Don’t ignore early signs of heart issues: Cardiologist

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 22

Ignoring early signs of heart trouble and failure to seek timely medical help increase the chances of a person succumbing to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), warns Dr Parminder Manghera, cardiologist at Government Medical College, here.

Some typical symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest which people ignore are chest pain or chest discomfort, shortness of breath, nausea, and abdominal pain or heartburn. — Dr Parminder Manghera, Cardiologist, GMC

He said some of the typical symptoms of SCA, which people often ignore, were chest pain or chest discomfort, shortness of breath, nausea, and abdominal pain or heartburn. “To prevent sudden cardiac arrest, it’s important to get screened for diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure and to stop smoking, especially if you are over 35 years of age and have a family history of coronary artery disease,” he alerted.

The Government Medical College Hospital cardiologist said cardiac arrest occurs when the rhythm of the heart stops, resulting in ineffective pumping and a severe drop in blood pressure. Subsequent significant decrease in blood flow to the brain results in loss of consciousness.

He said through implantable cardioverter-defibrillator insertion, the life of such a patient can be saved. “It is a small battery-powered machine like a pacemaker that is designed to correct arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat). It detects and then corrects the heart rate. It constantly monitors the heart rhythm,” he added.