Lori Coffelt, RN, CCCCLos Alamos Medical Center Emergency Department Director
Researchers studied nearly 900 people who had heart attacks. The findings, published in The Journal of Emergency Medicine, showed only 35 percent of them experienced sudden chest pain. The other 65 percent described symptoms that were mild at first and worsened over time, or came and went away. Not all patients felt chest pain, either.
Fast action saves lives
People with gradual symptoms waited longer to seek treatment. They arrived at the hospital within three and a half hours, on average. That’s compared with two hours for people with sudden symptoms. Patients with gradual symptoms were also less likely to call 911.
That delay may seem small, but it makes a big difference. If you’re treated one to two hours after symptoms start, your risk of dying from a heart attack is cut in half.
Watch for these symptoms
Chest pain is the most common sign of a heart attack. Other symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath
- Cold sweats
- Pain or discomfort in either arm, back or jaw
- Nausea
- Light-headedness
These symptoms may feel mild at first. Or they might go away, and then return. Remember, you can be having a heart attack even if you don’t feel chest pain.
If you suspect you, or someone near you, is having a heart attack:
- Call 911. Tell the person who answers where you are and that you suspect a heart attack. Don’t hang up until you’re told to do so.
- You should not drive, or let someone else who is having symptoms drive, to the hospital.
- Los Alamos County paramedics are fully prepared to assess and treat heart attacks, calling 911 can provide important life-saving minutes.
To learn more about heart attack symptoms, visit www.heart.org and click on “Know the Heart Attack and Stroke Warning Signs”.
