Featured in The Red Door April 1, 2008

HEART ATTACK

Each year, about 1.1 million Americans have heart attacks and 460,000 of the attacks are fatal.  About half of those deaths occur within the first hour of the onset of symptoms and before the person reaches the hospital.  The importance of getting to the hospital early cannot be emphasized enough.  Fast action saves lives and limits the amount of damage to the heart.

KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS OF A HEART ATTACK:

·         Chest discomfort – pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest

·         Discomfort in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach

·         Shortness of breath, may come before or with the chest discomfort

·         Sweating

·         Nausea, feeling sick

·         Light-headedness

HEART ATTACKS IN WOMEN:

Women often have an undiagnosed heart attack because their symptoms may be different, often more subtle, than in men. 

·         Women may feel poorly for several weeks before the actual heart attack. 

·         30% of all women having heart attacks will not have chest pain. 

·         Women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, back or jaw pain.

·         Women tend to delay telling others for fear of causing worry or bother.

If you think a heart attack is happening, call 911.  Never drive yourself, unless you have absolutely no other choice.  People do not call 911 for a variety of reasons: denial – we don’t want to believe this could be happening; embarrassment – we don’t want the neighbors to see an emergency vehicle arrive at our door; and we think it is faster if we transport ourselves.

Advantages of calling 911:

·         EMTs can start treatment immediately.

·         They are linked to a hospital so they can send information to the ER before the patient arrives.

·         Your heart may stop beating during a heart attack.  Emergency response teams carry equipment to restart the heart.

For more information on heart disease:

     www.leememorial.org/cardiac

     American Heart Association (AHA) www.americanheart.org

     National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/index.htm

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.”            – Psalm 28:7