Can a silent heart attack be detected?

Can a silent heart attack be detected?

The only way to tell if you’ve had a silent heart attack is to have imaging tests, such as an electrocardiogram or echocardiogram. These tests can reveal changes that signal a heart attack. If you think that you’ve had a silent heart attack, talk to your doctor.

Does silent heart attack show on EKG?

An EKG can potentially detect that you had a heart attack years ago without knowing it. Abnormal electrical patterns during the test suggest that part of your heart may have been damaged from lack of oxygen. Not all heart attacks produce noticeable symptoms.

Can you have a heart attack with a normal ECG?

Blood tests and beyond. But not all heart attacks show up on the first ECG. So even if it looks normal, you’re still not out of the woods, says Dr. Kosowsky.

Can ECG detect future heart attack?

And if you’re at intermediate or high-risk for heart problems, but don’t have symptoms — like shortness of breath or chest pain — there’s no evidence one way or another that an EKG (sometimes called a ECG) will help predict a future attack, said Joy Melnikow, M.D., a member of the task force.

How long can you have a heart attack without knowing?

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.

Can ECG detect all heart problems?

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) to assess the heart rate and rhythm. This test can often detect heart disease, heart attack, an enlarged heart, or abnormal heart rhythms that may cause heart failure.

What does an ECG tell you about your heart?

An ECG (electrocardiogram) records the electrical activity of your heart at rest. It provides information about your heart rate and rhythm, and shows if there is enlargement of the heart due to high blood pressure (hypertension) or evidence of a previous heart attack (myocardial infarction).

How do I know I am having a heart attack?

Common heart attack signs and symptoms include:

• Pressure, tightness, pain, or a squeezing or aching sensation in your chest or arms that may spread to your neck, jaw or back.
• Nausea, indigestion, heartburn or abdominal pain.
• Shortness of breath.
• Cold sweat.
• Fatigue.
• Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness.

What can an ECG tell you about your heart?

Can a heart attack be detected by an ECG?

In fact most silent heart attacks are detected by an ECG. In the Framingham Heart Study, twenty five percent of the heart attacks were silent, being detected by routine ECG.

Is it possible to have a silent mi with ECG?

There are occasions when the ECG is correct and the patient did have a previously unrecognized “silent” MI. More commonly, the ECG reading is a “false positive” interpretation. In other words, even though the pattern of voltage readings on the ECG has the appearance of a prior MI, in fact, the heart is normal &there was no MI.

Is it possible to have a heart attack without any symptoms?

It’s also possible to have a silent heart attack and experience no symptoms at all. An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a test that measures the electrical activity of your heart. Abnormal patterns of activity suggest that part of your heart may have been damaged, such as from a heart attack.

What are the symptoms of a silent heart attack?

When symptoms are present, they’re often so mild that they don’t seem particularly concerning. Fatigue, mild chest pain that feels like indigestion, and flu-like symptoms are all possible signs. Silent heart attacks are caused by a lack of blood flow to your heart like traditional heart attacks.