6 subtle signs of heart troubles you shouldn’t ignore as Emma Willis opens up about heart surgery

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TV presenter Emma Willis, 49, shared on social media that she recently underwent keyhole heart surgery after discovering she had a hole in her heart.

The mother-of-three and former Big Brother host expressed her gratitude to the Royal Brompton Hospital in London for its exceptional care and support throughout the procedure in an Instagram post on Wednesday night.

She also thanked her husband, Busted bassist Matt Willis, for staying by her side every step of the way.

In the Instagram post, Willis wrote: “A few weeks ago, I had keyhole heart surgery, which feels very strange to write, and even stranger when I say it out loud.

Emma Willis had keyhole surgery to fix a hole in her heart (PA)

“Turns out, I’ve been pottering around for 48 years blissfully unaware I had a hole in my heart. Isn’t it bonkers what’s happening in our bodies that we have no idea about.”

Willis’ lack of awareness about her own heart issues highlights just how subtle the symptoms of heart problems can be. That’s why we have consulted with a cardiologist who has shared the following six warning signs of heart troubles that should never be ignored.

1. Chest discomfort

“The type of chest discomfort that people often put down to indigestion or being unfit could be a warning sign of angina or an impending heart attack,” warns Dr Oliver Segal, consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist at The Harley Street Clinic, part of HCA Healthcare UK.

“Classically, but it will vary hugely, it’s a dull ache in the chest rather than a sharp pain. It tends to be in the middle of the chest across the front, and characteristically it tends to occur with exercise and disappear with rest.”

2. Breathlessness

Breathlessness should be addressed by a medical professional (PA)

“Breathlessness could also be put down to all sorts of things, like chest infections, being unfit or the weather,” notes Segal. “But, it could imply either heart failure of some description or a heart rhythm problem.”

Depending on the context of the issue, breathlessness related to heart issues is usually worse during exercise.

“For example, if you’ve got heart failure or your heart muscle function is impaired, or you’ve got a bowel heart valve problem, then typically the breathlessness will be much worse when you try and do something,” explains Segal. “However, rhythm disturbances are different.

“Atrial fibrillation, for example, can occur randomly and if it happens to occur at rest you may feel breathless at rest, and then the next day you might be able to run around wherever you want, and you’ll feel back to normal.”

3. Pain in the left arm

“Characteristically, heart pain goes into the left arm,” highlights Segal. “It’s to do with the nerve supply of the heart and sharing that nerve supply with the arm. It’s pain that radiates into another part of the body just because of the way nerve supply works.”

4. Palpitations

Palpitations should also be seen as a warning sign (PA)

“People often put palpitations down to stress or anxiety, but it could be a type of arrhythmia, like atrial fibrillation,” says Segal.

“Frequent skip beats, for example, are often subtle and most of the time that will be benign, but sometimes it can be a sign that the heart muscle is struggling,” adds the cardiologist.

5. Extreme fatigue

“There are probably hundreds of causes of fatigue, and the heart is just one possible explanation,” says Segal. “But atrial fibrillation, for example, which is the most common heart rhythm problem, characteristically causes fatigue and lethargy. Heart failure can also make people feel fatigued.”

6. Dizzy spells

“Most of us get dizzy occasionally, normally because of getting up too quickly,” recognises Segal. “But dizzy spells could indicate that there is a problem with the heart rhythm and that it is going too slowly or sometimes too quickly.”

A profound dizzy spell which causes you to grab a piece of furniture may require immediate medical attention, adds the cardiologist.

“If your dizzy spells are happening frequently or they’re severe, then that would be a key indicator to seek urgent medical attention,” stresses Segal. “Many times there will be absolutely nothing to worry about, but it’s certainly a symptom to look out for.”

What should people do if they experience any of these symptoms?

“If you experience a severe symptom, like chest pain or severe breathlessness, you probably require urgent medical attention at A&E, but if your symptoms are mild going to a GP is a very reasonable thing to do,” advises Segal.

“They can measure your pulse and your blood pressure and can have a listen to the heart and lungs to make sure everything sounds okay. Many GPS will also have access to doing ECGs (a medical test that records the electrical activity of your heart).”

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