The Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed during tonight's Euro game. He needed CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation). before being taken off the pitch and transferred to hospital. The latest report said he was awake and sitting up in bed. He played for Tottenham Hotspur for seven years (my best friend is a lifelong fan) It shows the fittest person can have hidden heart issues.
Christian Eriksen : The Danish... - British Heart Fou...
Christian Eriksen
MichaelJHHeart Star
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MichaelJH
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71 Replies
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Scary! I hope he recovers well.
• in reply toGladwyn
It's been on the News most of tonight. Very scary indeed. Puts things into perspective though!!
Gladwyn• in reply to
I’ve been reading most of the evening and haven’t had the TV on so only knew about it when I read Michaels post. You are so right ,does put things into perspective.💐🦋
• in reply toGladwyn
Yes it does Gladwyn. No-one knows what's around the Corner do they? At least he's stable now and will be well looked after I'm sure. As for his 'Football Career', who knows??? Sad!! 
Petercat1• in reply to
Christian Eriksson is only 29 and in top shape. He took a short pass with the ball, then just collapsed on his face. As said he is still in hospital, says he feels fine, under the circumstances, but wants answers!The teams' captain put him in the recovery position then the medical teams of the Danish Football and the Danish team doctors, did CPR and shocked him. It was terrifying.
He's such a brilliant player and very much loved by all.
Denise
Assuming no symptoms, what tests can one have to check on ones heart wellbeing as one turns 50?
A baseline EKG and echocardiogram would be a good place to start. It took a definitive gene test, along with my consistently abnormal EKG's, for them to finally diagnose me with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The doctors kept denying I had it because all my other tests came out ok, but my symptoms and family history kept me going back until they finally listened to me.
I'm not a medical professional by any means, just speak from personal experience.
Yes but I wrote “ assuming no symptoms”
Yes, I read what you wrote. That's why I said "a good place to start". But as others have said, if you don't have any symptoms, the doctors probably won't even test you, but then again, maybe they would since you are male. I mean that in all kindness, I don't know how it is in the UK, but here female heart issues are often overlooked or put off as something else, often "just anxiety", as was in my case.
This article explains a bit of the differences between heart related symptoms and appearance between males and females: hopkinsmedicine.org/health/...
So regardless of symptoms, I still stand by my first post that an EKG and an echocardiogram are good places to start. They would show structure of the heart, how well it's beating, if there are any blockages or abnormalities, amongst other things.
As others have said, it may be worth it to you to go private, we have those reputable companies here that do these tests, and you don't have to have insurance or see a doctor, and they're priced well.
I have had things put off or put down to anxiety and I am male.
I was at the Spurs game when Fabrice Muamba collapsed - it was the strangest 30 mins when they were working on him & the crowd really didn’t know how to respond. A few years later I had my own heart attack walking away from another Spurs game- came home 17 days later after my quad bypass!! So seeing the events yesterday certainly brought back lots of memories. Sounds like thankfully he is doing ok- but shows it can happen to anyone.
Incredibly sad but good to know he's doing well. It may be that he doesn't have a heart condition at all, you'd be surprised how many people have a cardiac arrest with no cause found.
Interesting perspective. The fact that he had a cardiac arrest means that he does have a serious heart condition - probably an arrythmia of some kind.
The arrythmia that I have - CPVT frequently leads to sudden death but unless diagnosed before the CA is not detectable post mortem or when the heart is at rest.
Fortunately, a family history or symptoms (which I had) can mean extensive screening and CPVT, along with other SDS, is reproducible in the lab.
There have been campaigns to introduce screening for pro-athletes and children involved in serious, strenuous sports such as athletics, tennis, rowing and football.
Around 5% of cardiac arrests are idiopathic, so no cause found. I personally think that's really scary. I would assume those who've had idiopathic CA would have a stress test amongst numerous other tests to try & establish a cause.Have you had an ICD or another heart device fitted?
