Going by the WHO reports, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of death globally. 

According to estimates, 17.9 million deaths, i.e., 32% of all fatalities worldwide in 2019, were attributable to CVDs. Out of this 32%, 85% of deaths happened due to people experiencing heart attacks and strokes.

But contrary to prominent CVDs that come with definite signs and symptoms, one diabolical ailment that people might ignore is the “silent heart attack (SMI),” which does not make any noise and yet causes severe damage.

What’s a Silent Heart Attack?

Medically termed as myocardial infarction, heart attacks happen when your heart isn’t getting enough oxygen. When a heart attack is “silent,” it lacks any signs, has minor symptoms, or has indications that are not immediately recognized as heart attack symptoms. 

A blood clot typically triggers a heart attack by impeding blood flow via one of your coronary arteries. In addition, although rare, a coronary artery spasm might also be a hindrance to blood flowing to your heart.

A silent heart attack can harm your heart just as much as one that is more evident since it also prevents oxygen from reaching a certain area of your heart. 

But since it has negligent signs, it can become a bigger evil since people might not be able to obtain the treatment to stop the damage.

Symptoms of a Silent Heart Attack

Going into depth about the symptoms and causes of silent heart attacks, most SMI symptoms are mild and transient, and if you suffer any of the following, you should get medical help right away since these could be the signs of a mini heart attack:

• Chest tightness that lasts over several minutes or periodically fades and reappears. It may have an unpleasant pressure, squeezing, or pain-like sensation.
• Soreness in other upper body regions, such as the back, neck, jaw, arms, or stomach.
• Breathing difficulty before or during chest pains.
• Experiencing chilly sweats, nausea, or lightheadedness.

Dangers of a Silent Heart Attack 

You already know that since silent heart attacks commonly go unnoticed, victims might not be able to access the appropriate medical care to lessen their potential repercussions.

According to certain well-known studies, those who have suffered a quiet heart attack experience the same survival rate as those who have experienced regular heart attacks.

They observed that around half of all surviving victims of silent heart attacks passed away within ten years after the event (at the same rate as normal heart attack survivors).

However, people who have experienced a silent heart attack may also be vulnerable to severe consequences, including cardiac arrest and stroke.

According to a different study, the risk of heart failure is reportedly elevated by 35% among people who have had silent heart attacks. 

A larger risk is present for those under 50 or in their early 50s. It was shown that those with a silent heart attack also have a higher chance of developing a stroke later in life.

Prevention Methods 

Your risk of experiencing a heart attack can rise due to various medical issues. Some causes may include being overweight, having a sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, stress, cigarette use, and more.

Additionally, some immutable elements that can raise your chance of experiencing a heart attack include:

• Having a family history of heart disease
• Having pregnancy-related pre-eclampsia
• Exceeding the age of 45 (males)
• Being older than 55 or postmenopausal (females)

People might not be able to do much about the intangible heart risk factors since they are more connected to their genetic makeup and age, but the other reasons for CVDs can be highly controlled if one works for them.

As you might have heard many times, a balanced healthy diet is the prime preventive measure one could partake in if one aims for a healthy life. 

Adding to that is having an active lifestyle with regular exercise and meditation to avoid stress. Supplementing that with regular health checkups and avoiding substance use will help you largely avoid heart ailments. 

Sampurna Hriday Shuddhikaran (SHS)

Another effective way of successfully preventing a heart attack from happening is the Sampurna Hriday Shuddhikaran (SHS) therapy. 

In a study conducted by Dr. Rohit Sane, he successfully explains how SHS can be effectively used to help heart patients improve their health. There were about 133 patients who were selected for the study, and all of them went through four-pronged interventions of the Panchakarma included in SHS therapy- Snehana, Swedana, Basti, along with Hrid Dhara. 

Snehana: Using medicinal oils, the patients undergo a full body massage that helps them to relax, ease stress, and sleep better.

Swedana: Swedana is done to enhance the benefits of Snehana. It includes an additional steam bath that is done to make falling asleep easier in patients. 

Basti: Basti is by far the easiest Panchakarma therapy used in Sampurna Hriday Shuddhikaran. It includes oral medications prescribed to patients to improve their gut health. Gut health is often associated with poor sleep, leading to elevated heart disease risks. 

Basti balances the Vata Dosha of patients, detoxifies their digestive system, and improves their gut health, thereby helping them prevent heart problems effectively. 

The patients received 90-minute sessions of SHS twice a day for six consecutive days. 

In the end, it was observed that all patients showed improvements in their exercise tolerance, myocardial thickness, and exercise tolerance, concluding that SHS can be effectively used as a preventive cardiology method to help patients avoid heart diseases. 

Heart Health Meter: Adding Another Layer to Heart Ailments Prevention 

The ways mentioned above were methods one could incorporate into their daily lives that will help them improve their overall health and maintain their heart health. 

But as per the preventive cardiology expert Dr. Rohit Sane- something specifically made to safeguard your ailing heart adds another layer of protection. That is where Madhavbaug’s Heart Health Meter (HHM) might just be the support you need.

Dr. Rohit Sane, in his 20 years of career, has succeeded in combining modern cardiology technologies with the practices of Ayurveda and hence catered to the Heart Health Meter to help patients to prevent any type of cardiovascular disease efficiently. 

Armed with the technologies of: 

• The Framingham score to estimate your chances of developing CVDs 
• The Finnish diabetes risk score to estimate your chances of developing type 2 diabetes

HHM helps individuals track their heart health regularly and sort ways to prevent and cure any problems. 

Using HHM equipped with Ayurvedic principles, Madhavbaug works to increase public awareness of heart disorders by keeping track of your cardiovascular health as the initial step toward achieving holistic health.