"Mild heart attack"

[KevG1]

You know what really winds me up, the term mild heart attack!! Can a heart attack be mild, I had 4 heart attacks 30/12 and because I've recovered well and out of hospital in 5 days several people have commented oh so it was a mild one then even the window cleaner!!! No it wasn't bloody mild it hurt like hell had me crawling around the living room in agony left my mental state in a mess worrying if I'm going to be one of the 1 in 4 who have another one. Just cos I've not gone into cardiac or had open heart surgery does not make it mild!!

[Cocoadonkey]

hi there

Unfortunately unless you have had a heart episode or been close to someone who has then I don’t think people understand how scary it all is. My husband had a cardiac arrest in A&E 3 years ago after I took him to hospital with chest pain. He doesn’t remember anything about it even now but i remember how scary it was and I still worry now whenever he has any aches or pains that it’s happening again.

The good news is that time makes it easier to cope with mentally and physically my husband has been fine since he was discharged a week after his cardiac arrest.

You will start to feel less anxious but I would take the cardio rehab if offered and I do find reading posts on this forum help. There are lots of people in the same place as you.

Good luck with your recovery xx

[GinGal]

Hi KevG1

I had a 'mild' heart attack (they also called it 'small') back in 2020.

I had no pain what so ever but I did get dizzy, lightheaded & thought I would faint at one stage, but I didn't. The whole episode lasted about 15 mins and I went about the rest of my day.

About an hour later I didn't quite feel myself, still no pain but it was more of a woman's intuitive feeling that all was not right so I asked a friend to take me to hospital.

Once there my usual bradycardic blood pressure etc was as down in my boots and my resting heart rate was about 40. Not good. Blood tests came back and were positive for having had a heart attack.

Yes, it was a mild one in the sense of no pain but I've not been right since. Between 2020 and 2025 I've been diagnosed with AF (the slow bradycardic type rather than the galloping horses version), had a cardioversion and an ablation. The former failed as did the latter, I thought, until I had a pacemaker fitted on 28 Nov 2024 and, bingo, the ablation did its thing and I was in normal sinus rhythm at last but now get a spot of atrial flutter instead.

As for the heart attack, I have not felt quite the same person since. I'm not as sharp, or as fast, as I used to be at work, my hobby is genealogy and I'm not as sharp with that either. I remember seeing a flash of blinding white light during the attack, which was later explained to me as being caused by the brain being low on oxygen at the time. No wonder I feel brain-dead LOL.

The upshot of all this...? THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A MILD HEART ATTACK!

Salutations from Melbourne, Australia .. Lee 🐨

[Eeee13 in reply to GinGal]

Hi

My experience could show a different side.

Jun 2019 I stood up from sitting, went very light headed, collapsed and fell on glass took half my face off and amputated my nose which they were unable to save. All the signs at the time appeared that I was drunk by the paramedics despite my family saying otherwise. I lost 4 pints blood and was a minute or two from not being here today. 6 operations a new nose, over 337 stitches later. I never needed any pain killers after surgery. It appears I have I very high pain threshold. My heart rate was 25bpm at the time and always been low around 40-50. I’d been going gym 3-4 times a week and this was accepted because I was very fit.

Moral of the story is in the last 14 months my heart has been Tachy/Bradycardic AFib, Arrythmia arterial flutter and low blood pressure 2 cardio versions 2 cardio ablations now waiting for a 3 as no meds work for me. I’ve inherited a faulty gene from my mother. Stress and after exercise my heart makes my heart rate plummet (Bradycardia)as low as 23 BPM and as high as 184 (Tachycardic) and everything in between. While my heart and chest have had so much severe pain recently and suspected heart attacks every time all my bloods an Treponin which tells you If you ve had a heart attack come back normal. My treponin is checked again before im discharged. While having ablation in left atrium they found unexpected scaring which showed I’d had a heart attack in the past and never knew about it. Only thing that I can link it to with the signs at the time is 2019.