I have had an ICD for 20 years - currently on number 5 🙂
Can I ask if you've ever been shocked?
No I haven’t, but my CPVT was well controlled with betablockers and flecainide. Since my OHS and MVR last June they’ve taken me off flecainide and reduced the betablocker as my BP is very low due to a new diagnosis of heart failure. So time will tell!
Thank you. The reason why I asked was my husband's ICD has never shocked him (though it has corrected his heart a number of times) but it's coming to the end of its lifespan after 9 years. He's being monitored more frequently at the moment. He also has HF and has had a previous CA but that was years prior to his HF diagnosis. Fingers crossed you continue to do well despite the reduction in meds.
Husband watching the match last night, so we saw it. Very scary the sight of the players officials and crowd were so distressing. While they worked on him seemed to go on for ever.As you have said heart disease can hit those that are young and seemingly fit. Wishing him the best recovery.
Hope your doing ok Michael and your heal is getting better.
Pauline
.
Yes, I watched it unfold as well and it was very concerning. He is only 29 and most likely his career is over. There was another footballer, I think his name was Mark Vivian Foe who collapsed and died some years ago from something similar.
• in reply toAopl
Not necessarily. In the last year, two professional cyclists have come back to the sport after being diagnosed with heart conditions following events of some sort. With the correct treatment and monitoring anything is possible. Personal choice will be the biggest factor in making that decision if physically he is OK to return......
Jsb1961• in reply to
Cycling is not a contact sport So that’s the difference
I had to give up football because I had to have a ICD fitted . So my Pro Career was cut short.
I don’t think so, here in Brazil, in 2001 a footballer had an heart attack and put in 2 stents, the doctor told he would never play again, but he insisted.He played for more 7 years without problems, and even got the highest in gols in that season.
It’s been 20 years ago and he is still alive
Very scary, but hopefully he'll be ok from here on out! Thankfully this happened when he was around medical personnel and able to get help in time!
I would bet that he might have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, I have it and it can cause ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and cardiac arrest, most often the only sign something is wrong. It is an electrical problem, not a "plumbing" problem with the heart. Cardiac arrest is different than a heart attack.
HCM (check out 4hcma.org) can affect the healthiest of athlete's, to the very young, to in between. Mine is genetic, I've had family members die of it, so that's why I pushed my then-doctors for more testing and begged for an ICD/pacemaker, finally having one implanted after FIVE years of back & forth with my doubting doctors.
I've found that not many people, including medical professionals, know anything about it, even some of the cardiologists I've seen. It's very disheartening to not have access to the specialists in HCM, but at least I do have my ICD if I ever need it.
I am also a fan, even though he left Spurs I'm still a fan of his. It can happen to anyone.
I was watching the game when it happened…was so so sad to watch….I hope he makes a full recovery
Just shows how being quick to react to this type of emergency can save a life.
Thinking of Christian and his family and all involved yesterday. Anthony Taylor needs credit too.
Hope you're getting on OK. xxx
A distant relative of mine, (think he was in his early twenties), died while playing football. He was unaware of having any heart problems. Perhaps the thing is for everyone's heart rate to be checked yearly, no matter what age. Could be something carried out by volunteers with a suitable easy to use machine that prints out the results. Then if any odd beats are recorded they could be referred to their GP.
Very true! It took 12 years of GP visits and referrals before I was finally diagnosed with a congenital heart problem. I was convinced I was going mad and imagining my symptoms.
Sometimes the doctors make you feel like you're going mad. When you have a heart arrhythmia unless it actually beats out of rhythm at a time they can see and record, they tend not to accept you have it. Have heard of many people being told it's anxiety and given pills for that.
So true. I even began to question my own sanity and was actually relieved when they found something wrong (and of course no-one wants to have a heart issue)! I have terrible times (even after heart surgery) with what they believe are ectopic beats but right now they're truly having a terrible impact on my quality of life and feel like I might actually die before they get to the bottom of it, it at all.
