. The survey that was conducted on 3,298 Emirati and expatriate families further found that around 32 percent of the participants were borderline obese, while 12 percent were obese. Around 22 percent were non-smokers. Another report claimed that an increasing number of young people on the UAE are suffering from heart diseases with a rise in heart conditions in patients under the age of 40.

RAK Hospital has been an active campaigner in creating awareness among masses on various health issues. Earlier this year, the healthcare institution also gained the distinction of conducting the UAE’s first-ever non-surgical balloon dilation procedure on a patient’s heart to remove an unnatural growth.