A fitness coach has told how 999 call takers dismissed her heart attack as “anxiety”.

Faith Harrison felt a little “weird” after playing in a hockey game on January 6, but she had no idea it had something to do with her heart.

The 22-year-old, from Little Minstery, Shropshire, revealed her arm was “just numb and tingling”.

During that time, her chest became very tight, “as if someone was sitting on it.”

Worried about her symptoms, she drove to her parents’ home and immediately told her family and partner that something was wrong.

Faith Harrison, a fitness coach from Little Minstery, Shropshire, suffered permanent damage to her heart after her heart attack was dismissed as an anxiety disorder.

Her father called 999 after she started vomiting violently.

“The caller said it was probably anxiety or a panic attack,” Harrison said.

“By this time, I realized something was seriously wrong.”

Ms Harrison’s partner Sam and her father drove her to A&E. At the Princess Royal, Telford hospital.

Doctors then decided she needed to be taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital, the nearest specialist heart center.

Tests carried out seven hours after symptoms began showed she had suffered a “widowmaker” heart attack.

Medics said she was lucky to be alive.

The 22-year-old was also diagnosed with patent foramen ovale (PFO). This is a small hole between the upper two chambers of the heart that normally closes after birth.

The avid gym-goer suffered permanent mental damage.

Ms Harrison is now calling on young people and NHS staff to raise awareness of the symptoms of a heart attack.

Recalling the day she had her heart attack, she said: She said: “After the game, I didn’t feel like myself.

“I didn’t feel sick or sick, I just didn’t feel like myself.

“About 30 minutes into my car ride home, my arm felt numb and tingled, and my chest felt so tight, as if someone was sitting on it.

“I thought something serious was going on.

“But I thought it was okay because I could talk and move. I had no idea it had anything to do with my mind.”

Chest pain or pain that radiates down your arm is a telltale sign of a heart attack, as is feeling sick, sweating, dizzy, or short of breath.However, a heart attack can occur even if you don’t have these symptoms.

Harrison, who traveled more than an hour to attend the hockey game, decided to drive there because it was closer to her parents’ home.

“I managed to get there, but as soon as I walked in I said, ‘Something is wrong.’

“My parents, my partner Sam and I all thought my blood sugar levels were low.

“But I violently threw up everything they tried to give me,” she added.

Tests at the hospital revealed that one of Harrison’s coronary arteries was 90 percent blocked by a blood clot. This is one of the major blood pipelines and can be fatal without urgent treatment.

She was told she was lucky to be alive and was also diagnosed with a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a small hole between the top two chambers of the heart that usually closes after birth. Ta.

In very rare cases, a PFO can cause a normally harmless blood clot to reach a coronary artery and cause a blockage, causing a heart attack.

Mr Harrison underwent an emergency thrombectomy to remove the blood clot from his artery.

However, the damage to her heart was severe and she now suffers from heart failure.

Approximately 100,000 people are admitted to hospital each year in the UK due to heart attacks. According to the British Heart Foundation, this happens once every five minutes.

The NHS says symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain, dizziness, feeling unwell and extreme anxiety.

A heart attack is a serious medical emergency. It occurs when blood flow to part of the heart muscle is suddenly lost. Without enough blood and oxygen, the heart can be seriously damaged.

Although most heart attacks occur in older people with underlying health conditions such as heart disease, young people like Harrison can also be victims.

She said: “My life changed when I had a heart attack and was told I had heart failure. I had business goals, fitness goals and life goals.

“My goals are very different now because my physical and mental health has changed so much.”

More than 400,000 people in the UK were waiting for heart tests, surgeries or other heart procedures at the end of January, according to the latest figures, an increase of 75% since February 2020.

It is estimated that tens of thousands more are waiting for aftercare, such as general physician referrals, regular check-ups by specialists, and cardiac rehabilitation.

Not knowing the symptoms of heart disease can also delay people seeking emergency medical help for conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.

The BHF has announced that demand for support to its Heart Helpline has increased by 75 per cent over the past year.

Many callers are worried about not being able to get a doctor’s appointment.

Chloe McArthur, BHF Helpline Senior Nurse, said: “So many of the people we speak to are under the stress of delivering time-sensitive cardiac care and often face appalling delays. That’s a matter of concern.”

Although most heart attacks occur in older people with underlying health conditions such as heart disease, young people like Harrison can also be victims.

“Just last month, someone told me he was facing a 72-week wait for heart surgery, something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

“We’re also hearing stories of people putting off seeking help because they don’t know the symptoms of potentially life-threatening heart and circulatory disease.”

Across the UK, there are 7.6 million people living with a heart or circulatory disease such as a heart attack, stroke or heart failure.

Ms Harrison said: ‘I am relieved to know that the British Heart Foundation will be there for me as a source of support whenever I need it.’

“Their leaflets were a lifeline for me during my stay in hospital. I used the Heart Helpline to learn more about cardiac rehabilitation.”

Dr Harrison, pictured with partner Sam, raised £250 from his hospital bed which was donated to fund the BHF’s life-saving research into heart and circulatory diseases.

As a thank you to the BHF, Ms Harrison raised £250 from her hospital bed which will help the charity fund life-saving research into heart and circulatory conditions.

She said: “What happened to me was shitty, but I was given a second chance and I want to make something of it.”

“For me, I want to raise awareness among young people that they are not invincible and tell them not to take life for granted.

“Everyone, including young people, should learn the symptoms of a heart attack and don’t delay getting help. It could save a life.

“It’s also important that medical professionals don’t assume that young people don’t have heart attacks. I’m living proof that they do.”