Yes like you I feel brain dead struggle to concentrate. I’m Light headed, breathless and exhausted.

My heart is still racing AFib and Arrythmia and waiting further ablation.

Wishing you all the best

[DWizza]

Sounds like you’re building up to that heart attack now 🤦🏼. I’d be thrilled to be labelled mild heart attack 🤣.. I get where you’re coming from KevG1. There can be quite a lot of ignorance around types of cardiac events , particularly the post event traumas , physically and very importantly the mental aspects. I’m sure I had a touch of PTSD after my event and treatment. It wasn’t so much the pain , which I thought was trapped wind and like being stabbed in the middle of my chest , but the whole shock of being diagnosed at hospital after 2 tropinin counts. I was fit and strong ( on the out side). Then an even bigger shock when the angiogram finished and I didn’t have any stents and was told that I’d need open heart surgery.. and a triple bypass. Ended up with quadruple. I had loads of support, family friends and work colleagues. Some thought I’d had a cardiac arrest, nearly died .. not at all. Don’t sweat the small stuff, they really don’t know what it’s like. Plenty of posts on here about the mental aspects post heart event . Have search through. You are not alone in feeling frustrated and angry. Keep on posting 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[andybarn]

i had what i would describe as a mild heart attack after trying to push start my motorcycle. I just had a dull ache on my left chest. Left it 3 days then thought i had better phone 111 as pain was still there. After paramedic visit i ended ip in hospital and was given a stent. Feel perfectly fit since!

[Lowerfield_no_more]

There appear to be degrees of severity of heart attacks from slight chest discomfort like I felt after a walk which didn't get worse, and me thinking it was a chest infection decided to get it checked out but eventually ended up in hospital for 4 days having been told I had an NSTEMI, to those where the outcome is immediately fatal. My HA could be described as 'mild' yours clearly was far more serious so you are entitled to feel grumpy when people tell you it was a mild HA, but I am sure you put them straight on that.👍

[AlfredV]

I hear what your saying. I've probably had several heart attacks over 6 months. I say "probably" because at the time I didn't recognise them as heart attacks. I only really began contemplating it on the operating table where my most recent heart attack was confirmed. It can be really painful, and for my one before that the pain was that intense it caused vomiting. This went on for about 10 minutes and then just resolved itself. Like you I was 5 days in hospital, but this was because I went in on Saturday and they weren't going to do anything with me until Monday, then I was kept in a couple of extra days because of how badly my arm bruised from the angiogram.

[Goonerboy6661]

this is how AI defines it 😀

The term “mild heart attack” can be misleading and frustrating for those who have experienced one. While medical professionals sometimes use the term to describe a non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or a smaller blockage that doesn’t cause immediate cardiac arrest, every heart attack is serious and can have long-term consequences.

Why “Mild” Can Be Misleading

1. All Heart Attacks Cause Damage – Even if it’s not a massive blockage, a heart attack still results in some heart muscle dying.

2. Pain Level Doesn’t Indicate Severity – Some “mild” heart attacks can be excruciating, while some severe ones can be nearly painless.

3. Psychological Impact – Many survivors deal with anxiety, PTSD, and fear of another heart attack.

4. Risk of Future Attacks – Any heart attack increases the risk of future cardiac events.

5. Lack of Immediate Surgery Doesn’t Mean It Wasn’t Serious – Some people recover without open-heart surgery but still need lifestyle changes, medications, and ongoing monitoring.

Better Terms Instead of “Mild Heart Attack”

• “Minor myocardial infarction” (medically correct but still serious)

• “Non-fatal heart attack” (acknowledges the gravity)

• “NSTEMI” vs. “STEMI” (if someone wants technical clarity)

Whether the heart attack required surgery or not, the emotional and physical impact is real. Survivors shouldn’t feel dismissed or invalidated just because they recovered quickly. The focus should be on long-term heart health, stress management, and reducing future risks.

