Heart attack symptoms that could be mistaken for a flu infection

There's almost no association between a flu infection and a heart attack. Or so it seems. While the former is a viral infection that attacks your respiratory system including the nose, throat and lungs, the latter is a heart condition, which occurs when a part of the heart muscle doesn't get enough blood. However, many have come to fore listing down symptoms that were initially mistaken for the flu, which later turned out to be a heart attack.

In one of the survivor stories of the American Heart Association (AHA), Liz Johnson, a seventh-grade math teacher, who never had high blood pressure or high cholesterol and didn't have a family history of heart disease, suddenly experienced symptoms that she thought was a flu. However, after undergoing several tests, it was found that she was having a heart attack.

Many other such cases have surfaced in the past. That said, experts warn against taking flu-like symptoms lightly, especially if they persist or arise with other symptoms key to a heart attack.

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Nausea and other gastrointestinal issues are common when it comes to flu. It can be accompanied by other symptoms including a high fever, headache and muscle aches, cough, sore throat, and tiredness.

Similarly, with a heart attack, nausea is again a common symptom, especially among women. This is because the necrotic, ischemic, and injured cardiomyocytes from infarcted regions release lactic acid, pyruvic acid, and other metabolites, according to experts. These metabolites and acids affect the autonomic nerve peripheral receptors of the infarcted regions, which lead to cardiogenic nausea and vomiting.

Lightheadedness or dizziness may be a sign of heart attack or stroke. It can also be a sign of viral infections like the Flu. One may not feel in their element and may have a persistent headache. But while flu can be managed at home, if you feel it is a sign of a heart attack, seek medical help immediately. Again, the best way to tell the difference is by watching out for other tell-tale signs of a heart attack like shortness of breath, swollen extremities, frequent fatigue or chest pain.

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Cold sweats or chills can be one of the first signs of a heart attack. If these occur almost immediately after having extreme chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations, then best to seek emergency medical help right away. However, having cold sweats can also mean the flu. You're most likely to have muscle aches and periods of chills and sweats as fever comes and goes.

In most serious cases of flu infection, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing can occur, along with chest pain, dizziness and seizures. However, these are rare in the majority of the cases. With a heart attack, shortness of breath is a classic sign. One may experience chest pain, feel dizzy, and may also faint.

There could be several reasons behind fatigue or a general feeling of tiredness. However, the most concerning reason behind fatigue is a heart attack. A heart attack can cause exhaustion due to the extra stress on your heart, especially when it tries very hard to pump blood. On the other hand, sudden, excessive fatigue is one of the earliest symptoms of the flu, which can appear before other symptoms. Experts advise visiting your doctor if you have other associated symptoms of a heart attack.

The AHA says, "an important aspect of lowering risk of cardiovascular disease, also called coronary artery disease (CAD), is managing health behaviors and risk factors, such as diet quality, physical activity, smoking, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, total cholesterol or blood glucose."

But along with keeping a check on your lifestyle, getting regular screening is important. Some of these include: electrocardiography (ECG or EKG), exercise cardiac stress test, echocardiography or stress echocardiography, coronary CT angiography (CTA) and others.

Furthermore, the AHA recommends getting your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels checked regularly.

Just like COVID-19, a flu infection is contagious and can spread while talking, sneezing, coughing or any other activities that enables the release of contaminated aerosol droplets.

That said, wearing your mask, maintaining social distance plays a key role in curbing the spread of the virus. Also, following proper hand hygiene can prevent the transmission of germs and viruses. you can also get your annual flu shot to reduce the risk of severe illness.