By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

April 7, 2021

When most people think of a heart attack, they imagine a scene on TV where a guy clutches at his chest and stumbles to the ground.

That’s not reality. It’s a television dramatization.

Many people having a heart attack only experience a minor discomfort in their chest, sometimes none at all. You might just have pain in the jaw, neck, shoulder or arm. It might feel like your heart is beating out of your chest. Nausea, shortness of breath and sweating could all be symptoms, even if there is no chest discomfort. And yes, in some cases it might feel like an elephant is sitting on your chest.

If you suddenly start to experience any of these symptoms, together or individually, it’s time to call 911.

But there is another symptom that can occur well ahead of time. And if you pay attention, it could save you from having to make that 911 call.

I’m talking about vital exhaustion. This is when you have an abnormal lack of energy and get irritated more easily than usual. The thing is, it’s not just a bad mood for a day or two. It continues to get worse and worse.

And with Covid-19 ruling our lives for so long now, it’s more important than ever that you know about this early warning sign of heart attack.

The Environment is Ripe for a Rise in Heart Attacks

What causes vital exhaustion? Everyday life can do it, especially things like being overworked, having overwhelming family issues or caring for a loved one.

But a crisis like the pandemic creates an environment ripe for it.

You see it all the time after national disasters.

For example, after Hurricane Katrina, heart attacks in the area went up nearly five times for the next decade. And we all remember 9/11 right? On a national level (not just in New York City) it’s estimated that heart problems, including heart attacks, rose by about 53% over the next three years.

The fear, anxiety and uncertainty of these kinds of events can get under your skin. It’s like having an unseen stalker at your heels day and night. And it can become debilitating.

When that happens, you need to start thinking about what it’s doing to your body and how it’s setting you up for a heart attack.

How Vital Exhaustion Affects Your Body and What to Do About It

Your adrenals get stressed putting out higher levels of adrenalin. Your heart loses energy. You’re not breathing right and just can’t get enough air or blood flow, so you’re not getting oxygenated throughout your body.

I’ve seen people in this position. And when they finally show up for a doctor’s appointment they say “Wow, I’m feeling really tired lately, every day it’s more and more”.

Since when? A week, two weeks?

I’d say that’s a degeneration that’s building up speed. And it’s getting worse.

You’ve got to jump on these kinds of things. Once you get exhausted like that over a period of days, you have to get a full work up done. And at this point, it’s probably best if you go to the ER. I recommend taking someone with you, a family member or medical surrogate to make sure the doctors are on task.

Your tests should include the right scanning diagnostics on your chest, an ECG, a stress echocardiogram and cardiac enzymes. If there are arrythmias, your left ventricular ejection fraction should be measured. The differential diagnosis has to rule out an acute myocardial infarction or pneumonia or heart failure or even an anxiety or panic disorder.

You shouldn’t let them discharge you without doing all necessary testing. And it’s a good idea that they keep you for observation and have the appropriate specialists including the cardiologist see you in the morning.

At the same time, it’s important to find ways to help let out some of your pent-up stress and worries.

Deep breathing exercises, meditation and getting a good night’s sleep are three things you can immediately start doing to help decompress. A regular massage, acupressure or acupuncture can do a world of good too.

And don’t forget physical activity. I particularly like activities like yoga, Tai Chi and Quigong. I think of them as “moving meditation”, because they work to bring a mind/body balance using gentle body movements, mental focus, and deep breathing exercises.

Don’t wait for something to go wrong. If you’re feeling overly exhausted, get checked out today.

SOURCES:

Nakhle A, et al. Abstract 9655: Incidence of Acute Myocardial Infarction and Hurricane Katrina: Twelve Years After the Storm. Circulation. 2019;140:A9655.

Holman EA, Silver RC, Poulin M, Andersen J, Gil-Rivas V, McIntosh DN. Terrorism, Acute Stress, and Cardiovascular Health: A 3-Year National Study Following the September 11th Attacks. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008;65(1):73–80.

Williams JE, et al. Vital Exhaustion as a Risk Factor for Adverse Cardiac Events (From the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities [ARIC] Study). Am J Cardiol. 2010 Jun 15;105(12):1661-1665.

Cohen R, et al. Meta-Analysis of Relation of Vital Exhaustion to Cardiovascular Disease Events. Am J Cardiol. 2017 Apr 15;119(8):1211-1216.