The little-known killer heart condition that thousands die from each year - and how to spot the signs
manchestereveningnews.co.ukCampaigners want to raise awareness of a little-known heart condition that kills around 2,000 people each year. Aortic dissection is when a tear occurs in the aorta - the main artery carrying blood from your heart to the rest of your body.
The tear can cause blood to leak between the layers that make up the walls of your arteries and can occur suddenly or develop over time.
Symptoms can be similar to a heart attack and the condition mostly affects men in their sixties and seventies. READ MORE: The common symptoms of RSV in your child - and the warning signs to look out for Read more health stories from the Manchester Evening News here. According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), aortic dissection is a medical emergency and needs urgent treatment.
The symptoms include a sudden, severe pain across the chest, which is often felt in the back or between the shoulder blades.
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