AF is highly unlikely to kill you. I've had it for 16 years and long ago when having bad attacks, usually at night, I used to think I would die too. Now here I am feeling better than ever, even though I'm in constant AF now.
There is an organisation called CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) which is researching into what is often known as Sudden Adult Death Syndrome. He certainly fits into the right age bracket. I know of a young man who collapsed and died outside a nightclub for no reason, no drugs and no excessive alcohol. Post Mortem showed nothing.
It could be that Christian had no previously discernible problem. Time will tell. In the meantime I wish him and his family well.
I had my 3 children checked by CRYafter their uncle had an out of hospital cardiac arrest. He thankfully survived and my children's are all okay.
What we all really need to do is learn how to perform CPR.
You might just save a person's life.
There was talk that learning CPR was going to become part of the school curriculum, did that happen?
It appears to be sort of:
resus.org.uk/public-resourc...
I tend not to discuss the national curriculum as it seems aimed at passing tests and league tables. Common sense and initiative do not seem to come into it.
Looks like Basic first aid including CPR is being taught in schools in England.
As part of his transfer to Milan he would have had a full medical including cardiology tests. He comes across as the sort of person who would look after himself being an elite athlete. He's an excellent footballer and I hope he makes a full recovery.
Apparently, the Italians are the most intensive when it comes to heart screening after a number of incidents in Serie A in the past.
Sometimes, (like with me) these things come out of nowhere.
Micheal I was watching the match and it was very distressing to see. I honestly thought when they started shocking him they had lost him. Thankfully he made it and a huge hats off to the medical team at the match. He was a very lucky boy wishing him and his family a long happy life
Gil
So glad to see the picture of him awake. I was watching the game but I had to leave the room, it upset me because it was just like mine and they never found a reason why it happened. I sat on the front doorstep and said a prayer for him. My thoughts are with him and his family. Live life to the full x
I live in Worcester, I went private for an ECHOCARDIOGRAM cost me £410.
This is exactly what happened to me! Good to see he was awake and alert pitch-side...he should make a full recovery...I was unconscious for three days! Brought back some harsh realities for me watching that!
Having some of the worlds best medics at the side of the pitch will have certainly helped! Hope he’s on the mend!
Wow, that sounds amazing, I didn't know anyone could come back to life after being dead that long!
Very scary & upsetting for all concerned. Lets hope being in receipt of excellent medical attention so promptly will not only have saved his life but also will help his recovery.
Is that relevant? How is a 'heart event' in a contact sport different from a non contact sport?
Curlyman83• in reply to
If you have an ICD fitted (which he has now been given) contact can dislodge or displace leads or the device itself.
I suppose falling off a bike could be just as bad also.
However, as someone else has said, Daley Blind has an ICD and he still plays at the top level in Holland, so who knows.
I was told by my cardiologists that I’ll never play again. Might have something to do with not being surrounded by the worlds best medics on a Sunday league pitch.
Sadly he did suffer a cardiac arrest and we can only hope he makes as best a recovery as he is able to. One can only help his physical fitness will stand him good stead at the start of his journey.
He was playing abroad when it happened in Arábia Emirates. Then the time canceled him contract. He came back to brazil and started playing for free in a main time in Brazil.He played against doctor’s orders, but as he did want to play they changed his stent with an antibiotic in it, as he is diabetic.
He played for more 7 years before retiring , today he is a politician.
His name is Washington Stecanela Cerqueira
Yes just goes to show. Things can go wrong very quickly. Especially with all the transfer medicals he has had and nothing showed up
Not true.
Unfortunately there are many people (myself included) who are testament to serious cardiac events occurring with no apparent cause.
Full credit to the Danish team who acted so quickly, and without doubt saved Christian Eriksen’s life.
done!
Do you take magnesium, it's said to help reduce ectopics greatly?
Often removing triggers like caffeine, alcohol, chocolate and spicy foods from the diet can reap tremendous rewards. One friend is now off medication altogether. Stress can also be a trigger but far harder to control!
