As thousands of people are being hit by winter bugs, a doctor has issued a stark warning. Cases of cases of flu, Covid-19, norovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other respiratory viruses are being reported across the country, with many ending up in hospital.
However, most are treated at home while waiting for the symptoms to pass. But experts have now warned it is essential to pay close attention to your heart and symptoms—especially if you have heart disease or the risk factors for it.
The team from Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital say symptoms of respiratory illness can mimic those of cardiovascular disease or cardiac events in high-risk groups. Some patients may think that being short of breath, weak, cold, or feverish, or having dizziness or chest pain may be solely a result of these winter viruses.
However, these symptoms could also be associated with dangerous cardiovascular complications such as heart attack, pulmonary embolism, viral myocarditis, pericarditis, or even heart failure. Johanna Contreras, MD, a cardiologist at the hospital,l said: “We have seen people mistaking virus symptoms for serious heart complications.
“For example, some patients have shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, swelling, and palpitations, and assume their symptoms are linked to a cold, when in fact they were actually in heart failure. Other patients who have had persistent chest pain and palpitations after acute viral illness may need to consider that, in fact, this could be myocarditis.”
She said: “Don’t ignore these symptoms thinking they are just a long-lasting viral infection, especially if you’re at high risk of heart disease, as this disease can be treated promptly and avoid long-term complications.” She added you should seek medical help – call your doctor or 999 – if you have issues including:
- worsening chest pain
- dizziness
- shortness of breath
She warned: “A serious cardiac condition can progress quickly, and it’s key to catch complications early before they become life-threatening.”
The expert said the recent surge in viruses can also trigger cardiovascular complications among those with established heart conditions, including fever, dehydration, and increased inflammation. Mount Sinai cardiologists are seeing a rise in these cases across all age groups.
According to the British Heart Foundation, there are more than 7.6 million people living with a heart or circulatory disease in the UK: over 4 million men and over 3.6 million women. Heart and circulatory diseases cause a quarter of all deaths in the UK, that’s more than 170,000 deaths each year – an average of 480 deaths each day or one every three minutes in the UK.
The Mount Sinai team warned patients with underlying cardiovascular disease and the associated risk factors are at increased risk. Inflammation can trigger heart attacks in people with coronary artery disease.
It can also exacerbate heart failure symptoms and irregular or rapid heartbeats, leading to hospitalisation. Doctors have also seen post-viral myocarditis—inflammation around the heart that can progress to complications such as heart failure and cardiogenic shock—in otherwise healthy patients.
Icilma Fergus, MD, Director of Cardiovascular Disparities at the hospital, said: “In fact, anyone is susceptible, even health care providers themselves are susceptible, and anyone who is not paying attention to their symptoms may get sick with potentially life-threatening complications.
“A recent patient had severe shortness of breath, weakness, palpitations, and fatigue, fearing they had heart failure. After the patient had bloodwork taken, there was a frantic moment when we could not reach them to share results that revealed a significantly elevated troponin level, which can be linked to a heart attack.
“Although we suspected the worst, we eventually reached the patient and they were hospitalised with Influenza A and severe viral myocarditis. They were treated appropriately and luckily there was a good outcome.”
Anuradha Lala, MD, a cardiologist at the hospital, added: “If you get sick and have chest pain or are out of breath, or have swelling of the legs, and it’s getting worse – especially if you have an underlying heart condition or risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, or a family history of heart disease – your symptoms of a viral infection may in fact represent cardiac symptoms.
“While the immune system’s primary job is to eliminate the virus, the inflammatory response can inadvertently harm cardiac tissue. Thus, if you have a known heart condition, viral infections can bring on exacerbations—or a worsening of the underlying issue—whether it is atrial fibrillation, coronary heart disease, or heart failure.”
Symptoms of a heart attack
The NHS says you should dial 999 immediately if you think someone might be having a heart attack. The faster you act, the better their chances. Symptoms of a heart attack can include:
- chest pain – a feeling of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across your chest
- pain in other parts of the body – it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and tummy
- feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- sweating
- shortness of breath
- feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
- an overwhelming feeling of anxiety (similar to a panic attack)
- coughing or wheezing
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. These can include shortness of breath, feeling or being sick and back or jaw pain without any chest pain.