Health

Cardiologists urge Fijians to address chest pain

September 15, 2020 12:25 pm

Cardiologists are urging Fijians who may be having chest pain to get screened for heart problems.

Cardiologists are urging Fijians who may be having chest pain to get screened for heart problems.

Interventional Cardiologist at the CWM Hospital in Suva, Dr Shahin Nusair says more young people are presenting symptoms of heart attack.

Dr Nusair says many Fijians do not take chest pain seriously.

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“To be honest it’s a silent killer and unfortunately one of the presentations of heart attack is just sudden death. And you probably heard so many stories of somebody saying he was fine and healthy, he slept and never woke up. And when we do a post morterm we find it’s actually a heart attack that claimed his life so that’s what we mean by silent killer.”

Dr Nusair says many people continue to ignore the signs of heart attack especially after suffering multiple chest pain.

“It is all more to do with culture, probably an iTaukei gentleman might not necessarily address his chest pain and might brush it aside or tough it out which is definitely wrong as supposed to another gentleman whose pain threshold is low and he gets chest pain and he actually visits the doctor.”

Another cardiologist Dr Bharat Bali says many Fijians are presenting late to hospitals as they choose herbal treatment over doctors.