Heart attacks often don’t send warning signs. So, when people suddenly and unexpectedly feel symptoms, they think, “This can’t be happening! I’m…
• “In the grocery store.”
• “About to board an airplane.”
• “Dancing at a wedding.”
As the American Heart Association warns, “Don’t die of doubt.” If you think you or someone else is having a heart attack, call 911.
It helps to learn heart attack symptoms
Knowing the symptoms of a heart attack can help you be prepared and act more quickly.
Symptoms may differ in men and women, but the most common signs of a heart attack are:
• Chest discomfort that feels like pressure in the center of the chest.
• Lightheadedness, nausea or vomiting.
• Pain in the jaw, neck or back.
• Discomfort or pain in the arm or shoulder.
• Shortness of breath.
Sometimes, women don’t experience these “classic” symptoms, said Benjamin Peterson, MD, MPH, an interventional cardiologist at the Florence Wormald Heart and Vascular Institute at St. Elizabeth.
Women may have nausea, abdominal pain or fatigue. They may suddenly feel exhausted, have a strong urge to lie down or feel nauseous.
But heart disease doesn’t discriminate. It’s the No. 1 cause of death in both men and women.
Don’t wait: Dial 911
People who feel their symptoms aren’t dire will sometimes drive to the emergency room or ask a friend or family member to take them.
Please don’t, Dr. Peterson said.
“There’s a saying, ‘Time is muscle,’” he said. It refers to the fact that someone having a heart attack needs care urgently to prevent or reduce damage to the heart muscle. Minutes count.
“If an ambulance is called, they’ll do an EKG (electrocardiogram) right on the spot. They’ll give you oxygen if you need it. They’ll alert the emergency room. They’ll take you to the right hospital; not all hospitals are able to treat heart attacks.”
“And if it looks like the person is having a particular type of heart attack, there’s a whole chain of events that is set in motion. A person can go from their living room to being on a procedure table and having an artery opened with a stent in under 90 minutes.”
Another reason to be in an ambulance is that a heart attack can sometimes lead to a sudden cardiac arrest. The heart stops and the person loses their pulse. Emergency medical personnel are trained in CPR, and ambulances have defibrillators to restart the heart.
Why do people delay seeking help?
It’s human nature to deny reality when something frightening and dangerous suddenly happens. “The brain doesn’t always register that there is a big problem — that we need to drop everything and get help. The same is true for a heart attack,” Dr. Peterson said.
People experiencing heart attack symptoms will try to explain them away: “Oh, this is just indigestion. It’s something I ate.” Or “I’ll feel better in a few minutes.”
People may feel embarrassed if they are in a crowd or reluctant to trouble anyone by asking for help.
“Women especially tend to delay,” Dr. Peterson said. “First, they may not feel the typical or classic symptoms of a heart attack. And second, they may have many responsibilities and feel it would be imposing on others to stop everything and get medical care.”
“But speak up. Your family members wouldn’t want you to push through this if they knew you had chest pain or other symptoms. And whatever you’re doing right now is less important than getting checked out.”
St. Elizabeth Healthcare