Most medical emergencies tend to have this in common: You need to act quickly to give yourself or a loved one the best chance of making a full recovery. That’s certainly true when it comes to heart attacks and strokes.
Prompt treatment can mean a better chance of survival and better quality of life after a heart attack or stroke. The first step: recognizing their signs and symptoms.
Heart attack symptoms
A heart attack happens when one or more of the heart’s arteries are blocked. This can lead to heart muscle damage. To limit that damage, the heart’s blood supply must be restored quickly, at a hospital.
Call 911 if you have any of these signs or symptoms:
Chest discomfort. It can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of the chest. The chest discomfort typically lasts more than a few minutes, and it may come and go.
Upper-body discomfort. You might feel discomfort in an arm or in your back, jaw, neck or stomach.
Shortness of breath, with or without chest pain.
Other signs. Some people break out in cold sweats or feel dizzy or sick to their stomach.
Take note: While chest discomfort is everyone’s main heart attack symptom, women are more likely than men to experience other warnings, like an upset stomach, upper-body pain or shortness of breath.
Stroke symptoms
A stroke happens when the brain’s blood supply is interrupted, usually by a clot. Brain cells begin to die. And more of them will die every minute you delay calling 911. This can result in permanent disability.
Fortunately, hospital staff can administer a drug that can reverse the most common type of stroke, but it must be given quickly.
That’s why it’s crucial to seek help at the first signs and symptoms of a stroke. They come on suddenly and include:
- Numbness or weakness on one side of the body.
- Confusion.
- Trouble seeing.
- Difficulty speaking or understanding speech.
- Trouble walking.
- A severe headache.
Here’s another way to help recognize a stroke:
- Have the person smile. Does their face droop?
- Have the person raise their arms. Does one drift downward?
- Have the person say something. Is their speech slurred or strange?
You should get help even if the above symptoms stop after a few minutes. Stroke signs that go away could be a transient ischemic attack (TIA), or ‘mini-stroke.’ Treatment may help prevent a full-blown stroke.
Remember: Don’t wait!
There’s too much at stake to delay getting help, even if you’re unsure or embarrassed you might be wrong. Don’t worry about the “what-ifs.” If you even suspect a heart attack or a stroke, get help right away.
At Carson Valley Health, our emergency room experts are here for you 24/7. They’ll check your symptoms and get you the care you need quickly.
