TV presenter Alison Hammond sparked health concerns recently when she rushed off screen clutching her chest while filming This Morning. The ITV star later revealed on Instagram that she had experienced heart palpitations and feared she was having a heart attack, adding “it was very scary”. After Alison was taken to hospital, tests on her heart, lungs and blood gave her the all-clear, and she is thought to have had a panic attack.
Emily McGrath, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said seeking help from healthcare professionals was the right thing to do. She added: “Alison is a great role-model for what to do if you experience worrying heart symptoms, and we’re so glad to hear she is doing well. Having chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, sweating, or feelings of dread can be frightening. While symptoms like this can have many different causes, including anxiety or panic attacks, heart attack-like symptoms should never be ignored or dismissed.”
Heart attacks and panic attacks share many similar symptoms, according to the BHF. A heart attack involves a blocked blood flow to the heart, while a panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear resulting in physiological symptoms. The charity has highlighted the key signs of each:
Ms McGrath added: “If you experience chest pain or discomfort that is severe, lasts more than a few minutes, or is accompanied by symptoms such as sweating, nausea, dizziness or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, call 999 immediately.
“Never worry about wasting anyone’s time. Women in particular tend to dismiss heart attack signs because of a misperception that heart attacks only happen to men. By encouraging people to seek immediate medical help when something doesn’t feel right, Alison is helping to raise awareness that could save lives.”
There are around 100,000 UK hospital admissions every year due to heart attacks, and they claim an average of 460 lives every year — or one every three minutes. More than eight million people are living with cardiovascular disease, which increases risk of heart attacks and stroke.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
