Let's see what you know before we start!
- What is the leading cause of death in the United States - smoking, heart disease, or stroke?
- True or False: Women do not commonly experience chest pain when having a heart attack, only men do.
- Yes/No: Should you drive yourself or someone else to the hospital when a heart attack is suspected instead of calling for an ambulance?
Why do I need to know about Heart Disease and Heart Attacks?
Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The earlier a heart attack is identified and treatment is started, the better the outcome. Because you have a history of heart attack and heart disease, you are at an increased risk of experiencing another heart attack, so it is important to know the signs and how to respond quickly in the event of a heart attack.
What is a Heart Attack?
A heart attack, also referred to as a Myocardial Infarction (MI), occurs when one or more of the arteries that supply the heart with blood become blocked, cutting off the blood supply to the heart. The heart relies on the oxygen in that blood in order to function, so when the blood supply is reduced or cut off, damaging the heart muscle and potentially causing death of the heart muscle tissue. In the United States, someone has a heart attack approximately every 40 seconds.
Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack
For men and women, CHEST PAIN/DISCOMFORT is the most common symptom. Other common symptoms include pain in the left arm and feeling sweaty or lightheaded. Women are more likely to experience some of the other common symptoms of a heart attack than men are, including:
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea/Vomiting
- Back/jaw pain
If you think you or someone you know is experiencing a heart attack, here are your first steps:
1) Call 911!
In almost all cases, calling 911 is the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. It is unsafe for you to drive yourself if you suspect you are having a heart attack in case you lose the ability to drive, and most ambulances can reach your home faster than you could drive yourself to the hospital. If someone you know is experiencing a heart attack, call 911 and stay with that person until help arrives.
2) Learn CPR/Encourage Others to Learn
If you wish to be resuscitated (brought back to life) and want life-saving measures to be done in case you are unresponsive, make that clear to those close to you and encourage them to learn CPR. If you experience a heart attack and become unresponsive having someone nearby who knows CPR can save your life. In turn, if someone you know is unresponsive and you feel comfortable, learning CPR can enable you to help save someone's life.
Where can I learn more about Heart Disease and Heart Attacks?
Let's see how much we learned!
- What is the leading cause of death in the United States - smoking, heart disease, or stroke?
- True or False: Women do not commonly experience chest pain when having a heart attack, only men do.
- Yes/No: Should you drive yourself or someone else to the hospital when a heart attack is suspected instead of calling for an ambulance?
Here are the answers:
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.
- False! The most common symptom of a heart attack among men AND women is chest pain/discomfort.
- No - if you or someone you know is potentially experiencing a heart attack, it is fastest and safest to call 911 for an ambulance instead of attempting to drive yourself.
References
About Heart Attacks. (2017, January 27). Retrieved March 01, 2017, from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/AboutHeartAttacks/About-Heart-Attacks_UCM_002038_Article.jsp#.WMCqZvkrLIU
Americanheartassoc. (2011, April 29). Retrieved March 01, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es-Cr9uRXgQ
Heart Attack. (2017). Retrieved March 01, 2017, from http://watchlearnlive.heart.org/CVML_Player.php?moduleSelect=hrtatk
Heart Disease. (2017, February 01). Retrieved March 01, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/
Heart Disease and Stroke. (n.d.). Retrieved March 01, 2017, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/heart-disease-and-stroke
OfficialGoRed4Women. (2011, August 31). Go Red For Women ™ presents: 'Just a Little Heart Attack' Retrieved March 01, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7wmPWTnDbE
Warning Signs of a Heart Attack. (2016, September 29). Retrieved March 01, 2017, from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/WarningSignsofaHeartAttack/Warning-Signs-of-a-Heart-Attack_UCM_002039_Article.jsp#.WMCp1vkrLIW
Credits:
Created with images by aotaro - "(HMM) Just White Paper" • Patrick J. Lynch - "Heart coronary arteries" • klimkin - "heart raspberry board" • christopdesoto - "watertown ambulance" • Peat Bakke - "Breathe, Damnit!" • oo11o - "heart sky dahl" • Wokandapix - "thanks word letters"