The NHS has warned people not to “dismiss” certain symptoms – as they could be the first signs of a heart attack. Devastatingly, someone in the UK suffers a heart attack every five minutes.
And according to the British Heart Foundation, approximately 100,000 people are hospitalised for heart attacks each year, and over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur – with a survival rate of less than one in 10. NHS officials are now urging people to take immediate action.
In a new post on X, NHS said: “Don’t dismiss the early signs of a heart attack. A squeezing across the chest.” It went on to share a lesser-known warning sign, a “feeling of unease”, before adding: “It’s never too early to call 999 and describe your symptoms.”
An accompanying video provides further guidance, explaining: “The early symptoms of a heart attack don’t always feel severe. But it’s never too early to call 999 and describe your symptoms.”
Additionally, the NHS offers advice for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or use British Sign Language (BSL). BSL users can make a video relay call to 999 via the 999 BSL website or app, while text relay users can contact 999 by calling 18000.
BSL users, deaf individuals, or those with hearing loss can also text 999 by pre-registering their phone on the Emergency SMS website. Additional symptoms of a heart attack can include excessive sweating, difficulty breathing, nausea or vomiting, intense feelings of anxiety akin to a panic attack, and coughing or wheezing.
According to NHS guidelines: “The chest pain is often severe, but some people may only experience minor pain, similar to indigestion.
“While the most common symptom is chest pain, symptoms can vary from person to person. Some people may have other symptoms such as shortness of breath, feeling or being sick and back or jaw pain without any chest pain.”