For those who suffer nerve damage Inc periferal, automatic, etc.
I was told today that if you have this type of damage then and I do not mean to cause panic but if you were to have a heart attack you may not feel it due to the nerve damage. If this is true then just be aware.
Admin note: silent heart attack is a real thing but I haven't been able to find any specific references to it being linked to peripheral neuropathy. I did find this 2013 study of heart attacks in type 2 diabetics but that doesn't show a significant correlation to peripheral neuropathy though it also doesn't look specifically at silent heart attacks
A heart attack is, for most of those who suffer one, the worst pain they have had in their lives. If the nerves are so badly damaged to make thta pain imperceptible then you're dead.
silent heart attacks can frequently go undetected and seem to account for about 45% of all heart attacks (not sure what that estimate is based on but comes up on the Harvard Medical School website
The causes seem to be the same as for normal heart attacks. I haven't researched deeply - and that isn't really the purpose of this forum - but I haven't been able to find any study suggesting a correlation between silent heart attacks and peripheral neuropathy.
buster I have been unable to find anything that specifically links the risk of a silent heart attack to peripheral neuropathy.
Silent heart attacks seem to make up 45% of total heart attacks which would also suggest that they aren't specifically related to peripheral neuropathy.
If you have a source that shows a specific relationship then I would be interested to hear it
My husband had a silent heart attack in March 2018. He woke up one morning feeling ‘not quite right’, was persuaded to go to the doctors and after they had done all their tests was sent to hospital for a precautionary blood test - he was kept in and had quadruple bypass surgery! I don’t know if there was any link to a b12 deficiency because at that point he hadn’t been tested, although with hindsight he had many symptoms.
Natcap1. B12 deficient can affect the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous system. However, there is a difference between having symptoms and having actual long-term and irreversible neurological damage of any of those systems.
In the majority of those affected, autonomic dysregulation resolves once the underlying B12 deficiency is addressed and treated appropriately.
All...for further clarification on heart attacks (silent and otherwise)...fairly brief because it's a complicated subject...
There are two main causes of heart attacks
1) Cardiovascular Disease
2) Cardiac Arrhythmia
1) Cardio vascular disease (CVD): this is where the coronary arteries get clogged with deposits of cholesterol leading to clot formation in the coronary arteries. Heart-attack is caused when the plaques rupture, a clot forms and blocks supply of blood to the heart and thus triggers a heart attack (death of heart muscle due to lack of oxygen)
There are a number of potential causes of cardiovascular disease: smoking, high fat diet, diabetes, high cholesterol / homocysteine, high blood pressure, obesity or other underlying health problems that may serve to increase the risk of blood clots (i.e. antiphosphiloid syndrome).
One symptom of heart attack is chest pain (angina)...and whilst it is possible to have what's called a silent heart attack (that is, a heart attack without suffering pain), in major heart attack, there will be other symptoms present ( indigestion, lightheadedness, sweating, cold clammy and pale, nausea, breathlessness etc.).
So, a 'silent' heart attack can be said to occur when there is an absence of pain but a presence of other symptoms that can be potentially indicative of heart attack (diagnosed via ECG and other tests).
2) Cardiac Arrhythmia: cardiac arrhythmia arrhythmias occur when the electrical signals that control the heartbeat become too slow, too quick, or irregular. The effects of this can range from a minor inconvenience to a potentially fatal problem.
Types of arrhythmia include:
Atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat faster than normal)
Supra-ventricular tachycardia (abnormally fast heart rate at rest)
Bradycardia (slower than normal heartbeat)
Heart-block (slow heartbeat that can cause collapse)
Ventricular fibrillation ( A rare condition where the heartbeat in a very rapid and disorganised manner-requires urgent medical attention)
Those who have had a heart attack or who suffer heart failure are more risk of developing heart arrhythmia.
Common triggers of arrhythmia include viral illness, alcohol, tobacco, exercise, caffeine, certain over-the-counter drugs or medications and the use of recreational drugs.
Symptoms can include palpitations, feeling dizzy, shortness of breath, or blackouts etc. Where triggered by common causes, symptoms will be transient and resolve when the trigger is removed or avoided. Where symptoms persist or are severe, medical attention should be sought.
So...both of the above can cause heart attacks and whilst severe chest pain is often a defining characteristic, some do not experience this pain and experience what is referred to as a 'silent' heart attack (myocardial infarction)...but a major heart attack is always accompanied by other symptoms (as defined above).
The notion of a 'silent' heart attack only refers to a potential lack of (usually severe) chest pain.
In short...it is not possible to have a major heart attack without any symptoms (i.e. you'd certainly know about it). Those who do experience major heart attack will have symptoms that make them feel very ill indeed - even in cases where there is an absence of severe chest pain.
As always, anyone who suspects they may be having heart problems or a heart attack should always consult with a medically qualified professional - as a matter of urgency, if necessary 😉.
This post is 'off-topic' for this forum so is going to be closed to further replies.
👍
The ability to reply to this post has been turned off.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Nerve Conduction Test 
Help Please. B12 deficiency peripheral neuropathy. Now nerve conduction report, small fibre neuropathy. Excruiting pain what will ease this.
Badly treated B12D(/PA?), can heart attack risk increase??
nerve damage? 
