Heart Attack Warning Signs

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Each year, approximately 1.2 million Americans suffer a heart attack, and nearly one-third of these individuals die, many before they reach the hospital. People often dismiss heart attack warning signs, such as chest pain, and think they merely have heartburn or a pulled muscle. The unfortunate conclusion is that many people wait too long before getting help. We want you to recognize the early symptoms of a heart attack.

Frequent signs of a heart attack are the following:

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest. The discomfort lasts for more than a few minutes or it may go away and come back. The discomfort may feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. This may include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
• Shortness of breath may occur with or before chest discomfort.
• Other symptoms may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness. Treatments are most effective when they occur in the early stages of chest pain.

Heart attacks are often viewed as a man's problem when, in fact, more women in the United States die of heart disease each year than men. Women often experience signs and symptoms that are different from those that men experience. This is because smaller arteries may be blocked in women whereas men often have blockage in the main arteries.

Heart attack signs in women sometimes go unnoticed. They include the following:

• Pressure, fullness, squeezing pain in the center of the chest, spreading to the neck, shoulder or jaw.
• Light-headedness, fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
• Upper abdominal pressure or discomfort
• Lower chest discomfort
• Back pain
• Unusual fatigue
• Unusual shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Nausea

Don’t delay! Don’t take chances! If you have chest pain or other heart attack symptoms, call 911 and seek medical attention immediately.