It was Heart Attack Awareness Day on Monday and to kick off their campaign to make people more aware of their own heart health the British Heart Foundation (BHF) aired their short “Watch Your Own Heart Attack” film on ITV1 on Sunday night.
The ad - watched by over 6 million people - illustrates the different possible symptoms experienced during a heart attack and urges people to seek medical help if they are in that situation.
The following day - Heart Attack Awareness Day - the BHF released some survey results which, worryingly, demonstrate that people seem to take the symptoms of a heart attack in others far more seriously than in themselves.
The results show that 47% of people would tell their parents to call 999 if they had an unusual chest pain, but 65% of people would NOT call 999 if they experienced the same symptoms themselves!
The survey reveals that many put off calling 999 because they are embarrased, don’t think their symptoms are serious enough or don’t want to waste the emergency services’ time.
On paper this may sound incredulous but when it comes down to it these are the reasons why people are putting their lives at risk.
It’s vitally important that people take note of any chest-pain symptoms and address them if they persist. If you experience any of the symptoms demonstrated in the BHF ad get them checked out. It’s better to be reassured and told it’s a false alarm than leave a potentially fatal problem until its too late!
For more information on the BHF ad and their survey visit:
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