Can you recognize a heart attack?
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women! Women often chalk up the symptoms to less life-threatening conditions like heartburn, the flu or normal aging.
Health data compiled from more than 190 countries show heart disease remains the No. 1 global cause of death with 17.3 million deaths each year, according to “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2015 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association.” That number is expected to rise to more than 23.6 million by 2030.
Cardiac Arrest Statistics:
- Annually, 326,200 people experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the United States. Of those treated by emergency medical services, 10.6 percent survive. Of the 19,300 bystander-witnessed ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrests, 31.4 percent survive.
- Each year, about 209,000 people have a cardiac arrest while in the hospital.
If you are experiencing heart attack signs, Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives — maybe your own. Don’t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1 or your emergency response number.
Most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help.
Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
Heart Attack Signs in Women
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
- As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
What can you do?
Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to learn your personal risk for heart disease. You can also learn your risk with the American Heart Association’s Heart Attack Risk Calculator.
- Quit Smoking. Did you know that just one year after you quit, you’ll cut your risk of coronary heart disease by 50%.
- Start an exercise program. Walking 30 minutes a day can lower your risk for heart attack and stroke.
- Modify your family’s diet, if needed. Learn smart substitutions, healthy snacking ideas and better preparation methods. For example, with poultry, use the leaner light meat (breasts) instead of the fattier dark meat (legs and thighs), and be sure to remove the skin.
Please visit www.heart.org for more important information and go to our Portland Google Plus page: www.https://plus.google.com/112802929612160321026/posts?hl=en.
You can also visit our Vancouver Google Plus page: www.https://plus.google.com/+CODE3TRAININGLLCLaCenter/posts?hl=en
Derek Stabell
Code 3 Training
Founder and Lead Trainer
