If you think you are having heart problems or a heart attack, call 911 immediately.
Usually, heart attacks happen in one of two basic ways. First, the pain of a heart attack can feel like bad heartburn that worsens over time. Or second, a sudden cardiac arrest happens all at once and you suddenly fall to the floor in a state of unconsciousness.
Cardiologists urge you not to ignore any type of chest pain or discomfort that continues for longer than five minutes. The sooner you get treatment, the greater the chance that doctors can prevent further damage to the heart muscle.
Other symptoms include:
- Feeling pressure or pain in your chest, sometimes with sweating, dizziness, nausea or vomiting
- Feeling pain that radiates or goes from your chest into the jaw, left arm or left shoulder
- Feeling tightness in your chest
- Having shortness of breath for more than a couple of seconds
- Feeling weak, lightheaded or faint
- Having sudden overwhelming fatigue
Remember, in studies, women often report having different symptoms than men and can sometimes begin experiencing them weeks before a heart attack occurs. To learn more about heart attack symptoms in women and in men visit Heart.org.
SGMC’s Mobile Healthcare Services use a portable 12-lead electrocardiogram machine that allows them to take definitive EKGs in the ambulance or patient’s home. The EKG can show whether or not the heart attack is a ST elevation myocardial infarction, called a STEMI or non-STEMI event. Ambulances around south Georgia use Rosetta-Lt EKG and Data translator to transmit EKG results en route to SGMC to be viewed by the on-call cardiologist for viewing.
Compression-Only CPR
If you witness an adult suddenly collapse 1 simple step may help save a life!
– Dial 911