[KevG1 in reply to Goonerboy6661]

Best reply so far👌

[Etblue]

I empathise with you. I too had a " mild" heart attack which was extremely painful. Fortunately, only the one, but it's the psychological impact too. Would someone say oh i only had mild labour pains...I don't think s o , unless they had pain medication. Pain is pain.

[Pundit999]

No heart attack is minor as it indicates a 100% blockage somewhere. Also that you have diseased arteries which run 100s of miles (?). One small area is 100% blocked but you also have the same disease in other parts of the heart or brain or legs. Not good at all.

But having a minor heart attack could be construed as a good thing, if you can say that. Many don't get minor ones: the first one is major and they don't survive or survive with debilitating damage to the heart.

[Eeee13 in reply to Pundit999]

Hi

Not sure where you may have got your information from. Everyone is different and please don’t assume a heart attack is major or related to a blockage.

Over last 14 months I have been in and out of A&E 15 times every time they check for Treponin levels on arrival and before I’m discharged. mine 14-16 is normal 50/55 and above show heart attack.

I had cardio ablation right Atrium April 24 while in my heart they did a full check of everything, valves, arteries good. No cholesterol. Everything apart from faulty heart muscles were in really good condition. All my bloods every time come back normal. I have inherited a faulty gene from my mother which has caused my heart problems Tacy/Bradycardic AFib, Arrythmia, arterial flutter and low blood pressure. Jan 25 had left Atrium ablation when they found unexpected scaring, they were able to ablate between the two and create better conductivity. It showed I’d had a heart attack some time in the past and never knew about it. They were able fill my individual heart chambers independently with blood and check everything was fully working.

I have a friend who worked with a 33 yr old male who died of a heart attack. The ortopsy showed he had had 33 heart attacks in the past and never had any signs. An inquest investigation spoke to all his work colleagues family and no one saw any signs of him with any pains. I know another friends dad had 2 heart attacks without knowing. Apparently it’s not uncommon. .

I’ve had 2 cardio versions Jan 24 and feb 25. My issues are not resolved. All beta blockers. Calcium blockers and heart suppressant's have failed to control my racing heart and now waiting for a 3rd ablation using new technology only approved for use October 24. Optrel mapping catheters fully computerised , have a better result in complex cases. They have been specially ordered in at my cardiac hospital (one of London major hospitals) I will be the first they use it on. Whether it’s successful we will have to wait and see.

Am I worried. No as there’s no point as the longterm alternative is not worth thinking about. My cardiac consultant and surgeons I have full confidence in.

Hope my experience is reassuring to others.

[Friendliarthur]

Yes, heart attacks can be at various levels, beginning at mild.

It’s the luck of the draw whether the blockage causing the lack of oxygen supply to the heart muscle is in a major artery or further up where the artery has branched out into lots of minor branches.

As a result the area of the heart deprived of oxygen can be large or small or something in between.

This aspect says nothing about the level of pain the person might experience or not.

There is one good feature about a mild heart attack, in that it warns you to seek medical help and subsequent further treatments or change of lifestyle.

Good luck on your journey.

[TasteLessFood4Life]

I hear what you are saying and can understand your frustrations. It certainly isnt a walk in the park, even if 'mild'. 'Mild' probably implies that there hasnt been any significant damage to the heart muscle following the event.

Physical part aside, I bet the mental part must be just as tough if not tougher.

Stay strong - you are a warrior and keep it up!

💪

[Qualipop]

I understand your annoyance with people. A mild heart attack when the phrase is used by doctors generally means that very little damage was done to your heart. However Jo public can never know how bad your heart attack was and just assume that if you recovered it can't have been serious.. It's like any illness that isn't outwardly visible. I'm presently in the worst pain of my life from a spinal problem. My husband simply doesn't believe it. Can't see it, nothing's wrong. It's infuriating.