A doctor has revealed the heart attack symptom he claims can emerge weeks before the onset of the condition, in light of the tragic death of Flog It star Michael Baggott.
The beloved BBC personality was hospitalised last year after suffering a stroke in October. He was receiving treatment as an inpatient when he passed away.
A statement released on the antiques expert’s social media reads: “Heartbroken to [share] that Michael died yesterday in hospital of a heart attack following a stroke in October. He was a dearly loved son, brother, nephew and uncle who will be deeply and profoundly missed. There will be a memorial service in the coming weeks, the details of which will be shared here.”
Cardiac health expert Dr Muhammad Siyab Panhwar, known online as Dr Siyab, has now taken to social media to highlight a little-known symptom that can indicate a heart attack is weeks away. In a TikTok video, he explained: “Did you know that when patients come into the emergency room with a heart attack, their symptoms have often been going on for as long as two weeks and didn’t necessarily just start?”
Dr Siyab said stuttering chest pain was a “very important” warning sign because it can signal an imminent heart attack. He said that while popular culture often depicts heart attacks as being sudden and without warning, “the reality is, that’s not always the case.
“What will typically happen is that, before they have their heart attack, people will start having symptoms a couple [of] weeks prior.”
And while pain that comes and goes can be an indicator of a coming heart attack, it’s not just pain that propsective patients should be wary of. “It could be pressure on your chest, it could be numbness that radiates down your left jaw, and remember, women can have many, many different symptoms compared to men,” Dr Siyab added.
For women, the list of potential heart attack harbingers extends to shortness of breath, nausea, indigestion, back pain and fatigue. “The important thing about these symptoms is that there is a very specific pattern, typically, to these symptoms, and it’s a stuttering pattern, meaning it comes on and it goes away,” he added.
USC Arcadia adds that early indications of an impending heart attack might include persistent or intermittent pain, upper body discomfort in areas like the shoulders, neck and jaw, and light-headedness.
In December, Michael told fans he had been left bed bound at Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham for five weeks following a stroke. In a video shared on social media, he said he had been given barely any water and was “dying of thirst”. In an emotional video, he said: “It’s been a week now and I’ve been able to take fluids for two days. I was left without any water at all and have become badly dehydrated.”
But just after his update, he said that he was in a “happier” mindset and was feeling “more hopeful” after becoming hydrated. Speaking to fans, he commented: “Hydration at last, Radio 3 blaring and slightly happier, slightly more hopeful. Thank you for everybody who either came or sent a message. Hopefully the way back starts now.”
