I thought I just had indigestion while holidaying in Marrakesh – it turned out to be a heart attack

By Liam On Jun 6, 2023

A grandmother has shared her holiday horror after mistaking a heart attack for indigestion.

Tina Murphy, from Manchester, first noticed pain in her arm at breakfast on the third day of her trip to Marrakesh, Morocco, in December 2019.

But the 58-year-old dismissed the pain, believing it was just “heartburn” and took “some Gaviscon and mint tea” instead.

It wasn’t until Mrs. Murphy started having chest pains throughout the day that her 54-year-old partner John became increasingly concerned.

After retiring to her room to lie down, he alerted hotel staff, who sent a doctor.

Tina Murphy, from Burnage in Manchester, first noticed pain in her arm at breakfast on the third day of her trip to Marrakesh in December 2019. Pictured with her partner John, 54

The 58-year-old (pictured) dismissed the pain, believing it was just “heartburn” and took “some Gaviscon and mint tea” instead. It was only after she developed chest pains during the day that her partner John, 54, became increasingly concerned

On arrival at Clinique International Marrakech, Ms. Murphy (pictured) had blood drawn, as well as a heart scan and electrocardiogram (ECG) – a simple test to check heart rhythm and electrical activity

Doctors discovered that one of Mrs. Murphy’s main arteries was blocked and successfully performed an angioplasty, inserting three short mesh tubes — stents — to reopen it. Pictured is the bruises she sustained after the stents were placed

Mrs Murphy said: ‘It wasn’t until late afternoon that the pain got worse, it tightened up and then the chest pain got worse.

“Around 4:30 p.m. I felt something on my neck.”

The medic assessed the grandmother of three children and called an ambulance to take her to the hospital.

“I turned to John and said, ‘I’m going to feel like a real con artist,'” Mrs. Murphy said.

What is a Heart Attack?

A heart attack, known medically as a myocardial infarction, occurs when the blood supply to the heart is suddenly blocked.

Symptoms may include chest pain – a feeling of pressure, heaviness, tightness or tightness in your chest, shortness of breath, and feeling weak and anxious.

Nausea and vomiting are other common symptoms.

While the most common symptom in both men and women is chest pain, women are more likely to experience other symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Heart attacks are usually caused by coronary heart disease, which can be caused by smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Treatment is usually medication to dissolve blood clots or surgery to remove the blockage.

Reduce your risk by not smoking, exercising regularly, and drinking in moderation.

Heart attacks are different from cardiac arrest, which occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body, usually due to a problem with electrical signals in the organ.

Source: NHS Choices

“But he told me it doesn’t matter if there’s nothing wrong with me, I just need to be looked at.”

On arrival at Clinique International Marrakech, she had blood drawn, as well as a heart scan and electrocardiogram (ECG) – a simple test to monitor heart rhythm and electrical activity.

Speaking of the ordeal, Ms Murphy, a community development officer, added: ‘Nothing came up on the EKG or the heart scan.’

She also claimed that doctors said they would check her after 30 minutes, when she was placed in a side ward.

But as she waited, she suddenly experienced severe pain, prompting her partner to alert medics who took her to an assessment room.

Mrs. Murphy said, “I still had no idea what was going on.

“They drove me out of the room and told my partner that I was very bad and he couldn’t get in the room.”

She added, “When we came in I started hearing them all talk and they started talking about stents.

“That’s when I knew I was having a heart attack.”

Doctors discovered that one of her main arteries was blocked and successfully performed an angioplasty, inserting three short mesh tubes – stents – to reopen it.

She was discharged after being checked for seven days and is now fully recovered.

But Ms Murphy warned she is now worried about a second attack.

She said, “When I was told I was having a heart attack, I was so annoyed, as crazy as it sounds.

“It was like, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ I have a history of heart problems in my family, but I thought I got away with it.”

She added, “I’ve been scared for the past few years, thinking, ‘Could today be the day when I’m not going to be so lucky?’

“It was very difficult to deal with.”

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), which includes heart attacks and strokes, kills more people worldwide than any other disease.

The World Health Organization estimates that 18 million people die from the condition each year, accounting for more than 30 percent of all global deaths.

The British Heart Association estimates that there are now more than seven million people living with cardiovascular disease in the UK.

According to the charity, the total annual cost of cardiovascular disease care in England is £7.4 billion.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., CVD contributes to one in five deaths — or about 697,000 — each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also estimates.

It is also estimated to have cost the country about $229 billion between 2017 and 2018.