As well as caffeine, reduce alcohol intake - it's a known trigger. Avoid all foods containing artificial additives, try to have a more plant based diet and reduce weight if needed. You will be surprised at the improvement these things can make to abnormal heart rhythms.
Christian had medical help on standby so was given life saving treatment, in the UK only around 8% of sudden cardiac Arrest patients survive and BHF puts the figure at 100,000 people a year die from cardiac arrests so that puts it at 8,000 that actually survives Unfortunately for Cardiac patients that have died they were on their own asleep not all CA patients can be saved by we can all learn CPR & have PAD near by.
Like Christian I was lucky back in 2019 while playing football I had a Cardiac Arrest and was with around 30 other players that included trained nurses and I was given CPR & the training ground had Public Access Defibrillator on site so I was fortunate 2 hours earlier I had been with granddaughter just the two of us for a couple of hours LUCKY OR WHAT? Hopefully all goes well for Christian cardiac Arrests are all different I was in hospital for 6 weeks, 4 weeks in ICU with the first 2 weeks in induced coma last two weeks in Cardiology ward and discharged after having ICD Implanted not shocks as yet Hopefully Christian can resume his footballing career?
Which magnesium do they contain?
The heart has two ways it works pump and electrical.
My guess is a lethal cardiac arrhythmia. Just a guess.
He would need the tests already mentioned and an EP study.
Someone surviving a sudden cardiac death should have an ICD placed. They may never have another event but it's an insurance policy.
CPR base should be part of education for everyone. Any team sport or gym should have an AED always on standby.
When my daughter was looking at colleges... she was a volley ball player... one of my first questions was about AED.
I'm from the US. So I'm talking about experience from what I've seen here.
Someone was watching out for this young man. 🙏
MichaelJHHeart Star
Was talking about this to my friend who is a mega Spurs fan. He pointed out Fabrics Muamba has his cardiac arrest in March 2012 and Christian Eriksen only joined in August 2013 so they did not overlap. I imagine Levy does a cardio on all incoming players and probably regularly thereafter.
I'm not really a follower of football but I thought there was a 13 month gap between the 2 events. Am I right in thinking no cause was found for Fabrice' cardiac arrest and that's why he had an ICD fitted? I'm assuming Christian hasn't had a heart attack as I can't see that's been reported anyway, or have I missed it?
• in reply toLezzers
Yes I think your right Lesley… for a change 😲😂
Lezzers• in reply to
I asked my footie husband!! He enjoys educating me in all sports. Hence why I will be avidly watching the Scotland game today and rooting for then due to my Scottish heritage 🤣
The Team doctor said Christian Eriksen had a Cardiac arrest.
Cause as yet unknown.
He could have had a coronary vasospasm which can cause arrthymias and a heart attack
( I am on hopefully enough medication to prevent this happening to me).
An arrthymia.
Some people never know why they had a sudden Cardiac arrest.
My brother in law's cardiac arrest was due to a heart attack.
What advice would you give Christian as it is likely that he will be unable to play in Italy if as reported that he had a Cardiac Arrest and still we await the cause (leading cause for SCA, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) but let's say that he does not need a Pacemaker or ICD & the cause of the SCA cannot be determined but it happened and he still wants to play football but elsewhere in the world if he was allowed to? I still want a kick about at 65 but the insurance cover on the football club scheme will not allow me without the Cardiologist letter I do not need to make a living from it is & it is likely that decisions will be made which maybe at first he will not be in agreement with.
I take Magnesium Glycinate, I order them online from YourSupplements. They were recommended to me by someone who found them good. They're gentle on the stomach. I take them mid breakfast.
My heart, as it were, sank when I saw what was happening. I too suffered CA and was saved only through an intervention like Eriksen's. I hope his doctors can find a cause and that he can resume a normal life, if not a football career. He may not know yet how lucky he is, but I think in a few weeks he will.
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