The pressure between her shoulder blades would not let up. “I never had chest pain. My arm didn’t hurt,” said Karen Lugo, age 54. “I had no idea I was having a heart attack.” Luckily, she did not ignore her symptoms: no sharp, shooting pains; just pressure. She was fatigued and her stomach was upset, but she thought it might be the flu. Karen was young, in good shape and had no history of cardiac issues.
She’s always cold, so when she started sweating, her son called 911.
“Everybody who knows me, knows my family, was pretty shocked.” Neither of her parents had heart problems.
“Since I had my heart attack, I’ve had the symptoms printed up.” Now, Karen is eager to tell others that the symptoms for women are different than those experienced by men.
* Unexplained feelings of nervousness and anxiety.
* Tingling in hands and arms.
* Headaches.
* Pain in the jaw or neck.
* Breaking out in a cold sweat.
These symptoms are all on her list and the list of the American Heart Association.
“And I tell everybody to quit smoking.” Karen had already started quitting before the heart attack. Since then: no more cigarettes.
Within an hour of Karen’s arrival in the St. Elizabeth Edgewood emergency room, Dr. Daniel Courtade, a cardiologist with St. Elizabeth Physicians, put a stent in one of her arteries. “Luckily,” said Karen, “it was one of the smaller ones.” But it was completely clogged.
Two weeks later, Karen was back at work as a quality technician for a local factory. There are no restrictions on what she can do. That means the world to Karen, who can run and play ball with her four grandchildren, ages 16 months to 13 years.
“I enjoy my grandkids,” Karen said. “They keep me young.”
Know the signs of a heart attack. If you think you might be having a heart attack, minutes matter. St. Elizabeth Healthcare recommends that you call 911 and do not attempt to drive yourself to the hospital.
Interested in learning more about preventive wellness for women? Sign up to get the latest heart health info for women.
From St. Elizabeth Healthcare