HEART OF IT
As Jeremy Clarkson reveals he was ‘days away’ from fatal heart attack – the 8 subtle signs you’re at risk
When it comes to our hearts, we all know to worry about intense chest pain - but there are other subtle signs you should know
JEREMY Clarkson was forced to have a heart operation after a "sudden deterioration" in his health, he revealed.
The 64-year-old Clarkson's Farm presenter said he was "maybe" days away from a fatal heart attack.
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The Sun columnist started to feel unwell after swimming in the sea while on holiday and later struggled to climb a flight of stairs.
When he returned to Britain he started feeling "clammy", "tightness in my chest", and "pins and needles in my left arm".
He went to the hospital via ambulance, where a heart attack was ruled out, he revealed in his .
The Top Gear star said he was taken into the operating theatre on Wednesday, after further checks, and doctors said he was perhaps "days away" from death.
Read more on heart health
A stent, which can save lives and stop future heart attacks by improving blood flow to the heart, was fitted.
When it comes to our hearts, one of the biggest signs that something is wrong is intense chest pain.
The pain of a heart attack is usually described as heaviness, tightness or pressure on the chest.
People experiencing it have described feeling like an elephant was sat on their chest or like a tight band was wrapped around it, according to the .
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Meanwhile, chest pain that ramps up when you're exerting yourself but goes away when you rest could be angina, which puts you at risk of a heart attack or stroke.
But heart issues can manifest in other, more subtle ways that don't involve chest pain.
Jeremy Clarkson's Heart Surgery: A Courageous Recovery
For example, symptoms of heart or circulatory disease can pop up in your stomach, lungs and even your feet.
Here are eight subtle ways your body could be alerting you to get your ticker checked over.
1. Feeling unusually tired
If you've been working long hours or having trouble sleeping, your tiredness probably isn't heart-related.
But experiencing extreme fatigue if your lifestyle hasn't changed is definitely something to talk to your GP about.
According to BHF, feeling tired all the time without a cause could be a symptom of heart failure, as well as other conditions.
2. Feeling sick
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Again, this is another non-specific symptom that could be caused by several different conditions.
But if you're feeling nauseous or vomiting along with experiencing chest pain, this is a sign to worry.
Professor David Newby from the BHF said: “If you experience intense chest pain even when you are just sitting around doing nothing and you are also feeling sick, that is the time to call for an ambulance.”
He added that an indigestion-type pain or a burning sensation in your chest or stomach can be a sign of a heart attack or related heart problem, because your heart and the passage to your stomach are next to each other.
Meanwhile, a choking sensation or tightness in your throat could be a sign of angina.
3. Discomfort in your jaw, back or stomach
According to Professor Newby, heart attacks can cause pain to spread to your jaw or back.
The NHS added that you might also feel pain radiating to your neck, arm - usually the left but it can be both - and tummy.
Some evidence does suggest that women don't always experience the 'typical' heart attack symptoms, with pain in other parts of the body being a red flag.
What happened to Jermey Clarkson?
Jeremy Clarkson, 64, has revealed he needed an operation to clear blocked arteries after feeling ill on a recent holiday.
Last night he told The Sun: “I’m very grateful to everyone who sent supportive messages but I’m fine.
“I just have to not do any manual labour or dishwasher emptying for the next four years.
“At least I think that’s what the doctor said.”
Clarkson first felt unwell while on a break on an Indian Ocean island.
He wrote in The Sunday Times: “I was at the breakfast table and when I stood up to leave, I had to take a moment to make sure my limbs were working properly.”
He later had issues trying to dive, swim and walk which continued after his holiday.
One day he felt “clammy and there was a tightness in my chest”.
Later, after working on his Cotswolds farm — which features in his Amazon Prime hit series — a doctor was called when he noticed “pins and needles” in his left arm.
Jeremy was then taken by ambulance to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
He said: “It seems that of the arteries feeding my heart with nourishing blood, one was completely blocked and the second of three was heading that way.
“The question was this.
“Were the arteries so ruined that I’d need an emergency heart bypass?
“Or could he use Dyno-Rods and ultrasonic battering rams to loosen them up before inserting a stent?
“Mercifully, this turned out to be possible.”
4. Swelling in your feet and ankles
You might not think it, but symptoms of heart problems might show up in your legs.
Dr M Adil U Khan, a GP at Pall Mall Medical, told : "Unexplained swelling, known as oedema, in the legs, ankles or abdomen, may also be signs of heart failure."
Professor Newby warned that this symptom "shouldn’t be ignored, especially if the ankles get really big".
But he added that swelling could also be caused by medication such as blood pressure tablets.
Another symptom that could show up in your legs is a "gripping, cramping sensation in your calves" when you're walking, according to Professor Newby.
This is worth seeing your GP about, as it could be a sign of peripheral arterial disease, a narrowing or blockage of the vessels that carry blood to your heart due to a build-up of fatty substances.
5. Feeling dizzy or fainting
Feeling lightheaded or dizzy, or even fainting, could be signs of a heart attack or something else being wrong with your heart.
According to Dr Khan: "If fainting or any other symptom becomes a problem, consult a healthcare provider and schedule an appointment with a doctor or cardiologist."
6. Feeling short of breath
It's easy to peg breathlessness to ageing or being unfit.
It's normal to breathe a little harder when you're walking briskly or cycling.
But feeling out of breath while doing everyday activities, especially if you haven’t experienced this before, could be a sign of a potentially serious heart condition, according to BHF.
That includes conditions like coronary heart disease, heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation.
Talk to your doctor as soon as possible if you're experiencing this.
8. Being unusually sweaty
Again, if you're being physically active, a bit of perspiration is nothing to worry about.
But if you're clammy or pouring with sweat for no apparent reason while also experiencing chest pain, this is a sign to get help immediately.
9. Having an irregular heart rate
Your heart jumping a beat or two every now and again isn't a sign to immediately worry, according to Professor Newby.
But he stressed: “If your heart is going very fast and jumping around erratically then that’s when you should see your GP. If you feel like this and then you experience blackouts, call an ambulance.”
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Meanwhile, Dr Khan said smartwatches and fitness trackers "can provide valuable data about your heart rate and may detect irregularities to some extent".
But he said these gadgets can't substitute a medical evaluation, so you should have concerning symptoms checked out by a health professional.
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